Awards & Conferences
- Awards & Conferences
- Worth Bingham Prize for Investigative Journalism
- Taylor Family Award for Fairness in Journalism
- Joe Alex Morris Jr. Lecture
- J. Anthony Lukas Prize Project
- I.F. Stone Medal for Journalistic Independence
- The Christopher J. Georges Conference on College Journalism
- Louis M. Lyons Award for Conscience and Integrity in Journalism
Louis M. Lyons Award for Conscience and Integrity in Journalism
2023 Winner
Iranian journalists Niloofar Hamedi (left) and Elahe Mohammadi
Iranian journalists Niloofar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi are winners of the 2023 Louis M. Lyons Award for Conscience and Integrity in Journalism. The 2023 Nieman Fellows chose to honor the women in recognition of their “steadfast commitment to producing courageous journalism about issues in Iran affecting women, including the September 2022 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.” In making their selection, the fellows added: “Hamedi and Mohammadi put their livelihoods and lives on the line, and lost their freedom in the process. They knew the grave risks they might face but remained committed to telling Amini’s story. Journalists in Iran are risking their lives on a daily basis to report on the conditions and oppression there.”
About the Award
Nieman Fellows in the class of 1964 established the Louis M. Lyons Award for Conscience and Integrity in Journalism in May 1964 to honor the Nieman curator who retired that year. The award recognizes displays of conscience and integrity by individuals, groups or institutions in communications.
Each class of Nieman Fellows decides whether to present the award during their Nieman year.
Lyons, the second curator of the Nieman Foundation, had a distinguished career as an editor and reporter before he came to Harvard to join the first class of Nieman Fellows in the fall of 1938. He served as curator of the foundation from 1939 until 1964, expanding the fellowship in a number of significant ways including opening the program to women, people of color and international journalists.
The Nieman class of 1964 selected Vietnam correspondents as the first recipient of the Lyons Award. The class of 1965 gave the award posthumously to broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow, and the class of 1966 honored Wilson Minor of The New Orleans Times-Picayune.
No awards were made again until 1981, when the program was reinstituted by Curator James C. Thomson Jr. and given posthumously to Joe Alex Morris Jr. of the Los Angeles Times, who was killed while covering the Iranian Revolution.
A plaque that hangs in Walter Lippmann House, home of the Nieman Foundation, records the name of all winners. The award carried a $1,000 honorarium.
Winners
| Year | Recipient |
|---|---|
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March 2023
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For their steadfast commitment to producing courageous journalism about issues in Iran affecting women, including the 2022 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini
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April 2022
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For its unwavering commitment to covering the women of Afghanistan, who have been silenced and terrorized under Taliban control
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April 2021
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For its uncompromising coverage of the erosion of human rights, social justice and democracy in India
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January 2020
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For the relentless pursuit of the truth and exposing issues that might otherwise go unreported and for holding the powerful accountable through work that has directly impacted the politics of Puerto Rico.
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February 2019
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Marisa Kwiatkowski, The Indianapolis Star
For her years of work exposing shortfalls in systems designed to protect children as well as her contributions to the team that reported exhaustively about the sexual abuse charges brought against Larry Nassar, formerly the team doctor for USA Gymnastics and a physician at Michigan State University.
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February 2018
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Elena Milashina, Novaya Gazeta
For her ground-breaking and persistent investigative reporting on human rights abuses in Russia while enduring threats from powerful figures.
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February 2017
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Lewis W. Diuguid, The Kansas City Star
For his commitment to excellence in journalism and his efforts to promote newsroom diversity, civil rights, social justice and equality
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Spring 2016
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Yang Jisheng, Chinese author
For his work that speaks to the effort of every journalist globally who faces enormous obstacles in reporting.
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March 2015
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Hasan Cemal, Turkish journalist
For championing a free press in Turkey and in honor of all Turkish journalists working under adverse conditions.
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February 2014
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Pamela Colloff, Texas Monthly
For tenacious investigations into wrongful convictions, which exposed deep flaws in the criminal justice system
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February 2013
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Marcela Turati, Proceso magazine
For her professional excellence and leadership at a time when Mexican journalists face grave peril in covering the drug war
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November 2011
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Mohammad Nabbous, killed in Libya 2011
For all those like him who spread the news of the “Arab Spring” uprisings
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November 2010
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Mohamed Olad Hassan, British Broadcasting Corporation, The Associated Press
For courageous reporting and an enduring commitment to the people of Somalia
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November 2009
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Lasantha Wickrematunge, Sri Lankan editor
For daring to stand up, at the cost of his life, for freedom of the press and human rights
For their bravery in delivering the news from one of the most dangerous reporting environments in the world
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May 2009
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Fatima Tlisova, independent journalist
For bearing witness to the hidden truths of a violent place
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2008
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Chauncey Bailey, Oakland Post
For his fearless investigative reporting and tireless advocacy for the black community
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William Worthy, Baltimore Afro-American
For daring to blaze a path in coverage of global news
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2007
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Hu Shuli, Caijing magazine
For determined reporting on stories of dire importance to the world
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2006
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Atwar Bahjat, Al Arabiya-TV
Posthumous award for bravery in describing life in her native Iraq
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2005
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Shahla Sherkat, founding publisher, Zanan magazine
For covering politics and domestic abuse of Iranian women
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2004
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Zhanna Litvina, Belarus founder, Association of Journalists
For keeping Belarus’s journalists sane and safe
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2003
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Mark Chavunduka, founding editor, The Zimbabwe Standard
For his struggle for independence that rallied journalists in Zimbabwe
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2002
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For its commitment to aid journalists in peril
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1998 – 2001
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No winners
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1997
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Goenawan Mohamad, founding editor, Tempo magazine, Indonesia
For courage in publishing news despite government repression
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1996
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Raymond T. Bonner, The New York Times
For fearless, independent foreign reporting
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1995
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Olatunji Dare, editorial chair, Guardian Newspapers, Nigeria
For resigning rather than bow to government terms of self-censorship
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1994
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Abdelhamid Benzine, editor, Alger Republicain, Algeria
For his struggle for a free press despite being forced into exile
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1993
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Journalists of Oslobodjenje, (Liberation) in Sarajevo
For keeping their newspaper alive despite Serbian attacks
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1992
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Jean Mario Paul, Radio Antilles Internationale, Haiti
For reporting on corruption despite government intimidation
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1991
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For efforts to gain national democratic freedoms while facing threats to life
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1990
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For reporting on Colombian drug wars despite threats and murders of colleagues
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1989
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Helena Luczywo, Polish underground journalist
For reporting objectively, despite dangers facing a clandestine paper
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1988
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Monica Gonzalez, Chilean journalist
For courageous reporting despite Pinochet’s attempts to silence her
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1987
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Zwelakhe Sisulu, South African editor
For giving black South Africans a voice during Apartheid
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1986
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Violeta Chamorro, La Prensa
For her efforts to keep a free press alive in Nicaragua
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1985
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Allister Sparks, London Observer, The Washington Post
For courageous and meritorious reporting from South Africa
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1984
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Maria Olivia Monckeberg, Analisis Magazine
For coverage of Chile despite government attack and arrest
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1983
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Tom Renner, Newsday
For documenting organized crime’s reach into the lives of Americans
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1982
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Joseph Thloloe, South African journalist
For refusing to compromise ideals despite a repressive regime
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1981
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Joe Alex Morris Jr., Los Angeles Times, killed in Iran, 1979
For his fairness and untiring quest for truth
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1967 – 1980
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No winners
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| 1966 |
Wilson F. Minor, The Times-Picayune
For investigative reporting that opened doors of a closed society
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Ralph Nader
For Unsafe At Any Speed, an investigation of auto safety of the highest order
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1965
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Edward R. Murrow, CBS News
For his courage in confronting Senator McCarthy
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1964
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Vietnam Reporters: Neil Sheehan, UPI; Malcolm Browne, AP; David Halberstam, The New York Times
For reporting the truth
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