John Dickerson, Chief Political Correspondent for Slate and political director of CBS News, has won the 26th 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 awards will be presented by Steve Ford, son of the late President Gerald R. Ford and Chairman of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, at the National Press Club luncheon on June 3. Following the presentation of the award, David Gergen, senior political analyst for CNN who has served as an adviser to four U.S. presidents, has graciously agreed to address the luncheon gathering this year. Also, as a part of President Ford’s Centennial celebration, Michigan’s 6th District Congressman Fred Upton, the Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, will make remarks on the President’s 100th Birthday.
When announcing their decision to award John Dickerson the Gerald R. Ford Prize for Distinguished Reporting on the Presidency in 2012, the judges issued the following statement:
“The judging committee has selected John Dickerson of Slate as the winner of the 26th annual Gerald R. Ford Prize for Distinguished Reporting on the Presidency.
During the 2012 campaign year, John Dickerson produced an exceptionally thoughtful series of articles on the qualities required of a successful president in the postwar era, and the relevance of modern political campaigns in helping voters decide which candidate has those abilities. Using two decades of experience reporting in and around the White House, Dickerson effectively marshaled presidential anecdotes, campaign stories, and political theory to entertain and inform, and to analyze the often-tenuous link between successful politicking and successful governing. The series covers all aspects of presidential leadership, from inspiration and personnel management to temperament and political skills, and details how required skill sets have changed over recent decades, in the television and digital eras. He also provides an evenhanded primer on how those qualities applied to the major 2012 presidential candidates.
Members of the judging committee were highly impressed by Dickerson’s work: Ambitious and sweeping, illuminated by an impressive array of examples and stories, and offering real insight on the American presidency.”
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: John Dickerson, Slate
John Dickerson is Slate Magazine’s Chief Political Correspondent and political director of CBS News. He is also author of On Her Trail, a Simon and Schuster book about his mother, the late Nancy Dickerson, a pioneering newswoman. He is a regular guest on PBS’s Washington Week, NPR’s The Diane Rehm show and the Charlie Rose show.
He has written extensively about the 2012 campaign, the Obama presidency and the tumultuous Congressional battles. In addition to his daily journalism, he is the author of two long-form series. The most recent is on presidential attributes, and previously he wrote an in-depth series of articles about risk-takers.
Prior to joining Slate, Dickerson covered politics for 12 years for TIME magazine. His last four years he was the magazine’s White House correspondent.
In 2004, the Washington Post wrote about his talent for asking questions: “The master of the game is John Dickerson of TIME magazine, who has knocked Bush off script so many times that his colleagues have coined a term for cleverly worded, seemingly harmless, but incisive questions: “Dickersonian.”
Previously, Dickerson covered Capitol Hill, reporting on the Gingrich Congress, the House impeachment proceedings and Senate trial of President Clinton. Before covering Congress, Dickerson wrote about economics, providing analysis on entitlements, the budget process and taxes. During the 1996 national election he covered the campaigns of Bob Dole, Lamar Alexander and Steve Forbes.
Dickerson has also written for the New York Times and Washington Post. A native Washingtonian, he graduated with distinction from the University of Virginia with a degree in English and a specialty in American Studies.
