2025 Shaufler Prize in Journalism now accepting entries
2025 Shaufler Prize in Journalism now accepting entries
Entries are now being accepted for the 2025 Shaufler Prize in Journalism, which recognizes the best U.S. journalism advancing the understanding of stories and issues related to inclusivity in society.
The prize is administered by the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.
The prize, now in its fifth year, was established by Paul B. Anderson, the principal & CEO of Workhouse Media of Seattle, Washington, in honor of his late friend, Ed Shaufler, who cared deeply about promoting understanding of communities of color, immigrants, LGBTQ+ individuals and people with disabilities.
Winners receive a total of $20,000 in cash awards in professional and student journalist categories. The first-place winner in the professional media category will receive $10,000. Second and third place will receive $3,000 and $2,000, respectively. The winner in the student category will receive a $5,000 award.
“It is gratifying to honor journalism that gives voice to those whose stories are all too often lost or overlooked,” said Dr. Battinto L. Batts Jr., dean of the Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at ASU. “Year in and year out, the Shaufler Prize illustrates the power of storytelling and the impact of journalism to change lives.”
“Five year ago I established the Shaufler Prize in Journalism to honor my friend Ed Shaufler and our shared commitment to recognizing those who give voice to communities who often go unheard, said Paul Anderson, CEO of Workhouse Media. "Each year the prize has grown not only in recognition but also in real impact. I’m excited to see what this next season brings in long form, important journalism"
Recent winners
Last year, the first place prize in the professional category went to Robin McDowell and Margie Mason of The Associated Press for “Prison to Plate,” a comprehensive and revealing examination of crops and goods produced by prisoners on farms with striking similarities to slave labor on plantations.
The second-place winner was “The Year After a Denied Abortion,” a photo essay by photographer Stacy Kranitz and reporter Kavitha Surana, produced for ProPublica. The piece followed one woman and her family for a year after she was denied an abortion for a life-threatening pregnancy in Tennessee, chronicling health challenges of the newborn, and work, poverty, addiction and relationship struggles of the parents.
Third place went to “Traileres, trampa para migrantes’ (‘Cargo trucks: a trap for migrants) by a Telemundo team led by Ronny Rojas and including Angela Cantador, Albinson Linares, Brenda Medina and Martha Olivia Lopez. Their story was the result of a 7-month examination that revealed the dangerous human smuggling trade through Mexico.
The winner in the student category is “The Newest New Yorkers,” a group project by NYCity News Service at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY that examines how 130,000 asylum seekers in the city navigate hurdles and build community.
Entries
For the 2025 prize, entries must consist of work published or aired on print, digital, audio or broadcast platforms between Sept. 1, 2024, and Sept. 1, 2025. There is no entry fee.
Entries will be accepted through Dec. 15, 2025.
Click here for eligibility and entry submission.