ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (August 7, 2024) — The Poynter Institute, a global leader in journalism, is proud to announce that acclaimed journalist, television anchor and author Robin Roberts will be honored with the 2024 Poynter Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Journalism at the 2024 Bowtie Ball.
Roberts has enjoyed a distinguished career spanning four decades, renowned for her dedication to excellence in journalism and television broadcasting. At the age of 29, Roberts began hosting ESPN’s SportsCenter. Later, she moved to ABC’s Good Morning America. In 2005, she was hired as a full-time co-anchor of the morning news program, where her influence has been instrumental in the show’s success.
“Few journalists connect so genuinely with their audiences the way that Robin Roberts does,” said Poynter President Neil Brown. “From her days as a local sports reporter to being in the anchor chair at ESPN and ABC, Robin has told stories with personality and purpose. Her career, and the leadership she exhibits today at Good Morning America, are rooted in determination and empathy. With our Poynter medal, we are honored to recognize Robin Roberts and the journalism values she represents.”
Roberts will receive the medal at Poynter’s annual fundraising gala, the Bowtie Ball, on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. This signature gala celebrates journalism excellence and raises essential funds to support Poynter’s nonprofit mission to improve, strengthen and sustain quality journalism worldwide as a way to help solve society’s most critical problems.
Roberts’ work has been recognized with numerous accolades. She received the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism in 2014 and was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2016. Under her leadership, Good Morning America has won four Emmy Awards for Outstanding Morning Program and the 2017 People’s Choice Award for Favorite Daytime TV Hosting Team.
Roberts has also pursued other creative endeavors, including the launch of her own production company, Rock’n Robin Productions, in 2014. She is the author of several best-selling books, including “From the Heart: Seven Rules to Live By,” “From the Heart: Eight Rules to Live By,” “Everybody’s Got Something,” and “Brighter By The Day: Waking Up to New Hopes and Dreams.”
Viewers worldwide have also been inspired by Roberts’ public reporting of her battles with breast cancer in 2007 and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) in 2012, a rare blood disorder affecting the bone marrow, which she overcame through a successful stem cell transplant later that year. Since returning to “Good Morning America,” in 2013, Roberts has continually raised awareness for the Be The Match registry, the world’s largest bone marrow donor registry, through various efforts, including the Peabody Award-winning ABC News special, “Robin’s Journey.”
Each year, Poynter presents its lifetime achievement award to an accomplished journalist whose career has made a significant impact on the profession. Roberts will join an esteemed roster of Poynter Medal recipients:
- Anderson Cooper, anchor of CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360” and CBS “60 Minutes” correspondent
- Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, legendary investigative reporters who broke the Watergate story
- Lesley Stahl, CBS News and “60 Minutes” correspondent
- Chris Wallace, broadcast journalist, best-selling author and former Fox News anchor
- Katie Couric, broadcast journalist, best-selling author and media entrepreneur
- Lester Holt, anchor of “NBC Nightly News” and “Dateline NBC”
- Judy Woodruff, former anchor and managing editor of “PBS NewsHour”
- Tom Brokaw, former anchor of “NBC Nightly News”
- Bob Schieffer, former CBS News anchor and host of “Face the Nation”
Those interested in purchasing a table and sponsoring this year’s Bowtie Ball can call Deborah Read at deborah@poynter.org or sponsorships@poynter.org or (727) 371-0731.
Public tickets will go on sale Aug. 19 on the Poynter site.
About the Poynter Institute:
The Poynter Institute is a global nonprofit working to address society’s most pressing issues by teaching journalists and journalism, covering the media and the complexities facing the industry, convening and community building, improving the capacity and sustainability of news organizations and fostering trust and reliability of information. The Institute is the gold standard in journalistic excellence and dedicated to the preservation and advancement of press freedom in democracies worldwide. Through Poynter, journalists, newsrooms, businesses, big tech corporations and citizens convene to find solutions that promote trust and transparency in news and stoke meaningful public discourse. The world’s top journalists and emerging media leaders rely on the Institute to learn new skills, adopt best practices, better serve audiences, scale operations and improve the quality of the universally shared information ecosystem.
The Craig Newmark Center for Ethics and Leadership, the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), MediaWise and PolitiFact are all members of the Poynter organization.
Support for Poynter and our entities upholds the integrity of the free press and the U.S. First Amendment and builds public confidence in journalism and media — an essential for healthy democracies. Learn more at poynter.org.
Media Contact:
Jennifer Orsi
Vice President, Publishing and Local News Initiatives
jorsi@poynter.org
