2026 Journalist of the Year
Cierra Putman, WTHR
Cierra Putman is the newest addition to 13 Investigates. She looks for stories that combine research and heart. Sometimes you’ll see her around town running down a lead. Another day she’ll have her earphones in reading documents or reviewing audio, video recordings. The goal – work on stories that get results and help Indiana families.
Over the last 5 years, she reported in Orlando and Central Florida, honing her reporting, investigative skills while covering city governments, schools, courts, and theme parks. Her reporting included helping parents get more information about a substitute teacher who was arrested for harming children. When she learned a county jail was requiring inmates to pay to talk to their lawyers during the pandemic, she pushed to find out why and showed that wasn’t happening at other jails. Ultimately, her reporting pushed jail leaders to reverse course.
Growing up in Southern Illinois, Putman … yes that’s PutMAN 😊 often watched national and local reporting. Journalism was always respected at home as a fourth pillar of democracy. At the University of Missouri School of Journalism, she received the foundation to be a respected journalist and storyteller. For more than a decade now she’s continued to grow as a reporter first in Missouri, then Texas, New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Florida and now Indiana.
If you have an issue you want Cierra to investigate feel free to shoot her an email at [email protected].
Over the last 5 years, she reported in Orlando and Central Florida, honing her reporting, investigative skills while covering city governments, schools, courts, and theme parks. Her reporting included helping parents get more information about a substitute teacher who was arrested for harming children. When she learned a county jail was requiring inmates to pay to talk to their lawyers during the pandemic, she pushed to find out why and showed that wasn’t happening at other jails. Ultimately, her reporting pushed jail leaders to reverse course.
Growing up in Southern Illinois, Putman … yes that’s PutMAN 😊 often watched national and local reporting. Journalism was always respected at home as a fourth pillar of democracy. At the University of Missouri School of Journalism, she received the foundation to be a respected journalist and storyteller. For more than a decade now she’s continued to grow as a reporter first in Missouri, then Texas, New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Florida and now Indiana.
If you have an issue you want Cierra to investigate feel free to shoot her an email at [email protected].
Journalist of the Year Award Criteria
A journalist or reporting organization who’s reporting, commentary or editorial furthers the public understanding of the law and encourages the protection of consumers, injured persons, and the civil justice system
Cierra Putman's Nomination
Submitted by Scott Faultless and David Craig
Cierra Putman is an investigative reporter for WTHR. She has recently researched and aired two stories about the trucking industry including insurance limits, chameleon carriers, and foreign truck drivers with non-domiciled CDLs. She is dedicated to thoroughly researching trucking industry issues and educating the public hoping to make a difference to better our communities.
Not only does she do the research, but she reaches out to the families of the victims of fatal semi crashes so they can tell their stories about how bad actors in the trucking industry have devastated their families. Cierra is committed to educating the public about the many dangerous problems in the trucking industry and their impact on Hoosiers families with the goal that positive action will be taken by the government and trucking industry to protect motorists so that other families will not having to endure the same tragedies.
Not only does she do the research, but she reaches out to the families of the victims of fatal semi crashes so they can tell their stories about how bad actors in the trucking industry have devastated their families. Cierra is committed to educating the public about the many dangerous problems in the trucking industry and their impact on Hoosiers families with the goal that positive action will be taken by the government and trucking industry to protect motorists so that other families will not having to endure the same tragedies.