Moody College of Communication

Dan Rather Medals for News and GutsJournalism and Media logo

Dan Rather Medals for News and Guts

Awards

Dan Rather Medals for Excellence in News and Guts

Professional

$5,000 Award

See Details

To be given to a journalist, team of journalists or a news organization producing an exceptional journalistic story or series in spite of facing demonstrable threats and hurdles – exhibiting news and guts.

Examples include overcoming:

  • Government resistance to the release of public records
  • Financial threats to coverage
  • Online harassment

Student Media

$5,000 Award

See Details

To be given to a college journalist, a team of college journalists or college news organization producing an exceptional journalistic story or series whose execution required an exceptional reporting effort.

The journalists produced the story in spite of:

  • University or government resistance
  • Financial threats to coverage
  • University threats to coverage
  • Online harassment

2024 Professional Award Judges

Barbara Allen
Director of College Programming, Poynter
Kathleen McElroy, Ph.D.
Director, School of Journalism and Media, University of Texas at Austin
Earnest Perry, Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Graduate Studies, University of Missouri School of Journalism
James Rada
Documentary Producer and Professor, Virginia State
Andrew Rosenthal
Former editorial page editor and national editor at The New York Times.

2024 Student Media Award Judges

Jeff Cohen
Executive Vice President, Arnold Ventures
Former Hearst editor
Sonni Efron
President and COO, National Press Foundation
Rosa Flores
CNN Correspondent
Courtney Norris
Producer, “PBS NewsHour”
Tony Plohetski
Austin American-Statesman/KVUE-TV
Inaugural Dan Rather Medal Winner

Medals Timeline

Rather, the School of Journalism and Media, and the Moody College of Communication believe now is an especially appropriate time to highlight the work of journalists facing threats for trying to fulfill their vital role in American democracy. The medals are designed to complement rather than compete against other journalism awards.

Nominations Accepted

January 1 - January 31

Judging

February 1 – February 28

Winners and Finalists Announced

March 30

Dan Rather on CBS news assignment.

Robert McNeely Photographic Archive,

Briscoe Center for American History.