29th Annual TFAS Journalism Awards Dinner
29th Annual Fund for American Studies Journalism Awards Dinner
November 15, 2022
Metropolitan Club
East 60th Street, New York, NY
For nearly 30 years, TFAS has fostered the careers of outstanding journalists, including Pulitzer Prize-winning reporters, editors of national magazines and authors of bestselling books. Your support of the 29th Annual TFAS Journalism Awards Dinner will enable us to develop the next generation of top-notch journalists, while honoring today’s leaders who are paving the way.
TFAS will honor Jimmy Lai with the Kenneth Y. Tomlinson Award for Courageous Journalism. Lai is the founder of the now-closed pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily. He is currently in prison serving out sentences for charges related to his pro-democracy activism. Lai has been repeatedly harassed and threatened by the Chinese government for his pro-democracy efforts and opposition to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). He is owner and founder of Apple Daily, one of Asia’s top newspapers. Aimed at sharing the truth and advocating for democracy, Apple Daily was one of largest circulating newspapers in Hong Kong before it was shut down by Beijing.
Paul Gigot, American Pulitzer Prize–winning conservative political commentator and Vice President of The Wall Street Journal Editorial Pages, will present and accept award on behalf of Jimmy Lai. Paul Gigot is the editorial page editor and vice president of The Wall Street Journal, a position he has held since September 2001.
William McGurn, an opinion columnist for The Wall Street Journal, will be presented with the Thomas L. Phillips Career Achievement Award for his remarkable career. Author, Former Washington Bureau Chief for National Review and Former Chief Speechwriter for President George W. Bush, McGurn writes the weekly “Main Street” column for The Journal.
American political commentator and author Dana Perino will present the award to McGurn. Perino served as the White House press secretary when McGurn was the assistant to the president for speechwriting during the Bush Administration. Perino is co-host of Fox News’ The Five, co-anchor of America’s Newsroom w/ Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino, an analyst for Fox News election coverage & specials, and a #1 New York Times bestselling author.
The evening will also honor the life and legacy of Joseph Rago, a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial writer for The Wall Street Journal, who died in 2017 at the age of 34. In memory of Joe, TFAS and the Rago family established the Joseph Rago Memorial Fellowship for Excellence in Journalism, providing a nine-month internship with The Wall Street Journal’s editorial team. Rising star Carine Hajjar will accept the 2022 Rago Fellowship at the dinner.
TFAS will present their 2022 Robert Novak Journalism Fellowship Awards to the next generation of top writers. By providing essential support and an extensive network of alumni, Novak Fellowships give promising journalists the resources to undertake career-building and impactful projects. Named in honor of renowned columnist Robert D. Novak, the program has funded more than 150 journalists since its founding.