Presentation of the 2022 Journalism Champion Award on Nov. 3, 2022. Pictured (L-R) Brent Jones, DJNF board president; Geeta Anand, dean of the University of California, Berkeley, Graduate School of Journalism and award recipient; Russell Levine, Neil Ann Levine and Susan Levine. Photo: Andrew Xon

Nominations are now open for the 2023 Richard J. Levine Journalism Champion Award. This award honors an individual whose work in the news media or journalism education exhibits the dedication shown by the late Dow Jones News Fund president and longtime Dow Jones news executive Richard J. Levine.

Levine, who died in March 2022, was a steadfast champion of the important role of a free press in society, having spent his entire career as a reporter, editor and manager at The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones. He was also a devoted supporter of the nonprofit Dow Jones News Fund and its mission to recruit and train talented young journalists of diverse backgrounds to staff this country’s newsrooms. Levine, as a sophomore at Cornell University in 1960, was selected for the very first News Fund intern class. His summer internship at The Ithaca Journal cemented his interest in a journalism career. After an impressive 40-year run at Dow Jones that included working as an economics reporter, Washington correspondent, labor editor and manager, Levine agreed in retirement to lead the News Fund Board of Directors. That volunteer commitment lasted for 15 years, ending in 2021. He was unwavering in his belief that the best way to prepare the next generation of journalists and ensure a robust news media is to train young people in the fundamentals, instill in them the highest standards, and then place them in paid newsroom internships.

The award was created in 2022 to honor those whose work supports the perpetuation of a strong and diverse free press and to pay tribute to the professional contributions Richard J. Levine made to journalism. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Geeta Anand was the recipient of the inaugural Richard J. Levine Journalism Champion Award. Anand is the dean of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, where in the two years since she became the school’s first female dean, she has taken meaningful steps to facilitate opportunities for historically marginalized groups in journalism.

Dow Jones News Fund alumni, board members and staff may nominate candidates. The recognition includes a cash award of $2,500 and a plaque. The nomination deadline is September 15. Each nomination form must include a letter of recommendation explaining the person’s contributions or service to the industry and a link to their professional biography or resume, along with any supporting articles by or about the individual. Self-nominations are not permitted. To qualify, candidates:

  • Must be working in the U.S. in the news media or journalism education at the time of their nomination or within the previous 12 months;
  • Must have at least five years of experience in the industry;
  • Must demonstrate a commitment to a strong and independent press that reflects the diversity of the nation through their daily work, either a single accomplishment or a pattern of behavior;
  • Must be available to attend the annual News Fund board of directors meeting in November where the award will be presented and available to address the DJNF intern class in the spring or summer following their award.
  • Must agree to their name and image being used in a public announcement and in promoting the award in succeeding years.

Honorees will be selected by the News Fund staff and board of directors. The cash award of $2,500 and a plaque will be presented during a ceremony at the annual News Fund board meeting in New York. Honorees agree to participate in the speaker series for the next year’s intern class.

Young Champion Award
In addition to honoring a media professional, the News Fund and board, at their discretion, may annually select up to two News Fund interns who demonstrate Levine’s work ethic to receive a $750 Young Champion award. DJNF residency directors will nominate deserving students from their current training program. Self-nominations are not permitted. To qualify, student candidates:

  • Must be in good standing in or have successfully completed the DJNF Summer Internship Program in the year of their nomination;
  • Must demonstrate a commitment to pursuing a career in news;
  • Must demonstrate a work ethic that stands out among peers;
  • Must be available to attend the annual News Fund board of directors meeting in November where the award will be presented.
  • Must agree to their name and image being used in a public announcement and in promoting the award in succeeding years.

The Levine Awards are funded by contributions from the Dow Jones News Fund, the Dow Jones Foundation, the Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones & Co. Individuals and other organizations may also contribute by earmarking DJNF donations for the Richard J. Levine Journalism Champion Awards.