2021 Award Recipient
 

Nikole Hannah-Jones
Howard University

The selection committee for the Excellence in Media Reporting reviewed the work of many education reporters and found that Ms. Hannah-Jones stood out for her careful reading of and reporting on the educational research that informs the issues she is writing about, from issues of racial segregation to the inter-generational impact of systemic racism on Black communities and their schools. At the core of her work is her penetrating examination of the research in education, the social sciences, and history that enables her to produce evidence-based journalism that re-writes long-held narratives about issues of race and education in the U.S. As a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, a staff writer at the New York Times Magazine, and the creator of the 1619 Project, Ms. Hannah-Jones has spent her career investigating racial inequality and injustice, and her reporting has earned her the MacArthur Fellowship, known as the Genius grant, a Peabody Award, two George Polk Awards and the National Magazine Award three times. Hannah-Jones also earned the John Chancellor Award for Distinguished Journalism and was named Journalist of the Year by the National Association of Black Journalists and the Newswomen's Club of New York. In 2016, Hannah-Jones co-founded the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting, which seeks to increase the number of reporters and editors of color. She holds a Master of Arts in Mass Communication from the University of North Carolina and earned her BA in History and African-American studies from the University of Notre Dame.

The Excellence in Media Reporting on Education Research Award is presented annually to an individual in the media who has demonstrated excellence in raising awareness, knowledge, and understanding of education research. Recipients of this award are persons who have made noteworthy contributions to reporting on findings, bodies of research, or scholarship in the field of education research in any medium of public communication. The award honors a media professional whose work exemplifies promoting a broader vision of the value of education research to society, whether sustained over a long period of time or substantial in its significance.