ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., June 23, 2015 -- Broadcasting icon Bob Schieffer, the long-time moderator of the CBS news program "Face the Nation" and a former anchor of the CBS Evening News, will be awarded the first Poynter Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Journalism that serves democracy. Schieffer will receive the medal at the 40th Anniversary Bowtie Ball for the Poynter Institute in October.
Schieffer retired in May after 46 years at CBS. He was host of "Face the Nation", also served as the anchor on Saturday's CBS Evening News from 1973 to 1996, and he was the weekday anchor of the Evening News from March 2005 until August 2006. He had been the network's chief Washington correspondent since 1982.
"As the first recipient, Bob Schieffer sets a very high standard for the Poynter Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Journalism that serves democracy," said institute President Tim Franklin. "It's fitting that Bob would receive this honor on the year of his retirement, after an incredible 46-year run at CBS News as one of the most trusted and distinguished broadcast journalists of this or any other era. He's literally done it all, and he's done it with humility, grace, professionalism and even a sense of humor. He's an American and journalism original."
As he reflected on Poynter and being named its medal recipient, Schieffer said, "I've been a fan of Poynter for many years and am well aware of the important services it provides our profession, so it is truly an honor to be the first recipient of this award."
Schieffer was a member of Poynter's National Advisory Board from 2007 to 2010; as well as visiting faculty for its Leadership Academy in 2003 and 2006.
Earlier this month, Schieffer was named a fellow at the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard University. His fellowship will focus on the 2016 presidential election and extend over three semesters, during which he'll meet with students and faculty, speak at events and participate in Shorenstein Center activities.
As a career newsman, Schieffer was one of just a few journalists to have covered all four major national assignments in Washington D.C. -- the White House, Pentagon, Congress and the State Department.
Schieffer is the winner of six Emmy Awards. He also was named Broadcaster of the Year in 2002 by the National Press Foundation and was named to the Broadcasting/Cable Hall of Fame. He received the Paul White Award from the Radio Television Digital News Association in 2003 and also became a member of the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 2013.
He is the author of three books about his career in journalism: Face the Nation: My Favorite Stories from the First 50 Years of the Award-Winning News Broadcast, This Just In: What I Couldn't Tell You on TV, and Bob Schieffer's America. Additionally, Schieffer co-authored a book about Ronald Reagan, The Acting President, with Gary Paul Gates, published in 1989.
Schieffer moderated several presidential debates, including those in 2004, 2008 and 2012.
His last signoff as Face the Nation's moderator was on May 31, 2015. His successor on Face the Nation, CBS News Political Director John Dickerson, also will be in St. Petersburg for the celebration and will introduce Schieffer. Before joining CBS in 2011, Dickerson covered politics at Time magazine for 12 years and was the chief political correspondent for Slate.
The Poynter Medal for Lifetime Achievement will be an annual award recognizing the outstanding career achievements of a journalist whose work made a lasting impact serving citizens in our democracy. In addition to a specially designed medal, the recipients' photos will be displayed in The Poynter Institute's Great Hall.
Poynter's 40th anniversary Bowtie Ball dinner will be held on the evening of October 9 in St. Petersburg. More information and registration details will be available in the coming weeks.
About The Poynter Institute
The Poynter Institute for Media Studies is global leader in journalism education, and a strategy center that stands for excellence in journalism, media and 21st century public discourse. Poynter faculty teach seminars and workshops at the Institute in St. Petersburg, Fla., and at conferences and organizational sites around the world. Its e-learning division, News University, www.newsu.org, offers the world's largest online journalism curriculum in 7 languages, with more than 400 interactive courses and 330,000 registered users in more than 200 countries. The Institute's website, www.poynter.org, produces 24-hour coverage of news about media, ethics, technology, the business of news and the trends that currently define and redefine journalism news reporting. The world's top journalists and media innovators come to Poynter to learn and teach new generations of reporters, storytellers, media inventors, designers, visual journalists, documentarians and broadcast producers, and to build public awareness about journalism, media, the First Amendment and discourse that serves democracy.
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