Celebrating our News Literacy Change-Makers
In recognition of their commitment to news literacy education and contributions to quality journalism, the News Literacy Project honors an educator, journalist and student each year. These exceptional individuals distinguish themselves as champions for a more news-literate nation and a resilient free press – both of which are essential to protecting our democracy.
Explore their stories and learn more about those who are leading the way in news literacy.
We announce our outstanding Change-Makers each June.
About Alan C. Miller
Alan C. Miller founded the News Literacy Project in 2008 to give middle and high school educators the tools to teach students how to separate fact from fiction. As a reporter with the Los Angeles Times for 21 years, he won more than a dozen national honors, including a Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting. In 2020, Washingtonian magazine named him a Washingtonian of the Year, and in 2021, he received an AARP Purpose Prize. As Miller prepared to step down as NLP’s CEO in 2022, the board of directors designated the Educator of the Year Award in his name to recognize his contributions to the field.
About John S. Carroll
Named for one of the most revered newspaper editors of his generation, the John S. Carroll Journalist of the Year Award is given annually to journalists who have contributed significantly to NLP’s mission. During an acclaimed journalism career spanning four decades, Carroll was the editor of three major U.S. newspapers: the Lexington (Kentucky) Herald-Leader, The Baltimore Sun and the Los Angeles Times. He was a founding member of NLP’s board and served as its chair until shortly before his death in 2015.
About Gwen Ifill
The Gwen Ifill Student of the Year Award honors the trailblazing journalist — and longtime NLP supporter and board member — who died in 2016. It is presented to female students of color who represent the values Ifill brought to journalism. A highly respected, award-winning journalist, Ifill was the first Black woman to host a national political talk show on television as moderator of Washington Week, and she was a member (with Judy Woodruff) of the first female co-anchor team of a national news broadcast, on PBS NewsHour.
Past honorees
NLP has honored a journalist each year since 2016, a student annually since 2017 and an educator annually since 2020. Learn more about our previous honorees.
Educator of the Year
- Alba Mendiola, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, Chicago, 2023
- Jamie Gregory, Christ Church Episcopal School, Greenville, South Carolina, 2022
- Kelly Vikstrom-Hoyt, The Overlake School, Redmond, Washington, 2021
- Patricia Hunt, Wakefield High School, Arlington, Virginia, 2020
John S. Carroll Journalist of the Year
- Natalie Y. Moore, WBEZ, Chicago, 2023
- Pierre Thomas, ABC News, 2022
- Alisyn Camerota, CNN, 2021
- Indira Lakshmanan, National Geographic, 2020
- Enrique Acevedo, Univision, 2019
- Wes Lowery, The Washington Post, 2018
- Paul Saltzman, Chicago Sun-Times, 2017
- Tracie Potts, NBC News Washington correspondent, 2017
- David Gonzalez, The New York Times, and Matea Gold, Washington Post national correspondent, 2016
Gwen Ifill Student of the Year
- Ana Sesma, Mill Creek High School, Gwinnett County, Georgia, 2023
- Alysa Baltimore, Station Camp High School, Gallatin, Tennessee, 2022
- Ana Rodriguez, Archie Williams High School, San Anselmo, California, 2021
- Mirudulaa Suginathan Yamini, Central Middle School, Quincy, Massachusetts, 2021
- Kristen Locker, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, Florida, 2020
- Valeria Luquin, Daniel Pearl Magnet High School, Van Nuys, California, 2019
- Paige Rodriguez and Sophia Fiallo, The Young Women Leadership School of Astoria, New York City, 2018
- Jenari Mitchell, KIPP DC College Preparatory, Washington, D.C., 2017
Related stories:
- Celebrating 2022 News Literacy Change-Makers
- Celebrating 2021 News Literacy Change-Makers
- Celebrating 2020 News Literacy Change-Makers
- NLP’s Journalist of the Year has witnessed harm misinformation can inflict
- News literacy skills help student better understand harm of bias, misinformation
- Student gains knowledge, confidence to help stop misinformation’s spread
- Meet our impressive student of the year finalists