Special Events

Journalism Awards Luncheon

IPJ Students at Press Club Awards Ceremony.

Each year, IPJ gives out two professional journalism awards to recognize excellence in two areas of reporting. Additionally, three awards are given for excellence in collegiate journalism.

A $10,000 prize and trophy are awarded to each of the professional award recipients each summer at a luncheon at The National Press Club. This is a great opportunity for students to see quality journalism recognized for the dedication and accuracy that the reporters exemplify.



The Mollenhoff Award for Excellence in Investigative Journalism, named for Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, Clark Mollenhoff, recognizes a magazine or newspaper writer(s) who conform to both the definition of investigative reporting and to the professional standards articulated by Clark Mollenhoff in his critiques of journalism craft.

The Economic Journalism Award is presented to a magazine or newspaper writer(s) whose series or columns provide the best understanding of free market economic principles and their impact on policies and markets.

Robert Novak Collegiate Journalism Award is presented to a college magazine or newspaper writer(s) who display excellence in journalism with a demonstrable commitment to first amendment principles.

Ken Armstrong and Mike Berens of The Seattle Times discuss their winning entry at the 2009 award ceremony.

Past Winners include:

Mollenhoff Award Winners

• 2009 Michael Berens and Ken Armstrong, The Seattle Times “The Culture of Resistance.”
• 2008: David Heath and Hal Bernton, The Seattle Times “The Favor Factory.”
• 2007: Jean Rimbach and Kathleen Carroll, The Record, “Lessons in Waste.”
• 2006: Scott Reeder, Small Newspaper Group, “The Hidden Costs of Tenure.
  2005: M.L. Elrick and Jim Schaefer, Detroit Free Press, " Detroit Mayor Serves Himself Before the Public"
• 2003: Melvin Claxton, Norman Sinclair & Ronald Hansen, The Detroit News, "Hiding In Plain View"
• 2002: Duff Wilson & David Heath, The Seattle Times, "Uninformed Consent: What patients at 'The Hutch' weren't told about the experiments in which they died"
• 2001: Mary Zahn & Jessica McBride, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, " Wisconsin's Death Penalty: Wisconsin Prison Term Can Equal a Death Sentence "

Economic Award Winners

• 2009: Team of Reporters, The Wall Street Journal “Financial Meltdown.”
• 2008: Rebecca Mowbray, The Times-Picayune , “Insurance Series.”
• 2007: Steve Everly, Kansas City Star, “Hot Fuel-Cold Cash.”
• 2006: Scott Reeder, Small Newspaper Group, “The Hidden Costs of Tenure.”
• 2005: M.L. Elrick and Jim Schaefer, Detroit Free Press, " Detroit Mayor Serves Himself Before the Public."
• 2004: Mei-Ling Hopgood & Russell Carollo, Dayton Daily News, "Casualties of Peace."
• 2003: Melvin Claxton, Norman Sinclair & Ronald Hansen, The Detroit News, "Hiding In Plain View."
• 2002: Duff Wilson & David Heath, The Seattle Times, "Uninformed Consent.”
• 2001: Mary Zahn & Jessica McBride, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, " Wisconsin's Death Penalty.”

Robert Novak Collegiate Journalism Award

Aaron Hedge & David McSwane 2009 Winners of the Robert Novak Collegiate Journalism Award

2009 Winners

• First Prize ($5,000): The Rocky Mountain Collegian, Aaron Hedge & J. David McSwane, Colorado State University .
• Second Prize ($2,500): The Cronkitezine, James Kindle, Arizona State University
• Third Prize  ( $1,000) The Red and Black, Amanda Woodruff, University of Georgia

2008 Winners

• First Prize ($5,000): UC LA Bruin , Robert Faturechi , Univ of California at Los Angeles.
• Second Prize ($2,500): The Daily Tarheel , Brendan Brown, UNC Chapel Hill.
• Third Prize  ( $1,000) The Virginia Informer, Joe Luppino-Esposito, College of William and Mary

2007 Winners

• First Prize ($5,000): University Press, Jason Parsley, Florida Atlantic University.
• Second Prize (TIE - $2,500): The Student Voice, Allison Baker and Julianne Pepitone, Syracuse University and The Missourian, Derek Kravitz, University of Missouri-Columbia.

2006 Winners

• First Prize ($5,000): The Hatchet, Marissa Paige Levy, The George Washington University.
• Second Prize ($2,500): Daily Nebraskan, Maggie Stehr, University of Nebraska.
• Third Prize  (TIE - $1,000) Collegiatetimes.com, David Grant, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and The Daily Texan, Hyunjin Kim, University of Texas at Austin and The California Aggie, Christina Lee, University of California, Davis