Origins: Ernie Pyle Award

What became the National Journalism Awards were launched in 1953 with the Ernie Pyle Award (originally supported by the Ernie Pyle Memorial Fund). The award is given annually to reporters who "most nearly exemplify the style and craftsmanship for which Ernie Pyle was known".^[2] The award was later named the Human Interest Writing Ernie Pyle Award and is now presented as "Excellence in Narrative Human-Interest Storytelling, Honoring Ernie Pyle."

1960s: Edward J. Meeman Environmental Reporting Award

In 1966, Scripps-Howard Newspapers conservation editor Edward J. Meeman died, and the company created the Edward J. Meeman Foundation to support journalism and conservation through grants and awards.^[3] The Edward J. Meeman Environmental Reporting Award was given to various journalists beginning 1967, including Ken Ward Jr., Sam Roe, Bruce Ingersoll, James V. Risser, Larry Tye, and Craig Flournoy. In 2022,^[4] the award was renamed as "Excellence in Environmental Reporting, honoring Edward W. 'Ted' Scripps II."^{[lower-alpha 1]}

1970s: Public Service, Editorial Writing, and the First Amendment

In 1972, the Public Service Reporting Award, honoring long-time Scripps executive Roy W. Howard, joined the roster. The public service award was originally divided into a newspaper division and a broadcast division. In 1986, the award was restructured to recognize newspapers only, and divided into two categories — under 100,000 and over 100,000 circulation. In 2004, the circulation divisions were eliminated altogether; the award was discontinued after 2016.

In 1973, the Editorial Writing Walker Stone Award, joined the list of Scripps Howard awards. Later known as the Walker Stone Award for Opinion Writing, it was named in honor of Walker Stone (1905–1973), editor-in-chief of Scripps-Howard Newspapers.^[6]

In 1976, the First Amendment Edward Willis Scripps Award joined the roster of awards. "Given to the editor of the winning newspaper for distribution to the individual or individuals on the staff who contributed most significantly to the cause of the First Amendment guarantee of a free press,"^[7] the award is now known as "Distinguished Service to the First Amendment, honoring Edward Willis Scripps."

1980s: Editorial Cartooning, Electronic Media, and Literacy

In 1980, Scripps Howard added the College Cartoonist Charles M. Schulz Award, which was "funded by United Features Syndicate ... to honor Charles M. Schulz on the 30th anniversary of his comic strip, Peanuts;" Schulz himself served as a judge in the award's early years.^[8] After being presented for 30 years, the award was discontinued in 2011 "due to the lack of entries to merit its continuance."^[9]

In 1985, Electronic Media — radio and television — began being represented, each broken into two sub-categories — large market and small market; so, four new awards. In 1991, the TV division was renamed "TV/Cable" and in 2004, the Electronic Media Awards did away with the market categories, reducing the prizes awarded each year to two. In 2009, the Electronic Media Award was restructured as the Jack R. Howard Award for In-Depth Radio Coverage, later amended to "Excellence in Radio/Podcast Coverage, honoring Jack R. Howard." In 2022, the award was renamed "Excellence in Audio Storytelling, honoring Jack R. Howard".

In 1986, a new award, the Literacy Charles E. Scripps Award, began being presented, given "to any daily broadcast and/or newspaper or local cable system in the U.S. or its territories for most outstanding effort ... to overcome illiteracy in its community."^[10] The separate awards for broadcast and newspaper outlets were abandoned in 1997 (reducing two prizes to one), and the award itself was discontinued after 2003.

1997–1999: five new awards

In 1997–1999, Scripps Howard added five new categories to the National Journalism Awards (three of which have since been discontinued). The Commentary award lasted from 1997 to 2014; while the award for Excellence in Photojournalism, also launched in 1997, was renamed in 2017 as Excellence in Visual Journalism ("the visual documenting of some of the year’s most complex issues and events").^[11] As of 2022, it is currently awarded as "Visual Human-Interest Storytelling."

In 1998, a new award debuted: the Business/Economics Reporting William Brewster Styles Award, recognizing "the long-time business editor for The Cincinnati Post."^[12] The award is currently called "Excellence in Business/Financial Reporting."

1999 saw two new awards join the list: Editorial Cartooning and Web Reporting;^[13] both of which have since been discontinued. Editorial Cartooning lasted from 1999 to 2011, while Web Reporting lasted from 1999 to 2008.

Excellence in Audio Storytelling, honoring Jack R. Howard

Formerly known as the Jack R. Howard Award for In-Depth Radio Coverage and then Excellence in Radio/Podcast Coverage, honoring Jack R. Howard.

Coverage of Breaking News

Business/Financial Reporting

Formerly known as the Business/Economics Reporting William Brewster Styles Award and the William Brewster Styles Award for Business/Economics Reporting.

Environmental Reporting, honoring Edward W. "Ted" Scripps II

Formerly known as the Environmental Reporting Edward J. Meeman Awards.

Distinguished Service to the First Amendment, honoring Edward Willis Scripps

Formerly known as the First Amendment Edward Willis Scripps Award.

Innovation, honoring Roy W. Howard

Formerly known as Digital Innovation.

Local Video Storytelling, honoring Jack. R. Howard

Formerly known as the Jack R. Howard Award for Television/Cable In-Depth Local Coverage and then (until 2022) Excellence in Broadcast Local Coverage.

Local/Regional Investigative Reporting

In partnership with Google News Lab. From 2015 to 2019, known as the Scripps Howard Award for Community Journalism.

Multimedia Journalism

National/International Video Storytelling, honoring Jack R. Howard

Formerly known as the Jack R. Howard Award for Television/Cable In-Depth National and International Coverage and then (until 2022) Excellence in Broadcast National/International Coverage.

Narrative Human-Interest Storytelling, honoring Ernie Pyle

Formerly known as the Human Interest Writing Ernie Pyle Award and (until 2022) Excellence in Human Interest Storytelling, honoring Ernie Pyle.

National/International Investigative Reporting, the Ursula and Gilbert Farfel Prize

Formerly known as the Investigative Reporting Ursula and Gilbert Farfel Prize.^{[lower-alpha 2]}

Opinion Writing

Officially known as the Walker Stone Award for Opinion Writing; formerly known as the Editorial Writing Walker Stone Award.

Visual Human-Interest Storytelling

"The visual documenting of some of the year’s most complex issues and events."^[21] From 1997 to 2016 known as the award for Excellence in Photojournalism, and from 2017 to 2022 as Excellence in Visual Journalism.

Impact Award

"The Impact Award winner is deemed to have had the greatest impact from the list"^[22] of the year's winners. From 2015 to 2019, known as the Topic of the Year Award.

Teacher of the Year

Officially known as the Charles E. Scripps Journalism and Mass Communication Teacher of the Year Award; formerly known as the Journalism Teacher of the Year Charles E. Scripps Award. Awarded in partnership with the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC).

Administrator of the Year

Officially known as the Charles E. Scripps Journalism and Mass Communication Administrator of the Year Award; formerly known as the Journalism Administrator of the Year Charles E. Scripps Award. Awarded in partnership with the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC).

College Cartoonist Charles M. Schulz Award

Commentary

Editorial Cartooning

Discontinued after 2011.

Electronic Media — Radio

Restructured in 2009.

Electronic Media — Television

Became known as Electronic Media — Television/Cable in 1991. Restructured in 2009.

Literacy Charles E. Scripps Awards

Originally separated into Broadcast and Newspaper divisions.

Reorganized in 1997 to honor an individual and an organization (not necessarily related).

Public Service Reporting Roy W. Howard Award

Originally divided into a newspaper division and a broadcast division.

Restructured to recognize newspapers only, and divided into two categories — under 100,000 and over 100,000 circulation.

Circulation divisions eliminated; award discontinued after 2016.

Washington Reporting Raymond Clapper Award

Reporter and Scripps Howard columnist Raymond Clapper died in 1944 during World War II while covering the U.S. invasion of the Marshall Islands. Following his death, the Raymond Clapper Memorial Association was incorporated on March 10, 1944, in Washington, D.C. "to perpetuate the memory of Clapper"^[28] through the Raymond Clapper Memorial Award,^[29] which was presented annually "to a journalist or team for distinguished Washington reporting."^[30] The White House Correspondents' Association, and sometimes the American Society of Newspaper Editors, distributed the Raymond Clapper Award from 1944 to 2003, at which point it passed to the National Journalism Awards.^[30] Under Scripps Howard, the Washington Reporting Raymond Clapper Award was presented from 2004 to 2011, at which point it was discontinued.

Web Reporting

Discontinued after 2008.