NYC Gazette

New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute has awarded its 11th Matthew Power Literary Reporting Award to Lauren Williams. Williams, a journalist and audio producer, plans to explore a story on art history in the American South with the grant.

Katie Thornton, a print and audio journalist focusing on media, infrastructure, and history, was named the runner-up. She intends to use her award to investigate a story about language and politics.

This award, established in 2014 to honor journalist Matthew Power, offers $12,500 annually to a journalist early in their career to research a story illuminating the human condition. The runner-up receives $8,000. The award is funded by over 650 individual donations.

Professor Ted Conover of the Carter Journalism Institute, a friend of Power’s, emphasized the importance of in-depth journalism: “These days, we need in-depth journalism more than ever. At the same time, good work seems harder than ever to publish." He noted that travel costs are typically the primary expense for recipients, who also receive moral and technical support from the judging panel.

Lauren Williams has experience reporting on the intersection of art and politics, including contributions to WBUR, NPR's All Things Considered, and Here & Now. Her recent work included a spotlight on the political history of marriage for White Picket Fence and a documentary on Black avant-garde composers for Afropop Worldwide. Williams has academic credentials from the American University of Paris and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.

Katie Thornton's work appears in major publications like Rolling Stone, The Guardian, and The Atlantic. She previously produced a Peabody-winning podcast titled "The Divided Dial," which examined conservative talk radio. Thornton holds a bachelor's degree from Oberlin College and teaches podcasting at Macalester College.

Judges for this year included Ted Conover, Jessica Benko, Robert S. Boynton, Christopher Cox, and Roger Hodge. The previous winner, Adam Willis, published "North Dakota Wants Your Carbon, But Not Your Climate Science" in Bloomberg Businessweek.

Matthew Power was a recognized freelance writer known for his contributions to various major publications and broadcast journalism. He was posthumously acknowledged for work frequently featured in "Best American Travel Writing" and "Best American Spiritual Writing" anthologies. Power passed away in 2014 while accompanying an explorer in Africa.

For additional information on the award, prospective applicants can visit the award page, with the next application cycle opening in November 2025.