The Nyhan Prize – Journalism Of and For the People

The David Nyhan Prize honors journalists who illuminate the stories behind our politics and policy making. Journalists who peel back the curtain on how public policy really works, showing who is pulling the political levers, what it means for people’s everyday lives in terms they can understand, and suggesting how the practice of governing can be made more fair for all.

Nyhan Prize winners are insightful, fearless journalists who are not content to report on the horserace of politics and policy making. They dig deep, to understand the nuances of public policy, the priorities of policy makers, and how the power flows of government affect the people government is built to serve. They hold the powerful to account by lifting up the stories and voices of those who are not themselves walking the halls of power, but whose interests should be at the core of what government does.

Starting in 2024, the Nyhan Prize will offer two awards: one for achievement in public policy journalism, and one for emerging talents. The David Nyhan Prize for Public Policy Journalism assumes a substantial body of published work over time, while the David Nyhan Emerging Talent Journalism Award aims to honor early career and student journalists who show great early success, potential, and drive to do the kind of journalism the prize honors. Both tiers have similar criteria.

Nominations for the 2024 Nyhan Prizes are now open! Read below about criteria and the nomination process, and click the link to submit a nomination.

Criteria: 

• U.S.-based journalists working in any medium (including print, digital, audio, video, or a combination) and for any type of organization, including freelancers and self-employed journalists, are eligible.  
• Submitted work can include reported pieces and/or opinion or commentary.  
• Columnists who include considerable original reporting in their work are a better fit for the prize than writers whose primary form is opinion.  
• Work must be in English, or translations must be submitted as part of the nomination. 
• For the purposes of the Nyhan Prize, “public policy journalism” includes coverage of politics (both elections and the politics of legislating) as well as the creation (legislative and regulatory) and implementation of public policy. 
• If a nominee is not regularly publishing via a news publication with editorial oversight, they must demonstrate knowledge of and adherence to journalistic standards and practices in their work. This could include a background and/or education in journalism, and/or a statement that they follow journalistic standards, ethics, and/or practices in their work.  
• There is no set age or experience cut off for either category, however emerging talent nominees will usually have less than 10 years of experience in journalism, and career award nominees will generally have more than 10 years experience (these are not hard and fast divisions, however). 
• Up to two reporting partners may be submitted as a joint nomination if they work together regularly and all submitted work is by-lined by both partners. The Nyhan prize does not accept nominations for group or collaborative journalism projects.  

The winner of the David Nyhan Prize for Public Policy Journalism receives $4,000. The winner of the David Nyhan Emerging Talent Journalism Prize receives $1,000. In the case of a reporting partnership being named the winner of either prize, the prize money will be divided between the partners. Both winners will be celebrated and invited to speak in either a virtual or in-person event hosted by the Shorenstein Center. 

Submission Process: 

Journalists may be nominated by their employers, a member of the public, or by themselves.  

All nominators must fill out the nomination form and include at least 5 examples of the nominee’s work. These examples, as well as answers to the form questions, will be the basis of the judges’ selection process.  

• Print/digital examples should be submitted in PDF form, or as direct links. 
• Video and Audio content should be submitted as links to access the full files online. 
• If any content is behind a paywall or password, instructions on how to access it must be included. These instructions, and any login information, will be shared with Nyhan Prize judges only. 

For career award nominees, work examples can be from any period in their career, but at least one must be from the past two years. For emerging talent nominees, at least two work examples must have been published in recognized news outlets (including student newspapers).  

Nominators must select which category they would like to submit the nominee for, but judges and Shorenstein Center staff reserve the right to change the nominee’s category as they see fit.  

The Nyhan Prize winners are selected by a panel of 3-5 judges selected by the Shorenstein Center’s Faculty Director and staff. The Director of Communications and Strategy manages the judging committee and selection process. The Faculty Director acts as the final approver of all prize winners.  

Nominations for the 2024 prize are now closed. Please check back in 2025!