The W. M. Kiplinger Distinguished Contributions to Journalism Award recognizes people who have, through their vision and leadership, strengthened American journalism and furthered the efforts to establish the highest quality in American journalism. The award winner participates in NPF’s annual awards event. Applications are not accepted for this award.
During more than 50 years of reporting, editing and publishing, W. M. Kiplinger (1891-1967) maintained the highest standards of journalistic integrity, performance and dedication to his profession. He was a pioneer of modern newsletter journalism and economic and political forecasting (in The Kiplinger Washington Letter, 1923), and personal-finance advice (in the Kiplinger Magazine, 1947).
W.M. Kiplinger ~ 1923
Kiplinger was passionate about reader engagement and service, and his analysis was nonpartisan and devoid of wishful thinking. He believed that “a good reporter is the noblest work of God.”
Today, the Kiplinger organization, a division of Future LLC in the U.K., publishes business forecasts and personal finance advice in The Kiplinger Letters, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine and on Kiplinger.com.
Katherine Maher, president and CEO of NPR, has won the National Press Foundation’s 2025 W.M. Kiplinger Distinguished Contributions to Journalism Award. Maher has led NPR since March 2024 – a time of increased polarization, as Congress passed a bill to end federal funding to public broadcasting after decades of bipartisan support.
“First at Wikipedia and now at NPR, Ms. Maher has championed the crucial importance of carefully reported, edited and curated information in the functioning of a democracy,” said Knight Kiplinger, a member of the panel of judges. “She makes it clear that, more than just a national news organization, NPR has 244 member organizations that operate more than 1,000 local public radio stations, each performing a vital information role in their communities. Their survival and prosperity should not be at risk, she passionately argues, for which we commend her.”
Maher will accept the award at the National Press Foundation’s annual awards dinner on March 12, 2026 ,at the Ritz-Carlton Washington, D.C.
Recent winners include Maria Hinojosa, founder and president of Futuro Media Group, winner of the 2024 W.M. Kiplinger Distinguished Contributions to Journalism Award. Dorothy Butler Gilliam, the first African American woman reporter at The Washington Post and a long-time mentor in the journalism industry, won the 2023 W.M. Kiplinger Distinguished Contributions to Journalism Award.
To see this year’s winner March 12, 2026, contact jason@nationalpress.org for tickets.
