Lisa Hughes, publisher and CEO of The Philadelphia Inquirer, has won the 2025 National Press Foundation’s Chairman Citation.

Under her leadership, the company has undergone a major transformation focused on sustainable profitability. In 2025, the Inquirer posted its first year-over-year revenue growth since 2004 and reported an operating profit of several million dollars.

“I was a city desk reporter at the Inquirer during what we liked to think of as its heyday, so I understand how important this institution is to Philadelphia and Philadelphians. The battle to save local news has been a long one with many casualties, and it is inspiring to see the Inquirer not just surviving but thriving again under Lisa’s leadership.” NPF Chairman of the Board Terence Samuel said.

The Inquirer has been operating under Hughes since 2020. Hughes previously worked as chief business officer and publisher of The New Yorker. There, she also improved the brand into a multiplatform business with sustainable profitability.

Hughes received the award at NPF’s Annual Journalism Awards Dinner on March 12.

Established in 1996, the NPF Chairman’s Citation is awarded at the sole discretion of the National Press Foundation chair. It recognizes individuals whose accomplishments fall outside the traditional categories of excellence but who nevertheless have a profound impact on journalism.

Previous winners include S. Mitra Kalita and Sara Lomax, co-founders of URL Media, Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter who was wrongfully detained by Russia, CNN’s Sanjay Gupta, and Report for America co-founders Charles Sennott and Steve Waldman.