In addition to juried journalism awards, the Newhouse School presents annual awards for leadership, innovation and diversity.
The Dressler Award is given to individuals or organizations that have made distinct and consistent contributions to the public’s understanding of the media. Past recipients have included Judy Woodruff, senior correspondent at PBS; Jorge Ramos, anchor with Univision Noticias; Sheila Nevins, executive producer and former president of HBO Documentary Films and Family for Home Box Office; legendary journalist Tom Brokaw of NBC; and Dean Baquet, executive editor of The New York Times.
Established in 2021 in honor of late Newhouse Dean Emerita Lorraine Branham, the IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility) Award recognizes a media organization that has worked to promote inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility over the course of the previous year. Specifically, the award acknowledges the hiring and development of leadership talent who create change, both to the organizations they oversee and the content they produce. The inaugural Lorraine Branham IDEA Award went to Brown Girls Doc Mafia. The award went to The 19th News in 2022 and Amplifier in 2023.