Scott Wilson, White House correspondent for The Washington Post, has won the 25th annual Gerald R. Ford 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 Steve Ford, son of the late President Gerald R. Ford and Chairman of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, at a National Press Club luncheon in June. Following the presentation of the award, Chris Matthews will address the audience.
When announcing their decision to award Scott Wilson the Gerald R. Ford Prize for Distinguished Reporting on Presidency in 2011, the judges issued the following statement:
“The judging committee has selected Scott Wilson of The Washington Post as the winner of the 25th annual Gerald R. Ford Prize for Distinguished Reporting on the Presidency.
Covering the presidency with distinction in modern times is uniquely challenging. A large number of highly talented reporters – often the best in their respective organizations – are all pursuing the same news of the day, with a limited number of disciplined sources. Extreme pressure can be applied on those who go outside the familiar narrative. In this environment that encourages conformity, Scott Wilson of The Washington Post stands out as a non-conformist, bringing his readers on-the-scene analysis of White House activity that is not available anywhere else. He readily places events in historical context; he illustrates colorfully with anecdotes and first-hand observation; he explains motivations; he reports both on what the President does and, equally important, on what the President does not do. In short, he educates his readers and helps them put the confusing din of daily news coverage into an understandable context.
Wilson is able to write critically without being offensive or partisan. He reaches out broadly to sources both inside and outside the White House, yielding an even-handed perspective on the performance and results of the Obama presidency He is equally at home with domestic and foreign policy, politics, and personalities. Wilson is adept at spotting a trend and explaining it,and his reportage frequently becomes the instantly-accepted wisdom in Washington.
Scott Wilson writes for the serious reader, and consistently meets that reader’s expectations. In every respect, the judges found his reporting on the presidency in 2011 outstanding.”
The judges for this year’s contest were:
Chair, John P. McConnell, former Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Speechwriter to the President and Vice President; David Beckwith, former White House correspondent, Time Magazine, and former press secretary the Vice President; Paul Hagner, Adjunct Professor, Albion College; Candice Nelson, Associate Professor of Government and Director of American University’s Campaign Management Institute; Ron Nessen, Journalist in Residence at the Brookings Institution in Washington, former press secretary for President Ford; Mark Rozell, Professor of Public Policy at George Mason University.
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.
For more information about the annual prize or previous winners contact: Joe Calvaruso, 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 https://geraldrfordfoundation.org .
This year’s winner:
Scott Wilson is a White House correspondent for the Washington Post. He previously served as the paper’s deputy assistant managing editor for foreign news, Jerusalem bureau chief, Middle East correspondent based in Amman, Jordan, and Andean bureau chief based in Bogotá, Colombia. He has received awards and citations from the Overseas Press Club and the Inter American Press Association for his work abroad, and he won the 2012 Aldo Beckman Memorial Award given by the White House Correspondents’ Association for his coverage of the Obama administration. A native of Santa Barbara, Ca., Wilson began at the Post in 1997. He is a graduate of Amherst College and the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, where he won the David Marcus Eibel Scholarship Award. He lives in Glen Echo, Maryland, with his wife, Andrea, and their three children.
