The Mirror Awards are annual journalism awards recognizing the work of writers, reporters, editors and organizations who cover the media industry. The awards were established by the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications in 2006. Awards categories have varied slightly from year to year. In 2018, categories included: • Best Single Article/Story
• Best Profile • Best Commentary
• John M. Higgins Award for Best In-Depth/Enterprise Reporting
John M. Higgins Award
The John M. Higgins Award for Best In-Depth/Enterprise Reporting was established by the Newhouse School in December 2011 to honor the late Broadcasting & Cable business editor, who died in 2006. The award is supported by a financial gift from Discovery Communications and Time Warner Cable and carries a $5,000 cash prize. Each of the remaining awards carries a $1,000 cash prize.
Nominations & Judging
Nominations for the Mirror Awards are made online each year beginning in December. The competition is open to anyone who conducts reporting, commentary or criticism of the media industries. Eligible work includes print, broadcast and online editorial content focusing on the development or distribution of news and entertainment. Entries are evaluated based on excellence of craft, framing of the issue and appropriateness for the intended audience. Winners are chosen by a group of journalists and journalism educators.
Peter Maass, The New Yorker & ProPublica Joe Pompeo, Capital New York Rhonda Roland Shearer and , iMediaEthics Rebecca Traister, Salon and The New York Times Magazine 2013 Adrian Chen, Gawker Missouri Press Association Craig Silverman, Poynter Institute Syed Irfan Ashraf, Dawn, Pique Joe Eskenazi, San Francisco Weekly Ken Auletta, The New Yorker Jodi Enda, American Journalism Review 2014 Rachel Aviv, The New Yorker Erik Wemple, The Washington Post Brooke Gladstone, Katya Rogers, Alex Goldman, PJ Vogt, Sarah Abdurrahman, Chris Neary, On the Media Michael Specter, The New Yorker Michael Meyer, Columbia Journalism Review Jina Moore Salon, Columbia Journalism Review, The Atlantic Frank Greve, CQ Researcher 2015 Yang Xiao, Nieman Reports Benjamin Wallace, New York magazine Anna Griffin, Nieman Reports Amanda Hess, Pacific Standard Bob Garfield, Katya Rogers, On the Media Bryan Burrough, Sarah Ellison, Suzanna Andrews, Vanity Fair 2016 Peter Elkind, Fortune Celeste LeCompte, Nieman Reports Matthew Billy, Between the Liner Notes Taffy Brodesser-Akner, GQ Frank Rich, New York Jonathan Mahler, The New York Times Magazine 2017 Sarah Esther Maslin, Columbia Journalism Review Soraya Chemaly and Catherine Buni, The Verge Eric Alterman, The Nation Gabriel Sherman, New York 2018 Lois Parshley, Pacific Standard Jim Rutenberg, The New York Times Magazine Jack Shafer and Tucker Doherty, Politico Amanda Robb, Center for Investigative Reporting, PRX, and Rolling Stone Irin Carmon and Amy Brittain, The Washington Post Ronan Farrow, The New Yorker Jodi Kantor, Megan Twohey, Rachel Abrams, Ellen Gabler, Susan Dominus, Jim Rutenberg and Steve Eder, The New York Times 2019 Jesse Brenneman and Lois Beckett, WNYC Radio and Guardian US Tim Alberta, Politico Sarah Jones, Columbia Journalism Review Davey Alba, BuzzFeed News Miles O’Brien and Cameron Hickey, for PBS NewsHour Ryan Mac, Charlie Warzel, Alex Kantrowitz, Pranav Dixit, Megha Rajagopalan, and Aisha Nazim for Facebook, BuzzFeed News Ronan Farrow, The New Yorker 2020 Jane Mayer, The New Yorker Molly Langmuir, Elle Jenni Monet, Columbia Journalism Review and the Economic Hardship Reporting Project Molly Webster and Bethel Habte, Radiolab/WNYC Margaret Sullivan, The Washington Post Brent Cunningham, Pacific Standard
