Entries are now being accepted for the 2024 Shaufler Prize in Journalism, the premier contest—now in its fourth year—that recognizes the best U.S. journalism advancing the understanding of stories and issues related to inclusivity in society.
The prize was established at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University by Paul B. Anderson, principal and CEO of Seattle’s Workhouse Media, in honor of his late friend, Ed Shaufler, who cared deeply about promoting understanding of communities of color, immigrants and LGBTQ+ individuals.
Winners receive a total of $20,000 in cash awards in professional and student journalist categories. In the professional category, the first-place winner receives a $10,000 prize, while second and third place winners earn $3,000 and $2,000, respectively. The student category winner receives a $5,000 award.
“The last three years of Shaufler Prize winners are perfect examples of why it’s so critical that journalists focus attention on inclusivity and injustice in our society,” said Battinto L. Batts Jr., dean of the Cronkite School. “Without the work of these dedicated journalists, these important stories would have gone untold. I’m proud that the Shaufler Prize turns the spotlight on this impactful work.”
Last year, the first place in the professional category went to the New York Times’ Hannah Dreier for “Alone and Exploited,” a powerful examination of the resurgence of child labor in the U.S. Drier interviewed hundreds of children in nine states, revealing that young migrants end up in some of the nation’s most punishing jobs.
Second place went to Courtney Tanner of the Salt Lake Tribune for “Failing the Utes,” which explored low academic performance among children from the Ute tribe, while third place went to “Surviving the Water: New York City’s Flooding Crisis in the Age of Climate Change,” an investigation into century-long flooding in the neighborhood of Hollis, Queens, produced by Documented, Climate Central and the Pulitzer Center by lead reporters Rommel H. Ojeda and John Upton.
The student category winner was “Hard Lessons,” a NYCity News Service examination of the challenges in New York schools, by the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York.
Entries for the 2024 Shaufler Prize must consist of work published or aired on print, digital, audio or broadcast platforms between Sept. 1, 2023, and Sept. 1, 2024. Entries will be accepted through Dec. 16, 2024. To enter, complete the Shaufler Prize submission form. There is no entry fee.
Learn more about the Shaufler Prize in Journalism, or contact David Nitkin with contest questions.