Winners of the 2021 News Leaders Association Awards will be announced April 5, 2021
In a year unlike any other, the News Leaders Association has geared its awards to reflect the extraordinary journalism produced in 2020, with streamlined categories that take into account the massive stories that unfolded. News organizations of all sizes to entered, and judges have taken into consideration the special circumstances that many or most outlets, including smaller ones, had to face to produce excellent journalism.
The categories for this year's awards are:
Dori J. Maynard Justice Award: $5,000 cash prize, sponsored by the O’Brien Fellowship in Public Service Journalism at Marquette University in Milwaukee | Recognizing work covering the social justice movement that took on new life and purpose in 2020. This could be coverage of the events that sparked the outcry, the protests themselves, or the underlying causes, most especially rampant inequality and police brutality. This award is named in memory of Dori J. Maynard who was an ASNE board member and a strong advocate for news and newsroom diversity and journalism that addressed injustices. A longtime journalist, Ms. Maynard was the president of the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education, which is dedicated to helping news media accurately portray all segments of society. She died in 2015.
Batten Medal for Coverage of the Coronavirus Pandemic: $2,500 cash prize, sponsored by editors from the former Knight Ridder company | Recognizing coverage of COVID-19, whether at the local, national, or global level, reflecting the previously unthinkable obstacles that newsrooms had to overcome in the face of a once-in-a-generation crisis. The Batten Medal celebrates the memory of revered reporter, editor and newspaper executive James K. Batten, who was chief executive officer of Knight Ridder when he died in 1995.
Deborah Howell Award for Writing Excellence: $5,000 cash prize, sponsored by Advance Publications, Inc. |Recognizing the best story on any topic, with preference given to strong and stylish writing. This can include multiple bylines on the story. This award is dedicated to former editor Deborah Howell who loved compelling writing. Ms. Howell served as editor of the St. Paul Pioneer Press and later as editor of Newhouse News Service's Washington bureau. She also served as ombudsman for The Washington Post. Ms. Howell died in 2010.
Frank A. Blethen Award for Local Accountability Reporting: $5,000 cash prize, sponsored by The Seattle Times | This award will be given for the best story or series of stories that hold local authorities accountable for actions (or inaction). This award is named in honor of Frank A. Blethen who has been The Seattle Times publisher and CEO since 1985. Under his leadership, The Times has won six Pulitzer Prizes, including the 2015 Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News Reporting. In 2011, Mr. Blethen was the first publisher to be awarded ASNE's News Leadership Award.
Burl Osborne Editorial and Opinion Award: $2,500 cash prize, sponsored by The Dallas Morning News | This award is for editorials, analyses or columns that provoke, inform and persuade. These can be bylined or unsigned, limited to five editorials or columns per entry. It’s named in the memory of executive Burl Osborne, who, as editor, president and ultimately publisher, led The Dallas Morning News to national prominence and a string of Pulitzer Prizes. He was also chairman of the board of The Associated Press and was a president of ASNE. He died in August 2012.
Punch Sulzberger Innovator of the Year Award: $2,500 cash prize, sponsored by The New York Times | This award recognizes innovation by a news organization in providing value and service that advances its mission. The innovation can involve digital reporting or story telling; product development; audience expansion or outreach to overlooked communities. Ideally, it could be adopted successfully by other news media. This award is dedicated to the memory of former publisher Arthur Ochs "Punch" Sulzberger. In 1963, Mr. Sulzberger became the youngest publisher in Times history at age 37. He chose to publish excerpts of the Pentagon Papers in 1971, a move that earned the newspaper a Pulitzer Prize the following year. He died in 2012.
News Leader of the Year Award: $5,000 cash prize. The inaugural sponsor of the News Leader of the Year Award is the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute. | This award recognizes an editor or team of editors who have displayed strong leadership in matching the extraordinary moment of an unprecedented year through great journalism and vital decision making on all fronts.
About the News Leaders Association
News Leaders Association provides a network that empowers news leaders and emerging news leaders to build diverse, sustainable newsrooms that use fact-based information to inform and engage the communities they reflect and serve.