As the U.S. population gets older, the National Press Foundation established this award, sponsored by AARP, in 2023 to recognize excellence in reporting on issues related to aging. The award seeks to encourage journalists to cover the challenges and opportunities for people and society in the face of significant demographic trends.
Tara Bahrampour of The Washington Post and Dave Altimari and Jenna Carlesso of the Connecticut Mirror have won the National Press Foundation’s 2023 AARP Awards for Excellence in Journalism on Aging, for the large and small categories, respectively.
NPF judges praised Bahrampour’s work for avoiding stereotyping and “othering” older adults in America. Her reporting dug deep on why some octogenarians still work, Americans over 50 do extreme sports and older trans adults come out.
Altimari and Carlesso of the Connecticut Mirror won the small/regional media outlet category for their four-part series “Connecticut’s Elder Care Reckoning.”
The series looked at the lack of people and facilities to take care of the state’s aging population, the pressure nursing homes are under and the little oversight the state provides.
The winners accepted the award at the National Press Foundation 41st annual dinner Feb. 15, 2024.
The award carries two $5,000 prizes, one for work appearing in a large media outlet and one for work appearing in a small or regional outlet (averaging fewer than 15 million monthly visits to its website).
The award is open to U.S.-based journalists working in any media format and platform, from podcasts to television packages to print/digital stories. Entries could range from well-crafted features to investigative journalism to coverage of how individuals and society are adapting to trends related to aging, including but not limited to health, caregiving, financial security, efforts to counter age discrimination and stereotypes associated with aging.
Since its founding in 1958, AARP has advocated for older Americans and provided them with timely and trustworthy information to confront the challenges of aging. Since then, through its publications and digital channels, AARP has become the leading source for Americans seeking information and insights to help them to choose how they live as they age.
The AARP Award for Excellence in Journalism on AgingTM is a trademark of AARP.
