The Raymond Clapper Memorial Award, later called the Washington Reporting Raymond Clapper Award, was an American
journalism award presented from 1944 to 2011. Named in honor of
Raymond Clapper (1892–1944), the award was given "to a journalist or team for distinguished
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
reporting."
The award was presented most often at the annual
White House Correspondents' Association
The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) is an organization of journalists who cover the White House and the president of the United States. The WHCA was founded on February 25, 1914, by journalists in response to an unfounded rumor t ...
(WHCA) dinner, but for a period in the years 1951 to 1965 it was given at the annual
American Society of Newspaper Editors (ASNE) dinner. In the early days of the Award, it was often presented to the winner by the
U.S. President
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...
, who was usually a guest at the press dinner.
Starting in 2004 the award was presented as part of
Scripps Howard's National Journalism Awards (later known as the
Scripps Howard Awards). The Raymond Clapper Award was discontinued after 2011.
History
Reporter and
Scripps Howard columnist
Raymond Clapper died in 1944 during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
while covering the U.S. invasion of the
Marshall Islands
The Marshall Islands ( mh, Ṃajeḷ), officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands ( mh, Aolepān Aorōkin Ṃajeḷ),'' () is an independent island country and microstate near the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the Internati ...
. Following his death, the Raymond Clapper Memorial Association was incorporated in Washington, D.C. "to perpetuate the memory of Clapper"
through the Raymond Clapper Memorial Award.
"The organizing committee of the association was composed of the heads of various newspaper organizations in Washington," including
Scripps-Howard Newspapers
The E. W. Scripps Company is an American broadcasting company founded in 1878 as a chain of daily newspapers by Edward Willis "E. W." Scripps and his sister, Ellen Browning Scripps. It was also formerly a media conglomerate. The company is he ...
, the
Chicago Sun,
United Press
United Press International (UPI) is an American international news agency whose newswires, photo, news film, and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines, radio and television stations for most of the 20th c ...
, the
White House Correspondents' Association
The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) is an organization of journalists who cover the White House and the president of the United States. The WHCA was founded on February 25, 1914, by journalists in response to an unfounded rumor t ...
,
United Feature Syndicate, Overseas Writers Association, and the
Gridiron Club.
Under the terms of the incorporation of the Clapper Memorial Association, "the
Standing Committee of Correspondents, the governing body of the Washington press corps ... will be in complete control of the award, ... so that it will always be under the direction of the working, newspapermen of the national capital."
The founding trustees of the Clapper Association were George B. Parker, editor-in-chief of
Scripps-Howard Newspapers
The E. W. Scripps Company is an American broadcasting company founded in 1878 as a chain of daily newspapers by Edward Willis "E. W." Scripps and his sister, Ellen Browning Scripps. It was also formerly a media conglomerate. The company is he ...
;
Byron Price
Byron Price (March 25, 1891August 6, 1981) was director of the U.S. Office of Censorship during World War II.
Life
Price was born near Topeka, Indiana on 25 March 1891. He was a magazine editor at Topeka High School, and worked as a journalist an ...
of the
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
; and
Eugene Meyer of ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
''.
Under Scripps Howard, the
Washington Reporting Raymond Clapper Award was presented from 2004 to 2011, at which point it was discontinued.
Overview
In 1993, the criteria for the Award was described as "...any Washington-based daily newspaper reporter whose work most closely approximated the ideals of fair and painstaking reporting, and the good craftsmanship of Raymond Clapper."
The winner of the Award was selected by a panel of five editors/writers from a list of finalists.
Most years, Honorable Mention and Second Place prizes were awarded as well.
List of awardees
Notes
References
Citations
Sources
* {{cite web, title=Raymond Clapper Memorial Award winners (1944 to 2011), url=https://www.pressclubinstitute.org/raymond-clapper-memorial-award-winners-from-1944-to-2011/, author=Journalism Institute, publisher=
National Press Club
Organizations
A press club is an organization for journalists and others professionally engaged in the production and dissemination of news. A press club whose membership is defined by the press of a given country may be known as a National Press ...
, access-date=Nov 15, 2023
1944 establishments in the United States
2012 disestablishments in the United States
American journalism awards
Awards established in 1944
Awards disestablished in 2012