The Observer has led the state’s major dailies and national media to many stories first ignored by mainstream outlets. The New York Times, Harper’s, 60 Minutes, 20/20, and ABC News have followed the lead of Texas Observer stories. The Observer led the state and the country to the story of a racially-tinted and suspect drug sting in Tulia, Texas. Its award-winning writing is consistently recognized by the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies, Project Censored, the Texas League of Women Voters, and the State Bar of Texas. The Observer has been a finalist for the Katie Awards and the National Magazine Awards, and was recently selected as the winner for Best Political Coverage in The Utne Reader’s 2005 Utne Independent Press Awards.