About the Awards

ABOUT THE WALTER CRONKITE AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN TELEVISION POLITICAL JOURNALISM

The Walter Cronkite Awards

Established in 2001 and administered by the Norman Lear Center at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, the award recognizes television journalism that helps viewers understand the issues and candidates, and how voters' electoral choices will affect their lives. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the award.

The Brooks Jackson Prize for Fact-Checking Political Messages

The Brooks Jackson Prize is administered by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. It is named in honor of the founding director of FactCheck.org, a nonpartisan, nonprofit advocate for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics.
FAQs
Download the Press Release
Our Jury and Screeners

The Cronkite Awards Jury

Willow Bay
Dean, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism

Gordon Stables
Director, USC Annenberg School of Journalism

Christina Bellantoni
Professor, Director of the Annenberg Media Center, USC Annenberg

*Seth Doane
Correspondent, CBS News

Rebecca Haggerty
Professor, Director of Undergraduate Journalism Studies, USC Annenberg

Mark Lloyd
​​Professor, USC Annenberg

*Brad Luck
​​Digital Director, NBC Connecticut

Allissa V. Richardson
​​Professor, USC Annenberg

Judy Muller
​​Professor, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism

Stacy Scholder
Professor, Director of Annenberg TV News at USC Annenberg

Heidi Schulman
Broadcast journalist and producer

*Rachel Scott
​​Congressional Correspondent, ABC News

Willa Seidenberg
​​Professor, Director of Annenberg Radio News at USC Annenberg

*Nick Valencia
​Correspondent, CNN

Cronkite Award Entry Screeners

* Joyce Arowosaye: E-News Digital Producer
* Patrick Becker: Senior Producer at CNN
* Sam Bergum: Producer at 9NEWS, KUSA
  Dan Birman: Documentary and TV producer, USC Annenberg Journalism professor
* Shawn Chitnis: Multimedia journalist for CBS Denver
* Kaitlin Funaro: Director at Rally: A communication firm
* Lori Jane Gliha: Emmy-winning investigative journalist at FOX31 Denver
  Gretchen Goldsmith: Executive Producer for AGC Studios
* Alex Goldsmith: Business Development Executive at BPM LLP; host of Dukes of Dice Podcast; former KRQE Media
* Eli Goodstein: Associate Producer, Digital Video News at CNN
  Vince Gonzales: Professor of Professional Practice of Journalism; Associate Dean, Student Affairs, USC Annenberg
* Fernando Hurtado: Producer/Editor at NBCUniversal Media, LLC
  Shirley Jahad: Award-winning public media reporter/anchor/host/producer. Adjunct Professor, USC Annenberg
* Katie Kim: Special assignment and investigative reporter at NBC 5 WMAQ in Chicago
* Kim Leoffler: National Weather Reporter/MMJ at AccuWeather
* Shako Liu: Video producer at NBC, a documentary filmmaker, an award-winning video journalist
Allen Lopez: Adjunct Instructor, USC Anneberg School for Communication and Journalism
* David McAlpine: Producer at CBS This Morning
* Kalyn Norwood: Weekend evening KOAT anchor/reporter
* Ryan Pearson: Video Manager, The Associated Press
* Stacey Persoff: Producer at CBS This Morning
  Adam Clayton Powell III: Senior Fellow, Executive Director, USC Election Security Initiative, USC Annenberg
  Lew Rothbart: KNBC newswriter, producer and assignment editor; former KTLA News Director
* Marc Sallinger: Multimedia journalist at KUSA-TV, 9News
  Joe Saltzman: Professor of Journalism and Communication, USC Annenberg
* Matt Schrader: Investigative and consumer news producer at KOVR-TV, Sacramento, CA
* Max Schwartz: Freelance reporter/producer
* Brad Streicher: KVUE investigative reporter
  Miki Turner: Award-winning photojournalist/producer/author. Professor of Professional Practice, USC Annenberg
* Ani Ucar: Coordinating Producer at VICE News Tonight on HBO
* Kris Van Cleave: Emmy- and Murrow-Award Winning CBS News Congressional Correspondent.
* Eytan Wallace: KGET reporter
* Joy Wang: Reporter and Weekend Morning Weather Anchor at KOB4
* Darren Zulberti: Senior Producer at KTVU, Fox in Bay Area

* denotes USC Annenberg Alumni

Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT IS THE DEADLINE FOR Submissions?
A video reel of no more than 30 minutes, plus an accompanying narrative must be submitted by February 22, 2021. Judging will take place in March 2021 and winners will be contacted via email in April 2021.
WHO CAN ENTER?
The Cronkite Awards are open to stations, station groups, networks, news programs and individuals. Local stations can come from markets of any size. Broadcast, cable, commercial and public television are eligible, as are online-original video news sites. Non-English entries (accompanied by English translation) are welcome.
What is the cost to enter?
There is no entry fee for this year's awards.
Can I enter more than once?
There is no limit to the number of submissions per news organization. But each entry must fit a single topic criterion: 1) the pandemic; 2) systemic racism; 3) the integrity of elections; or 4) fact-checking in pandemic science.
When will we hear if we've won?
Winners will be contacted in mid-April. The virtual awards ceremony will take place in May 2021.
When will the awards ceremony be?
The virtual awards ceremony is scheduled for May 2021.
How do we submit our video?
Videos must be no longer than 30 minutes in length. They can be uploaded in the submission form through our awards management website. Links to the online videos can also be provided.
Who administers the walter cronkite awards?
The awards are administered by the Norman Lear Center at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, in coordination with the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania.
Who can i contact for questions regarding submissions?
Questions can be directed to enter@usc.edu.
The Walter Cronkite Awards is administered by the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center; the Brooks Jackson Prize is administered by the Annenberg Public Policy Center.