Cash award
Professional media category
First place: $10,000
Second place: $3,000
Third place: $2,000
Student category
Winner receives $5,000
The Shaufler Prize in Journalism
The Shaufler Prize in Journalism is the premier contest recognizing the best journalism in the country advancing the understanding of issues related to underserved people in society, such as communities of color, immigrants, people who identify as LGBTQ+ and those with disabilities.
Ed Shaufler, who died in late 2020, cared deeply about promoting understanding of underrepresented people. Paul B. Anderson, principal and CEO of Workhouse Media, established the prize with the Cronkite School to honor his late friend. “Ed was a great observer of human behavior, both individually and in groups,” says Anderson. “He and I spent years just talking about journalism and stories and society. Ed loved that intellectual engagement around journalism, and I thought we should put his name to something that may have immediate and lasting impact for a journalist.”
The 2025 Shaufler Prize submission form is NOW OPEN. The application deadline is Monday, December 15, 2025.
To enter, complete the Shaufler Prize submission form. Entrants must use Submittable to complete their submission; create a Submittable account or login to an existing account.
Eligibility
Professionals: Any working professional may enter the professional category.
Students: Students entering the competition must be enrolled in an accredited journalism program at the time the entry was published or broadcast.
Submission criteria
- Submissions must be made via the Shaufler Prize submission form and meet the following criteria:
- Entries must consist of work published or aired on print, digital, audio or broadcast platforms between Sept. 1, 2024 and Sept. 1, 2025.
- Broadcast and video entries are limited to 10 minutes.
- Audio features are limited to 10 minutes, and podcasts to 30 minutes.
- Print and online entries are limited to a single story or story package (a main story with sidebars of shorter length or a series of no more than four related stories).
- Entries may represent the work of one person or multiple individuals.
Judging criteria
Entries will be judged by journalism professionals and educators. Judges will consider how well submissions:
- Provide in-depth coverage of the issues affecting communities of color, immigrants or LGBTQ+.
- Go beyond the ordinary in conveying the challenges experienced by underserved communities.
- Tell stories that capture human experiences and build understanding among diverse people and communities.
- Explore and illuminate key public policy, legal, social, cultural or political issues regarding the treatment of underrepresented communities and individuals.
2024 Shaufler Prize in Journalism Winners
2023 Shaufler Prize winners
First place, professional: Hannah Dreier, The New York Times, “Alone and Exploited.”
Second place, professional: Courtney Tanner, Salt Lake Tribune, “Failing the Utes.”
Third place, professional: Rommel H. Ojeda and John Upton, “Surviving the Water: New York City’s Flooding Crisis in the Age of Climate Change.”
Student winner: Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York “Hard Lessons.”
2022 Shaufler Prize winners
First place, professional: Aydali Campa, Inside Climate News, a three-part series titled “The Superfund Site Next Door: Toxins and Mistrust in Atlanta.”
Second place, professional: Jamie Smith Hopkins, Center for Public Integrity; and a podcast team with Transmitter Media, for “The Wealth Vortex.”
Third place, professional: Susan Ferriss and Joe Yerardi, Center for Public Integrity, “Cheated at Work.”
Student winner: Howard Center for Investigative Journalism, University of Maryland; “Mega Billions: The Great Lottery Wealth Transfer.”
2021 Shaufler Prize winners
First place, professional: Toluse Olorunnipa and Griff Witte, along with the staff of The Washington Post, “Born with Two Strikes: How systemic racism shaped Floyd’s life and hobbled his ambition,” which was part of the series, “George Floyd’s America.”
Second place, professional: Lizzie Presser, ProPublica, “Tethered to the Machine.”
Third place, professional: Maria Perez, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, “The Long Way Home”
Student winner: Cronkite School’s Howard Center for Investigative Journalism, “Little Victims Everywhere.” Reporters: Brendon Derr, Rylee Kirk, Anne Mickey, Allison Vaughn, McKenna Leavens and Leilani Fitzpatrick