2018 Journalism Prizes
Molly Ball, national political correspondent for TIME magazine, and Jenna McLaughlin and Zach Dorfman of Yahoo! News have been named recipients of the 32nd annual Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prize for Distinguished Reporting in 2018. Erika Ritchie of the Orange County Register has been selected as an honorable mention recipient.
Ball is being recognized with the Distinguished Reporting on the Presidency Award for her coverage of President Donald J. Trump’s second year in office.
The award judges, comprised of journalism and academic experts in areas of the presidency and national defense, said Ball’s reporting, “shed valuable light on the tumult surrounding the president’s year, including a vivid account of Mr. Trump’s relationship with Republican leaders in Congress, a lengthy exclusive interview with Attorney General Sessions, and a close look at the strategic moves of the Trump Legal Team.”
McLaughlin, who reports on national security for Yahoo! News, and Dorfman, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs and contributor for Yahoo! News, received the Prize for Distinguished Reporting on National Defense in recognition of their reporting about a security compromise with in a key intelligence communications system, which detailed the immense human, technical, and resource costs of failure while maintaining the integrity of efforts to close vulnerabilities.
“Their stories on the challenges U.S. defense and intelligence agencies face in maintaining technological leadership at a time when cybersecurity threats change by the day, illuminated the need for creativity and perseverance in an era when state and non-state adversaries can inflict great harm to U.S. personnel and interests at levels below direct armed conflict,” the judges said. “Their efforts challenge readers to evaluate and weigh the consequences of activity in an often unseen realm of national security and force us to consider the commitments required to safeguard the values of free societies.”
Ritchie, who is recognized as an honorable mention recipient for Distinguished Reporting on National Defense, was selected by judges for representing “the kind of local, hard-nosed reporting that results from the development of trusted relationships with the military personnel in your community. Her work is distinguished by putting a local face to broad issues facing the defense community, such as women in military combat jobs, the increasing number of fatalities from military training accidents and the government’s response to the trend, and the need to reintegrate and train military personnel for jobs in the civilian workforce following service. ”
This year, the award will be presented by Michael Ford, son of the late President Gerald R. Ford and Chairman of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, at the Foundation’s Annual Dinner on Monday, June 3, 2019, at The Capitol Hill Club in Washington, D.C.
The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation sponsors the Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prize for Distinguished Reporting on the Presidency and National Defense to recognize and encourage thoughtful, insightful, and enterprising work by journalists covering the presidency and national defense.
View Photos of the Ceremony Here
Molly Ball: Reporting on the Presidency
Foundation Chairman Mike Ford (L), and Foundation Trustee Carla A. Hills (R) with Molly Ball from Time Magazine, Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prize for Distinguished Reporting on the Presidency in 2018 Recipient
Molly Ball, National Political Correspondent for “TIME”, has won the 32nd Annual Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prize for Distinguished Reporting on the Presidency. The $5,000 award recognizes journalists whose high standards for accuracy and substance help foster a better public understanding of the Presidency.
This year, the award will be presented by Michael Ford, son of the late President Gerald R. Ford and Chairman of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, at the Foundation’s Annual Dinner on Monday, June 3, 2019, at The Capitol Hill Club in Washington, D.C.
When announcing their decision to award Molly Ball, the Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prize for Distinguished Reporting on the Presidency in 2018, the judges issued the following statement:
“The second year of the Trump presidency was marked by continued political turmoil, internal discord, and unconventional decision-making. As the White House worked to score policy wins in advance of the mid-term elections, the president’s priorities were repeatedly overshadowed by controversy – from the ongoing Mueller investigation to the humanitarian crisis on the southern border. In carefully reported and gracefully written articles, Molly Ball shed valuable light on the tumult surrounding the president’s year, including a vivid account of Mr. Trump’s relationship with Republican leaders in Congress, a lengthy exclusive interview with Attorney General Sessions, and a close look at the strategic moves of the Trump legal team. The selection committee is pleased to honor Molly Ball, national political correspondent for TIME magazine, as the recipient of the Gerald R. Ford Prize for Distinguished Reporting on the Presidency in 2018.”
The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation sponsors the Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prizes for Distinguished Reporting on the Presidency and Distinguished Reporting on National Defense to recognize and encourage thoughtful, insightful, and enterprising work by journalists covering the presidency and national defense. The Foundation is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan corporation whose programs are supported entirely by contributions and bequests in an effort to honor President Ford’s sustained commitment to public service.
This year’s winner:
Molly Ball is the National Political Correspondent for TIME, covering campaigns, the White House, political personalities and policy debates across America. She is also a political analyst for CNN and frequent television and radio commentator. Prior to joining TIME, she was a staff writer covering U.S. politics for The Atlantic. She previously reported for Politico, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, and the Las Vegas Sun. She has worked for newspapers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Cambodia, as well as the New York Times and the Washington Post. She has received numerous awards for her political coverage, including the Toner Prize for Excellence in Political Reporting, the Society of Professional Journalists Sigma Delta Chi Award, the Sandy Hume Memorial Award for Excellence in Political Journalism, and the Lee Walczak Award for Political Analysis. A graduate of Yale University, she was a Knight-Wallace journalism fellow at the University of Michigan in 2009. In 2007, she won $100,000 on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. Ball grew up in Idaho and Colorado. She lives in Virginia with her husband and three children.
Jenna McLaughlin & Zach Dorfman: Reporting on National Defense
Foundation Executive Director Jospeh Calvaruso (L), Foundation Chairman Mike Ford (C), and Foundation Trustee Carla A. Hills (R) with Jenna McLaughlin (LC) and Zach Dorfman (RC) from Yahoo! News, Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prize for Distinguished Reporting on National Defense in 2018 Recipients
Jenna McLaughlin a national security and investigations reporter for Yahoo! News and Zach Dorfman Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs and a contributor at Yahoo! News, has won the 32nd Annual Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prize for Distinguished Reporting on National Defense. The $5,000 award recognizes journalists whose high standards for accuracy and substance help foster a better public understanding of National Defense.
This year, the award will be presented by Michael Ford, son of the late President Gerald R. Ford and Chairman of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, at the Foundation’s Annual Dinner on Monday, June 3, 2019, at The Capitol Hill Club in Washington, D.C.
When announcing their decision to award Jenna McLaughlin and Zach Dorfman the Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prize for Distinguished Reporting on National Defense in 2018, the judges issued the following statement:
“The selection committee is pleased to honor Zach Dorfman and Jenna McLaughlin of Yahoo! News, as the recipients of the Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prize for Distinguished Reporting on National Defence in 2018. Their reporting about the security compromise within a key intelligence communications system detailed the immense human, technical, and resource costs of failure while maintaining the integrity of efforts to close vulnerabilities. Their stories on the challenges US Defense and Intelligence agencies face in maintaining technological leadership at a time when cybersecurity threats change by the day illuminated the need for creativity and perseverance in an era when state and non-state adversaries can inflict great harm to US personnel and interests at levels below direct armed conflict. Their efforts challenge readers to evaluate and weigh the consequences of activity in an often unseen realm of national security and force us to consider the commitments required to safeguard the values of free societies. Despite their geographic distance in reporting these stories, these journalists’ investigative skills permitted them to produce pieces that represent a cohesive body of work in keeping with the theme of the Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prize’s goals. Congratulations to Mr. Dorfman and Ms. McLaughlan for their superb work.”
This year’s winners:
Jenna McLaughlin is a national security and investigations reporter for Yahoo News, where she focuses on the intelligence community, foreign policy, and other issues. McLaughlin previously covered intelligence and national security for CNN, Foreign Policy Magazine, The Intercept, and Mother Jones Magazine, following her graduation from Johns Hopkins University in 2014.
Zach Dorfman is a Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs and a contributor at Yahoo News. Dorfman’s reporting on national security, espionage, and U.S. foreign policy has also appeared in Politico Magazine, Foreign Policy, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, and other publications. Dorfman was a 2017 Livingston Award finalist.
Erika Ritchie: Reporting on National Defense Honorable Mention
Foundation Chairman Mike Ford (L) and Trustee Carla A. Hills (R) present Erika Ritchie an Honorable Mention for the 32nd annual Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prize for Distinguished Reporting on National Defense
Erika Ritchie with the “Orange County Register,” has won an Honorable Mention for the 32nd annual Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prize for Distinguished Reporting on National Defense. The award recognizes journalists whose high standards for accuracy and substance help foster a better public understanding of National Defense.
This year, the award will be presented by Michael Ford, son of the late President Gerald R. Ford and Chairman of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, at the Foundation’s Annual Dinner on Monday, June 3, 2019, at The Capitol Hill Club in Washington, D.C.
When announcing their decision to award Erika Ritchie the Honorable Mention for Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prize for Distinguished Reporting on National Defense in 2018, the judges issued the following statement:
“The selection committee is pleased to honor Erika Ritchie of the Orange County Register, as the recipient of the Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prize Honorable Mention for Distinguished Reporting on National Defence in 2018. Ms. Ritchie’s submission represents the kind of local, hard-nosed reporting that results from the development of trusted relationships with the military personnel in your community. Her work is both thorough and presented with brevity, allowing the reader to engage regardless of their familiarity with the national security enterprise. Her work is distinguished by putting a local face to broad issues facing the defense community, such as women in military combat jobs, the increasing number of fatalities from military training accidents and the government’s response to the trend, and the need to reintegrate and train military personnel for jobs in the civilian workforce following service. It was clear from her coverage of the posthumous award of a Silver Star to a Marine Lieutenant killed during an ambush in Vietnam that Ms. Ritchie can elicit detailed accounts from her sources that produce a visual story on the printed page. We hope that this recognition will encourage her to continue this type of defense reporting of importance to her community and the nation in understanding our military and their families.”
The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation sponsors the Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prizes for Distinguished Reporting on the Presidency and Distinguished Reporting on National Defense to recognize and encourage thoughtful, insightful, and enterprising work by journalists covering the presidency and national defense. The Foundation is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan corporation whose programs are supported entirely by contributions and bequests in an effort to honor President Ford’s sustained commitment to public service.
This year’s honorable mention:
Erika Ritchie: Erika Ritchie is a nationally-awarded journalist for the Orange County Register and 10 other Southern California News Group regional papers with a combined circulation of 500,000 and online readership exceeding 1.5 million. For more than a decade, her beat has covered the Marine Corps, the Navy and military issues. She focuses on Southern California and West Coast bases and stations, home to more than 66,000 active-duty Marines and Sailors and their families. The area includes Marine Corps Installations West, home to Camp Pendleton and four other bases and stations in the southwestern U.S. Commanders here are responsible for installations, training, and infrastructure to enable troops to be ready for amphibious, air and ground warfare. Erika has done sit-downs with four-star generals, Pentagon officials, Wounded Warriors and everyday Marines. She reports on deployments, combat care, emerging technology, and veteran affairs. Erika has witnessed military training from the sea aboard a battleship, air from an MV-22 Osprey and land including international war games and San Clemente Island’s ordnance ranges. Her writing is passionate about telling human stories of conflict, struggle, and joy. Spending formative years in Berlin, Germany, Erika developed an understanding of the role the U.S. military plays globally. From waking up hearing U.S. Army soldiers running on the cobblestone streets of West Berlin to watching American and Allied troops participate in annual Allied Forces Day Parades and later seeing the fall of the Berlin Wall, Erika became aware of the importance of a strong military and its critical role and impact worldwide. Those early experiences are the foundation of her continued interest in the military abroad and at home. She studied Theater Arts, World History and German Literature at the University of California, Santa Barbara and is a graduate of California State University, Long Beach with a double major in Journalism and Theater Arts. She grew up bilingual in German and is conversational in French. Erika started her journalism career at the Los Angeles Times. Erika was the recipient of the Oliver P. Smith Award in 2018 from the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. Erika’s work often appears on front pages across Southern California News Group’s print publications.