The Sydney H. Schanberg Prize

Awarded annually by George Polk judges for exceptional long-form investigative or enterprise journalism. Articles must be at least 5,000 words in length and represent highly distinguished, deep coverage of armed conflicts; local, state or Federal government corruption; military injustice; war crimes, genocide or sedition; or authoritarian government abuses. The prize honors the legendary New York Times and Newsday reporter/columnist and is funded by his widow, Jane Freiman Schanberg.

Submission details

THE GEORGE POLK AWARDS AT LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY


For over 70 years, LIU has been the proud home of the George Polk Awards in Journalism, the first major award of its kind to recognize reporting across all media. This prestigious honor focuses on the intrepid, bold, and influential work of the reporters themselves, placing a premium on investigative work that is original, resourceful, and thought-provoking. Among the many journalism greats who are Polk laureates are Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, Walter Cronkite, Edward R. Murrow, Christiane Amanpour, I.F. Stone, Isabel Wilkerson, James Baldwin, Russell Baker, Norman Mailer, Seymour Hersh, and more. 

Polk Awards
Ceremony

April 14, 2023
New York Athletic Club

RSVP for Luncheon

Honoring Intrepid Reporters


The George Polk awards are conferred annually to honor special achievement in journalism. Winners are chosen from newspapers, magazines, television, radio and online news organizations. Judges place a premium on investigative work that is original, requires digging and resourcefulness, and brings results.

Legacy of George Polk


In May 1948, while covering the civil war in Greece between the authoritarian government and the communists, CBS correspondent George Polk's body turned up floating in a bay, hands and feet bound, shot at point-blank range in the head.

An insider's view of the historic George Polk Awards in Journalism

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John Darnton, Curator
Ralph Engelman, Faculty Coordinator

Panel of Advisors


Lawrence Altman
Ken Auletta
Larry Bensky
Lowell Bergman
Carl Bernstein
Donald Bird
Ralph Blumenthal
C.J. Chivers
Stephen Engelberg
Karen Frillmann
Juan Gonzalez
Martin Gottlieb
Geri Hearne
Bob Herbert
Seymour Hersh
Edward Hershey
Len Hollie
Jennifer 8. Lee
Charles Lewis
Heidi Evans
Keith Herbert
Margaret Sullivan
Elizabeth Llorente
David S.C. Liu
Sarah Lyall
John Marshall
Jane Mayer
Melvin McCray
Peter Osnos
Gene Roberts
Tom Robbins
Janny Scott
Robert Rosenthal
Paul Salopek
Ellen Schultz
Rhonda Schwartz
Adam Seessel
Stephen B. Shepard
E.R. Shipp
Curtis Stephen
Ray Suarez
A.C. Thompson
Ginger Thompson

About Submissions

Attn: Ralph Engelman
The George Polk Awards
Ralph.Engelman@liu.edu

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