  |  How To Apply
Murray Kempton (1917-1997) was a rarity among newspaper columnists, a self-effacing humanist bemused at his own leftist politics and filled with compassion for the downtrodden and notorious alike. He worked the streets, courthouses and government lairs into his 80s. He pedaled to assignments on his three-speed bicycle, metal clips protecting the cuffs of his sedate three-piece suits as jazz filled his headphones. Back in the office, he interpreted the world's complexities through irony, baroque sentences and erudite references that challenged readers; in return, he offered dazzling insight. Kempton had a sharp wit and keen distaste for hypocrisy. He started reporting at the then-left-leaning New York Post before World War II, worked at other New York dailies and ended his career at Newsday, where he won the 1985 Pulitzer Prize for commentary. When the Society of Silurians, a New York journalism group, honored him in 1996, Kempton described a lesson learned at the Post. For his first Christmas, his labor-beat sources gave him 150 bottles of "reasonably good" whiskey. After a year of trenchant reporting, he got two. "I realized ... that I would never in the future have any sources, and I could henceforth be an outsider, and I was simply stuck with watching the game and ending up most of the time in the lonely honor of the loser's dressing room." That, he made clear, was the perfect place to be.
The Murray Kempton Awards, named for the famed columnist who captured the soul of the city while often serving as its conscience, recognize the contributions of outstanding undergraduate student journalists at the City University of New York. Eligibility: The competition is open to undergraduate students enrolled at the University for journalistic material published – in print, on the Web or in class – between June 16, 2008, and June 15, 2009. Judging: Awards will be made by panel of professional journalists, broadcasters and/or University faculty. Their evaluation criteria include: originality; creativity; clarity in presentation; readability or audio/video storytelling; enterprise in reporting; journalistic significance, and accuracy of spelling and grammar. The journalistic work must be about matters of importance to the college community, interpreted broadly, including coverage of news, sports, student athletics and the arts. Categories: Primary consideration is given to journalism that appeared in campus publications, websites or other campus venues, although works that appeared in noncampus outlets are also considered. Awards are given both for print or online publications and include recognition for outstanding efforts in photography, video and new media. Awards include:
Limit: A maximum of three entries per student in all categories combined.
Submission rules:
Print entries -- e-mail in Word or Word Perfect with entry form to murraykemptonawards@gmail.com. Deadline: All entries must be received by 5 p.m., Monday, June 22, 2009. Presentation: The Murray Kempton Award certificates will be presented at CUNY's Journalism, Broadcast and New Media Conference on Friday, October 9, 2009, at the University Graduate Center, 365 Fifth Ave., at 34th Street in Manhattan. |