Awards
Eugene S. Pulliam First Amendment Award
Deadline for entries: June 19, midnight ET
(If you're looking for the Pulliam Fellowship for Editorial Writing, it can be found here.)
The Society of Professional Journalists Foundation presents the Eugene S. Pulliam First Amendment Award to honor a person or persons who have fought to protect and preserve one or more of the rights guaranteed by the First Amendment.
2020 Award Winner
The Post and Courier
Read press release
Previous Winners
2019 Spotlight Team, Boston Globe
2018 Kansas City Star
2017 The Better Government Association
2016 Ellen Gabler, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Todd Wallack, Boston Globe
2015 The Columbus Dispatch and the Student Press Law Center
2014 Associated Press
2013 Gina Barton, John Diedrich and Ben Poston, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
2012 Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald
2011 The Associated Press
2010 Renee Dudley, Island Packet of Bluffton, S.C.
2009 Jill Riepenhoff and Todd Jones, The Columbus Dispatch
2008 Jim Schaefer & M.L. Elrick, Detroit Free Press
2007 Joe Adams, The Florida Times-Union
2006 Terry Francke, Peter Scheer and the California First Amendment Coalition
2005 Kate Martin and the Center for National Security Studies
2004 Dan Christensen, Miami Daily Business Review
2003 Seth Rosenfeld, San Francisco Chronicle
2002 Dr. William Lawbaugh, St. Mary's College
Mr. Pulliam, who died in January 1999, was publisher of The Indianapolis Star and The Indianapolis News until his death and was well-known for consistently supporting activities which educated the public about First Amendment rights and values. The Foundation has established this annual award to honor those committed to the same goals and as a tribute to the professional contributions that he made to journalism.
About the Award
Annually at the Society of Professional Journalists National Convention, the Society of Professional Journalists Foundation will honor an individual, group of individuals or organization with a $10,000 cash award and an engraved crystal. The honoree(s) also will receive transportation (airfare and two-night hotel stay) to the national convention. (Additional travel costs are the responsibility of the award recipient).
Eligibility
Nominations are open to any person, persons or organization in the U.S. or its territories who have worked to protect the basic rights provided by the First Amendment. Honorees do not have to be journalists. In fact, the Foundation encourages recognition of those outside the journalism
profession for their First Amendment efforts and initiatives, such as, but not limited to, public officials, members of the legal profession, scholars, educators, librarians, students and ordinary citizens.
Work must have been completed within the 2021 calendar year.
For More Information
For more information contact SPJ Headquarters at 317/927-8000 or by e-mail: awards@spj.org. If selected, applicant should consult with their financial and/or tax adviser. Any tax implications associated with the award are the responsibility of the award recipient.
The Eugene S. Pulliam First Amendment Award is a program of the Society of Professional Journalists Foundation. More about Mr. Pulliam’s distinguished career can be found in The
Indianapolis Star’s online library.
