The Radio Television Digital News Association is bestowing its 2023 Paul White Award to ABC News chief justice correspondent Pierre Thomas.
The award, named for the first news director of CBS News, recognizes an individual’s lifetime contributions to electronic journalism. Thomas will be recognized during an awards ceremony and reception on Sept. 22 at RTDNA23 in Minneapolis.
“The Paul White Award is RTDNA’s highest honor, and Pierre Thomas is incredibly deserving,” said RTDNA nominating committee chair Allison McGinley. “Pierre is a brilliant journalist whose tremendous work has helped Americans understand the most important stories of the past generation. We are proud to honor him.”
ABC News president Kim Godwin added in a statement of her own, “Pierre is a remarkable journalist who has been holding power to account for decades. His unflinching interviews, nuanced reporting on systemic issues affecting underrepresented communities, and his unvarnished investigations uncovering hidden truths have contributed tremendously to the profession and audiences around the world. I am so incredibly proud of him for earning this distinguished honor.”
Past recipients of the Paul White Award include Edward R. Murrow, Walter Cronkite, Barbara Walters, and Ted Koppel.
Former PBS NewsHour anchor and managing editor Judy Woodruff earned the honor in 2022.
This is the second time Thomas has received an award from the RTDNA. In 2015, he was presented with the 2015 John F. Hogan Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes an individual’s contributions to the journalism profession and freedom of the press.
Thomas joins an exclusive club that includes Conkrite and former CBS president Frank Stanton in winning both the Paul White and John F. Hogan awards. He was also named NABJ Journalist of the Year in 2012.
Thomas has been with ABC since 2000. Before that, he was CNN’s Justice Department correspondent and held several reporting positions at The Washington Post.