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.
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
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.
For more information about the annual prize or previous winners contact:
Joe Calvaruso
Executive Director
Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation
303 Pearl Street NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504-5353
(616) 254-0397, jcalvaruso@38foundation.org
or visit our website at www.geraldrfordfoundation.org
