Cheryl W. Thompson, an associate professor of journalism at the GW School of Media and Public Affairs, will receive the 2024 Washington Association of Black Journalists (WABJ) Legacy Award. The award is given to journalists or journalism educator in Washington, D.C., in recognition of their work to break barriers and lead efforts to open more opportunities to people of color in journalism. Thompson will be honored at the third annual WABJ Special Honors and Scholarship Gala on Dec. 7 at Howard University.
Throughout her career, Thompson has been the recipient of many prestigious awards in recognition of her work, including a Pulitzer Prize and an Emmy Award. She has worked in the nation’s most respected newsrooms as a reporter and editor, including The Washington Post and her current position as an investigative correspondent and senior editor at NPR.
Thompson is a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the National Association of Black Journalists and Investigative Reporters and Editors. She is also a founding and current board member of the Center for Collaborative Investigative Journalism, which focuses on cross-border investigations.