Home » Nominations being accepted for James Madison Award

Nominations being accepted for James Madison Award

Recognizes outstanding service to First Amendment

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 21, 2015) — The Scripps Howard First Amendment Center at the University of Kentucky is seeking nominations for its annual James Madison Award to recognize a Kentuckian for outstanding service to the First Amendment.

jm.pngThe award, created in 2006, honors the nation’s fourth president, whose efforts led to the passage and ratification of the Bill of Rights.

The Madison Award recognizes someone who has worked in one or more of these areas: open government and open records; promotion of the watchdog role of the press; defense against government or private censorship, or robust debate in the marketplace of ideas.

Nominees must have significant ties to Kentucky and their efforts must have resulted in the preservation or expansion of freedom of the press and/or freedom of speech. Dedication to the First The award recognizes a long-term commitment to such ideals.

The deadline for nominations is Sept. 11. Honorees do not have to be journalists. The most deserving recipient will be someone who has made a significant contribution regardless of how much public attention it has received.

The nominator must submit a letter identifying the nominee, listing the nominee’s address, phone number and position, and explaining why the nominee would be a worthy recipient. The letter should detail the specific efforts taken on behalf of First Amendment rights and should discuss obstacles and difficulties as well as the impact of the nominee’s efforts. The nominator may include up to three letters of support as well as other materials such as published or broadcast information.

Entries will be reviewed by a committee that includes previous winners and the director of the Scripps Howard First Amendment Center. The committee will have the option of not selecting a recipient if it does not believe any candidate is deserving.

Nominees who meet the award criteria but are not selected initially will automatically be considered for two more years. The award will be presented at the annual First Amendment Celebration Sept. 29 in the UK Athletics Association Auditorium in the William T. Young Library.

Nominations should be sent to Mike Farrell, Scripps Howard First Amendment Center, School of Journalism and Telecommunications, 220 Grehan Building, Lexington, KY 40506-0042, or emailed to [email protected].