The Ann M. Sperber Prize will not be awarded in 2026.
Following careful consideration of this year’s five finalists, the Sperber Prize jury concluded its deliberations without selecting a recipient. The jury congratulates the five finalists, whose books were selected from a field of 52 works considered for this year’s prize, and recognizes the significant contributions their work makes to our understanding of journalism, journalists, and the role of the press.
As the prize enters its next quarter-century, the Sperber Prize jury will use this year to review and further articulate its criteria and scope, building on the tradition established by Ann M. Sperber and the distinguished works the prize has honored. The Sperber Prize will return in 2027.
Honoring the Sperber Prize Tradition: What Should Journalism Help Us ‘See Now?’
In the meantime, the Sperber Prize will mark another milestone in journalism history this fall: the 75th anniversary of Edward R. Murrow’s See It Now, the TV newsmagazine that debuted on CBS on November 18, 1951.
Ann Sperber’s acclaimed biography of Murrow brought his life and work to new generations of readers. Her work inspired the Sperber Prize, which was established to promote and encourage other outstanding biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs related to the field of media and journalism.
Murrow’s See It Now emerged at a consequential moment for journalism, as the new medium of television was transforming how Americans encountered the news and raising enduring questions about the press and its responsibilities to the public.
Seventy-five years after the program’s launch, the Sperber Prize is inviting students, alumni, journalists, past prize recipients, and members of the public to turn Murrow’s famous phrase toward the present by answering one question:
What is one story, person, or reality you wish journalism would help the public see more clearly, and why?
Responses should be one to three sentences. Selected responses will be published on the Ann M. Sperber Prize home page and shared through Fordham’s Communication and Media Studies Department social media.
We invite you to add your voice. Participate by October 30 using the form linked below.
Share your response HERE.
