Scripps Howard Awards

Scripps Howard Awards are annual honors presented by the E. W. Scripps Company recognizing excellence in journalism across print, broadcast, and digital media. Established to reward investigative reporting, feature writing, commentary, photography, and public service, the awards have acknowledged work from major outlets, independent organizations, and individual journalists. Recipients have included staff from legacy institutions and emerging platforms, reflecting shifts in newsroom practice and media technology.

History

The awards trace roots to the E. W. Scripps Company’s legacy, linked to founders such as E. W. Scripps and organizations like the Scripps-Howard Newspapers. Early decades saw winners from institutions including the Cleveland Press, The Cincinnati Enquirer, San Francisco Chronicle, The Baltimore Sun, and Columbus Dispatch. In the 20th century, coverage that won awards intersected with major events such as the Watergate scandal, the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, and the Iran–Contra affair, drawing laureates who worked at outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and The Boston Globe. The awards evolved alongside competitors like the Pulitzer Prize, the Peabody Awards, and the George Polk Awards, while networking with institutions such as the National Press Club, the Associated Press, and the Columbia Journalism School. Technological shifts brought winners from organizations tied to digital innovation including NPR, ProPublica, BuzzFeed News, The Intercept, and The Marshall Project, and from broadcasters such as CBS News, NBC News, ABC News, and PBS NewsHour.

Award Categories

Categories have reflected journalism disciplines practiced at outlets such as Reuters, Agence France-Presse, Bloomberg News, The Wall Street Journal, and Financial Times USA. Typical categories include investigative reporting, public service, feature writing, commentary, multimedia storytelling, photography, and student journalism, paralleling categories found at the Overseas Press Club and the Online News Association. Specialty categories have honored work on topics associated with entities like Environmental Protection Agency, United Nations, World Health Organization, and coverage of events like the Hurricane Katrina aftermath, the 2008 financial crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Photojournalism winners have come from publications including National Geographic and agencies such as Getty Images and AFP. Broadcast and digital categories attracted entrants from platforms including YouTube News, Vox Media, The Guardian US, Mother Jones, and The Atlantic.

Eligibility and Selection Process

Eligibility typically mirrors submission practices used by groups like Investigative Reporters and Editors and the Society of Professional Journalists, requiring work published or broadcast in a given calendar year by outlets such as USA Today, The Miami Herald, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Star Tribune (Minneapolis), and Denver Post. Panels of judges drawn from newsrooms and academia—often with members from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, Medill School of Journalism, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, and veterans from The New Yorker, Time (magazine), Newsweek, and Vanity Fair—assess entries. The vetting process includes editorial review, ethical assessment aligning with standards from groups like the Radio Television Digital News Association and the Committee to Protect Journalists, and verification procedures used by fact-checking centers such as PolitiFact and FactCheck.org. Finalists have been selected through deliberations reminiscent of panels for the Pulitzer Prize Board and the Peabody Awards Board of Jurors.

Notable Recipients and Impact

Awardees include reporters, photographers, and teams from outlets such as The New York Times Magazine, ProPublica, The Washington Post Magazine, Los Angeles Times Magazine, Chicago Sun-Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Dallas Morning News, San Diego Union-Tribune, and Houston Chronicle. Individual honorees have included journalists linked to major stories involving figures like Edward R. Murrow-era broadcasters, investigative teams who covered scandals tied to administrations from Nixon administration to Obama administration, and reporting informing policy debates in bodies such as the U.S. Congress and international forums like the European Parliament. Photojournalists whose work paralleled coverage in Life (magazine), winners who later authored books published by houses such as Knopf and HarperCollins, and multimedia producers who later joined organizations like Netflix and HBO illustrate career impact. The awards have elevated local investigations that prompted inquiries by agencies such as the Department of Justice and reforms adopted by states including California, Texas, and Ohio.

Ceremony and Administration

Ceremonies have been held in venues associated with media events hosted by organizations like the National Press Club and universities including Ohio State University and Scripps College (California), with presenters from the E. W. Scripps Company executive team and boards that historically included figures connected to Scripps Networks Interactive. Administration involves partnerships with foundations and sponsors similar to relationships maintained by the Knight Foundation and the Pew Charitable Trusts, and coordination with professional associations such as the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. Award announcements are distributed through wire services including Associated Press, Reuters, and Bloomberg, and covered by trade outlets such as Columbia Journalism Review, Poynter Institute, Nieman Foundation, Editor & Publisher, and American Journalism Review. Ongoing stewardship includes curatorial efforts, archives maintained in collaboration with institutions like Library of Congress and regional historical societies, and educational initiatives connecting winners with classrooms at schools such as Medill School of Journalism and Columbia Journalism School.

Category:American journalism awards