INHERITANCE Essay “The American Experiment” Receives LA Press Club Honor

Written By Ethan Ward

INHERITANCE Essay “The American Experiment” Receives LA Press Club Honor

Essay by Ethan Ward and Dana Amihere recognized in Political Commentary, National category at the 2026 Southern California Journalism Awards

LOS ANGELES — June 29, 2026 — HEATDRAWN Media’s INHERITANCE essay The American Experiment, by Ethan Ward and edited by Dana Amihere, received second-place honors in the Political Commentary, National category at the 2026 LA Press Club Southern California Journalism Awards.

The winners were announced June 28 at the LA Press Club’s annual awards gala in Los Angeles. The American Experiment was recognized alongside work from Washington Monthly, Truthout, Truthdig, and TheWrap.

Published by INHERITANCE, HEATDRAWN’s long-form magazine, The American Experiment examines the country’s founding myths, civic inheritance, and the contradictions Black Americans are asked to carry inside the national story.

“INHERITANCE was built for questions that look at what this country asks people to inherit, believe, and survive,” said Ethan Ward, founder and executive producer of HEATDRAWN Media. “This recognition from the LA Press Club affirms the kind of work we are trying to make which is personal, rigorous, and willing to look directly at power.”

The recognition adds to a growing body of honors for HEATDRAWN projects. The studio’s work has also been recognized by the Communicator Awards, the LA Press Club, and the Housing Narrative Lab, and has received support from the Omidyar Network Tech Journalism Fund.

The American Experiment is available to read at whatweinherit.com.

About HEATDRAWN Media

HEATDRAWN was founded in 2020 by award-winning journalist and executive producer Ethan Ward. The studio develops original reporting and narrative projects examining power, culture, and belonging across publishing, audio, screen, and digital platforms. Its projects include INHERITANCE, a magazine about race, culture, money, power, and what gets passed down, recognized by the LA Press Club and the Communicator Awards; REPUTATION, an award-winning limited series podcast on homelessness and housing policy; and THE THREAD, an AI-powered digital museum exploring obituary data, memory, and legacy. HEATDRAWN has been supported by the Omidyar Network Tech Journalism Fund.

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Media Contact:

HEATDRAWN Media
press@heatdrawn.com
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Ethan Ward

Award-winning journalist and product strategist focused on AI governance, algorithmic accountability, and responsible technology. AI Policy Certificate (Center for AI and Digital Policy). Master of Public Diplomacy (University of Southern California). MSc in Human-Computer Interaction (University College Dublin). His work has appeared in USA Today, NPR, Slate, Fast Company, and PBS SoCal. Founding editor of INHERITANCE. Founder, HEATDRAWN.

https://iamethanward.com
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