Michael Kruse of Politico Wins Dirksen Prize

Michael Kruse of Politico is the winner of the National Press Foundation’s Everett McKinley Dirksen Award for Distinguished Reporting of Congress for an insightful series on one of the newly elected moderates in Congress.

Kruse will receive the award at NPF’s annual journalism awards dinner on Thursday, Feb. 13, in Washington, D.C. Learn more about the dinner, and other NPF award winners, here.

NPF judges said: “Kruse skillfully described how the congressional process works through the lens of first-year Rep. Mikie Sherrill, and more specifically how moderates like Sherrill slowly pivoted toward impeachment. His reporting and writing revealed the tensions within the Democratic caucus.”

These are Kruse’s stories:

“The most important new woman in Congress is not who you think”

“Mikie Sherrill is not feeling the pressure”

“It feels like a 1776 kind of fight”

Judges also gave an honorable mention to The Washington Post for stories that explained under-the-radar deals members of Congress seek for donors and constituents.

The Everett McKinley Dirksen Award for Distinguished Reporting of Congress was created in 1980 in honor of the late Republican senator from Illinois. The award is intended to recognize U.S.-based journalists whose work shows thoughtful appraisal and insight into the workings of the U.S. Congress and that represents the highest standards of journalism. The list of past Dirksen winners is here.

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

For more information about the NPF dinner where Kruse will receive the Dirksen award, contact Jenny Ash-Maher at jenny@nationalpress.org.

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