Wheeler is winner of CFINR-Tennessee reporting award
June 25, 2026
Drew Wheeler, editor of the McNairy County News of Selmer, Tenn., was awarded the Center for Integrity in News Reporting 2026 Tennessee Award for his story, “Justice for Pauline,” on Thursday, June 25 during the University of Tennessee System—Tennessee Press Association Awards Luncheon in Franklin, Tenn.
Rufus Friday, executive director of the Center for Integrity in News Reporting, presented Wheeler with the $5,000 prize.
Judge’s Comments:
Arguably, Sheriff Buford Pusser became one of the most famous figures of McNairy County after the movie “Walking Tall” in 1976 based loosely on his life. Adamsville hosts an annual Buford Pusser Festival and the Buford Pusser Home and Museum. So when the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the local district attorney announced in August 2025 that they had concluded a revived investigation into the death his wife Pauline and that if Pusser were alive today, he would be charged with her murder 58 years ago, it’s no surprise that the McNairy County News devoted three pages to the story.
The reporting was solid and detailed and struck a tone appropriate for an audience that would surely have mixed feelings about their legendary sheriff. In addition to providing detailed information from the revived cold case investigation, the reporter included comments from family members with conflicting feelings. The reporter interviewed local law enforcement who acknowledged the investigation’s results, but also how films, books and songs about Pusser inspired countless individuals to pursue careers in law enforcement. Local Buford Pusser historians were also interviewed. This was a story that was hard to put down. The reporter did a great job simply by providing so many facts on how the TBI concluded Pusser had killed his wife and being sensitive to what this all meant in Pusser’s hometown.
The reporter’s last two paragraphs were a perfect ending:
“Perhaps answering questions which had not yet been asked, in concluding his statement last Friday, DA Davidson said this case is “not about tearing down a legend. It is about giving dignity and closure to Pauline and her family and ensuring the truth is not buried with time… The truth matters…justice matters, even 58 years later, Pauline deserves both.”
The McNairy County News did a superb job delivering such an important story.