Chris Fulton, publisher of the Mountain Home Observer, garnered the top two honors in the A-Mark Prize for Investigative Reporting, an award presented by the Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ). The winners were announced on Saturday, July 25, during the Diamond Journalism Awards banquet held at Next Level Events in Little Rock.
Fulton's first-place report, "The 29 Warnings That Didn't Matter," delved into systemic failures by the Arkansas Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS) in addressing allegations of child abuse in one Baxter County household. His investigation revealed 29 unsubstantiated calls to the state's Child Abuse Hotline over 11 years, reporting instances including starvation and confinement of a teenage boy. Despite mandated reporters being among the callers, no actions were taken until severe abuse had persisted. Ahead of an October 2025 legislative hearing, DCFS Director Tiffany Wright confirmed no employees had been disciplined and acknowledged the agency had not reviewed its database for similar patterns. Prosecutor David Ethredge told lawmakers the abuse's longevity stemmed from a failure to connect multiple reports involving the same home. The award included $5,000 for Fulton and $2,500 for the Observer.
In his second-place article, "Taxation, Power and Secrecy: Inside the Briarcliff Governance Collapse," Fulton investigated governance concerns in the City of Briarcliff and the Briarcliff Water and Recreational Improvement District No. 1. The improvement district, which controls over 92% of residents’ property taxes, had not published an audit since 2016, and its commissioners were unelected. Fulton also focused on controversies around a $200,000 transfer from the city to the district and the management of disaster relief funds after a 2024 tornado. The investigation prompted inquiries by the Arkansas attorney general's office and the Arkansas Legislative Audit. The second-place prize awarded $3,000 to Fulton and $1,500 to the Observer.
The prize, sponsored by the A-Mark Foundation, aims to foster investigative journalism at the state level. A judge evaluating the entries praised Fulton's thoroughness and use of primary sources, noting that awarding the top two spots to one reporter was highly unusual but well-deserved due to his exceptional work.
Josh Snyder of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette earned third place for coverage of the LEARNS Act, receiving $2,000 along with $1,000 for his newsroom. The A-Mark Prize is the only category in the Diamond Journalism Awards exclusively tied to Arkansas-based reporting.
The Observer also achieved recognition in other areas. Alison and Chris Fulton won an award for Overall Website Design, and Chris Fulton was a finalist in the Environment and Science reporting category for "Power, Pollution, and Policy in Arkansas." In its second year, the A-Mark Prize allocated $15,000 in total, with $12,000 going to Fulton and the Observer.
The 2026 Diamond Journalism Awards drew 591 entries from Arkansas and neighboring states, across professional and student journalism as well as communication categories. SPJ members from Connecticut judged this year's submissions. Other notable honorees included Dwain Hebda of Ya!Mule Wordsmiths, named Diamond Journalist of the Year, and Erika Konig of the University of Memphis, named Student Journalist of the Year.
The banquet’s keynote featured a discussion between Heather Baker, president of AY Media Group, and Warwick Sabin, CEO of Deep South Today, about plans to launch Arkansas Today, a statewide digital news outlet, in fall 2026.