AP White House correspondent Zeke Miller and White House reporter Colleen Long led Inauguration Day reporting on President Joe Biden’s last-minute preemptive pardons of former officials, including Anthony Fauci, Mark Milley, and investigators of the Jan. 6 insurrection—an extraordinary use of executive power to guard against potential retaliation by the incoming Trump administration.
Miller and Long, on her last day at AP, were at their desks well before 7 a.m. on Inauguration Day, fully prepared for the possibility of Biden’s pardon announcement as his final act as president. While also managing coverage of both the outgoing and incoming presidents, they remained vigilant for any last-minute developments.
A source provided Miller with confirmation of what was about to occur comfortably before 7 a.m., allowing him and Long to be ready with an alert and a comprehensive story within seconds of the formal pardon announcement—well ahead of the competition. Their sources also indicated that additional pardons were coming, so the team remained on standby until moments before noon, when Biden issued more preemptive pardons for his family members. Once again, they broke the news while most competitors were still processing the initial announcement.
AP’s coverage was widely cited by other news organizations throughout Inauguration Day morning, as many were still catching up.
The judges were impressed by Miller and Long’s preparation, dedication, and speed in reporting the pardons, all while managing broader coverage of the presidential transition.
For outstanding planning, preparation, sourcing, and reporting, Zeke Miller and Colleen Long earn this week’s Best of AP — Second Winner.
