The Title Pawn Trap, an investigative reporting series by The Current’s Editor in Chief Margaret Coker, in partnership with Joel Jacobs & Mollie Simon of ProPublica, won the prestigious Green Eyeshade Award’s Best of Digital Division award.

This ongoing series focuses on title pawn contracts, the Georgia-based lenders that dominate the $1 billion industry and the lack of state regulation in a system that traps many borrowers who already need help to rise out of debt. The groundbreaking work shines light on the industry and regulation and the lenders and their customers.

The series also won first place in the Business Reporting / Online award in the competition organized by the Society for Professional Journalists. The judges selected The Current’s reporting from 12 other category winners as Best of Division honors.

“This is quite an accomplishment for our newsroom,” said Coker. “We are grateful to the Green Eyeshade judges for recognizing the importance of the quality local journalism that we produce at The Current.”

Since 1950, The Green Eyeshades have recognized the very best journalism in the southeastern United States and is the nation’s oldest regional journalism contest. News organizations in 11 states are eligible to apply, and winders are judged by journalists from across the country.