Some of the most influential figures in American journalism, including out anchor Rachel Maddow, Scott Pelley, Peter Alexander, and Jon Stewart, will be honored Friday with the 2025 Walter Cronkite Awards for Excellence in Political Journalism, organizers announced Wednesday morning. The ceremony will center on this year’s theme, “How a Free Press Defends Democracy.”
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The biennial awards celebration will take place at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., recognizing television and digital journalism that exemplifies independence, accountability, and the defense of democratic truth at a moment when press freedom faces escalating political pressure.
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Honorees attending the ceremony include Maddow of MS NOW’s (formerly MSNBC) The Rachel Maddow Show, Pelley of 60 Minutes, Alexander of NBC News, and Julio Vaqueiro of Noticias Telemundo. Video acceptance messages will air from Stewart of The Daily Show and John Dickerson of CBS Evening News Plus. Stewart’s honor marks the debut of a new category recognizing excellence in comedic news and political commentary.
“The message sent by honoring these winners is that the press isn’t ‘the enemy of the people’ — it’s the firewall between the public and disinformation, abuse of power, and corruption,” Martin Kaplan, founding director of USC Annenberg’s Norman Lear Center, which administers the awards, said in a press release.
First established in 2001, the Walter Cronkite Awards are presented every two years by the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. They recognize journalism that upholds constitutional principles, defends the rule of law, and holds powerful institutions to account. Organizers stress that this year’s honorees were selected amid growing public concern about democratic backsliding and institutional trust.
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In the newly created Comedic News and Commentary category, Stewart will be honored for his work as host of The Daily Show, which for more than two decades has blended satire with sharp-edged political accountability.
Local journalism will also be recognized.
According to the judges, this year’s winning work included investigations exposing attempts to intimidate law firms for defending due process, reporting on efforts to transform federal agencies into tools of political retribution, and coverage of a nationwide but underreported protest movement driven by local activism.
They praised the honorees for pursuing truth “unflappably despite official intimidation and ridicule,” demonstrating fairness without slipping into false equivalence, and reporting stories even when key figures declined to appear on camera out of fear of retaliation, according to the press release.
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The ceremony arrives amid mounting legal, political, and physical threats, and public confidence in democratic institutions remains fragile. Organizers said this year’s honorees reflect the enduring role of a free press as a safeguard against authoritarian drift.
The full roster of winners and recognized work is available on the Walter Cronkite Awards website.
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