{"id":11251,"date":"2024-04-30T12:00:58","date_gmt":"2024-04-30T12:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/2024\/04\/30\/journalism-awards-free-j-school\/"},"modified":"2024-10-18T14:30:01","modified_gmt":"2024-10-18T14:30:01","slug":"journalism-awards-free-j-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/niemanstoryboard.org\/2024\/04\/30\/journalism-awards-free-j-school\/","title":{"rendered":"Journalism awards: Free j-school"},"content":{"rendered":" \n
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It\u2019s awards\u2019 season in the journalism industry, and with that comes your free continuing education. And with it comes a chance to refresh and refocus your journalism \u2014 for free.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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There are plenty of award skeptics out there. I get that. The work itself, and the public purpose it serves, should be the guiding light of our profession \u2014 the true win. But a little validation along the way is nice, especially when paychecks can be slim, industry news can be discouraging and journalism keeps slipping downward on trust-o-meters.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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I believe our readers\/listeners\/viewers appreciate what we do more than they express or polls show. People always seem more motivated to react in the negative than to send a note of gratitude. (Consider the ratio of complaints to compliments in your own life, whether it\u2019s on the job or at home.) That tendency has been amplified by the anonymity of social media and online comments, which too often are downright cruel.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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Most journalists accept that imbalance. However precarious our perch, it is one of privilege. We probe worlds both public and private; we sometimes ask questions that violate the boundaries of polite society; we dare to challenge authority and, at times, assign blame; we insert our work into readers\u2019 homes or televisions or radios or tablets or earbuds. We believe what we do matters<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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But never doubt: It does matter \u2014 in ways that can be hard to keep in sight under the grind of deadlines, the attacks from our critics and the discouragement of silence. If you\u2019ve ever felt you are sending your stories into a void, trust me: You are not alone.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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So I\u2019m all for a bit of validation. It\u2019s best if it comes from the public we try to serve. I treasure every thank-you note I\u2019ve ever received from a reader. They are far fewer than the snipes. But when I stumble across them while I\u2019m hunting through the yet-to-be-organized boxes in my garage, I am struck by this: The expressions of gratitude or appreciation are always specific, while the loudest cranks tend to be generic. I accept criticisms about typos or imprecise language, and respond to those with acknowledgement, apologies and fixes. I learn. But when a criticism is so all-encompassing that it can\u2019t be grasped, all I can do is check myself, scrutinize what I can do better and, most important, renew my commitment to respectful, purposeful, values-based work. Work that matters.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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What awards can teach<\/h2>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
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Which brings me back to awards season. Shrug at it if you want. Then I urge you to reconsider: It is easy (free!) access to a great reading list. Beyond that, the winners and finalists offer that continuing education I mentioned above: These stories demonstrate everything from how reporters identified sources to how they asked questions to how they structured complex pieces. They highlight aspects of our work by categories: Breaking news reminds us we can work fast; explanatory shows the importance of clarity; investigative work celebrates the prime directive of holding power accountable; even topic-focused awards, like business and health reporting, honor stories that are equal parts technical and literary.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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On the societal scale, the awards are a reflection of the issues that define our times. Yes, the press (I\u2019m old-school, so I\u2019ll call it that) focuses on troubling issues: gun violence, racial disparities, income inequality, system failures. That\u2019s the job. We can be criticized for doing it, but what would happen if we didn\u2019t?<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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Closer to home, the awards show where we are as a profession. My early read of the award winners reminds me of our purpose and renews my faith: As challenging as these times are, the quality of work has not flagged. We learn from each other (check out the multi-media winners, then note how what we call features or narrative journalism incorporates visual elements), build on each other, leapfrog forward \u2014 and continue to matter.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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A sampler to start with<\/h2>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n
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I don\u2019t pretend to offer a all-inclusive list of various association awards. I am, of course, eager to see this year\u2019s Pulitzer Prizes<\/a>, which will be announced May 7. But for now, here are a few things that came to my inbox in recent days, and offered good reading, good education and good encouragement:<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n \n

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