René Kladzyk awarded prize by Military Reporters & Editors
WASHINGTON — During its annual conference for journalists, Military Reporters & Editors presented awards to the winners of the 2025 MRE Journalism Contest. René Kladzyk of Project On Government Oversight (POGO) wins MRE’s Best Investigative Reporting (Division 2) award.
Award Summary
Two-part series on mold in military housing, Project on Government Oversight published 5/7/2024, 10/24/2024.
Prize Category: Best Investigative Reporting / Division 2, Text journalism published in traditional print or online media.
Best work demonstrating in-depth, analytical skills, with information gathered over time, originality, use of public records, if they apply, and outcomes of the investigation, published by news organization with fewer than 20 reporters.
Judges’ Comments:
Rene Kladzyk of the Project On Government Oversight, in conjunction with Mother Jones magazine, reported on the handful of companies that provide privatized military housing to about 700,000 service members and their families – housing that is often dangerously substandard and even hazardous, including exposure to dangerous mold, lead-based paint, and rodent and insect infestations. Kladzyk outlines in great detail the myriad ways these companies have evaded environmental laws as well as a tenants’ bill of rights law for military members and, despite multi-million dollar fines, continue to operate their government contracts with impunity.
Read the Winning Series
- Article 1: From Toxic Mold to Rampant Fraud: How Privatizing Military Housing Became a Nightmare for Soldiers, POGO (5/7/2024)
- Article 2: Operation Counter-Mold”: The Hidden Battle in Military Homes, POGO (10/24/2024)
Journalist Biography
René Kladzyk
René Kladzyk is a senior investigator at the Project On Government Oversight with a deep commitment to impactful accountability journalism. Over a 15 year career, her investigative work
has prompted the passage of new laws, halted deportation proceedings, and helped families get new homes. René’s reporting has been published in TIME Magazine, Rolling Stone, Mother Jones,
Kaiser Health News, Teen Vogue, The Texas Observer, The El Paso Times, i-D Magazine, The Creative Independent and more. She previously worked as an investigative reporter at El Paso Matters, a nonprofit news outlet covering the U.S-Mexico border region, where she advanced in-depth and impactful coverage of immigration, human rights, criminal justice and health news. She has received multiple awards for her journalism, including at the 2022 and 2023 Texas Managing Editors Awards, and from the SABEW Best in Business Awards. René received her undergraduate degree in Political Science from Northern Arizona University, and her masters in Geography from the University of Oregon. When she isn’t investigating wrongdoing and abuses, René is an independent musician who performs under the moniker Ziemba.