Chairman’s Citation
sports
Chairman’s Citation Goes to Sports Writer Sally Jenkins

Sally_JenkinsSally Jenkins, a pioneering sports writer for The Washington Post, has been selected for the National Press Foundation’s 2017 Chairman’s Citation.

The veteran journalist and author will receive the award at NPF’s annual journalism awards dinner on Thursday, Feb. 15, at the Marriott Marquis hotel in Washington, D.C., along with other award winners. Learn more about the NPF dinner and awards here.

Kevin Goldberg, chairman of the NPF Board of Directors, said of Jenkins: “Sports are more than just games and competitions. They also serve as a representation of our communities and a reflection of society at its best and its worst.  I cannot think of a journalist who understands and conveys this better than Sally Jenkins, especially in terms of shining a light on the actions of those in power.  She has been unafraid to take on institutions like the NCAA, the NFL and the International Olympic Committee over a career as an award winning columnist and book author during which she has excelled at crafting and conveying her message.  Her take on controversial subjects and individuals resonates with readers because it is personal but fair; she brings nuance to the issues and presents individuals for the people they are, rather than mere caricatures of who we have generally perceived them to be.”

The Chairman’s Citation, created in 1996, confers recognition on individuals whose accomplishments fall outside the traditional categories of excellence. The list of past winners is here.

Jenkins has spent 25 years at the Washington Post as a columnist and feature writer, beginning her career there in 1984 at the age of 24 covering college sports. She has written 12 books, four of them New York Times bestsellers, including the No.1 bestseller “Sum It Up,” written with legendary basketball coach Pat Summitt. Jenkins has covered 10 Olympic Games, as well as Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, and the 9-11 terrorist attack on New York. In 2005 Jenkins became the first woman inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame.

The National Press Foundation is an independent nonprofit that is run by and for journalists. NPF’s sole mission is to educate practicing journalists about today’s most pressing issues and critical toolbox training.

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