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Nancy Pelosi, the 52nd Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, will be the featured guest and keynote speaker at the pre-recorded virtual ceremony for the 2022 Toner Prizes for Excellence in Political Reporting.

The virtual event, traditionally held in Washington D.C., will be posted at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 28. Students can register for the event to receive a confirmation email containing information to view the ceremony.

Pelosi will discuss the current situation of the nation and the world in an interview with Washington Post reporter Karen Tumulty. Previous speakers of the ceremony include political figures such as former President Barack Obama, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton and then-vice president Joe Biden.

The Toner Prize is an award created to honor Syracuse University alumna Robin Toner, who passed away in 2008. She was the first woman to be a national political correspondent for The New York Times. Toner graduated in 1976 from the Newhouse School of Public Communications with a dual degree in journalism and political science.

The prize is administered through the Toner Program for Political Journalism, and it is given to both local and national publications for political reporting. Previous recipients include reporters from publications such as The Atlantic, WBEZ Public Media, The New York Times and LehighValleyLive.com.

Entries must be fact-based reporting and not commentary, and books are ineligible, according to the program’s website. Submissions were open from Dec. 1, 2021, until mid-January.

Winners are chosen for their writing that either has illuminated the electoral process, revealed the politics of policy or engaged the public in democracy, according to the website. Each award includes a $5,000 honorarium.

During her career at The New York Times, Toner covered five presidential campaigns, scores of congressional and gubernatorial campaigns and political policy issues, according to the release.

Winners of the prize are invited to Newhouse to deliver the annual Toner Lecture. Some past topics covered in these lectures include the power of political journalism and keeping calm under pressure when reporting.

“While the pandemic once again prevents us from gathering in person in Washington, D.C., we will gather virtually to celebrate the work of the latest prize winners and to hear from another of our nation’s most important leaders,” the program’s website reads. “Your participation still assists the Toner Program’s work at the Newhouse School, bringing journalism students to the capital and providing valuable networking and learning opportunities.”

Published on March 2, 2022 at 10:40 pm

Contact Grace: gdkatz@syr.edu