Judy Woodruff: The Katherine W. Fanning Fellowship in Journalism and Democracy

“Communication despite differences is critical to the health of our democracy,” said Woodruff. “I am grateful and honored to accept this fellowship in the name of Kay Fanning, whom I looked up to as a pioneering woman journalist. This will support my work as I interview Americans across the country concerning what divides us and, just as important, how we can come together.”

In August 2023, the Kettering Foundation awarded the Katherine W. Fanning Fellowship in Journalism and Democracy to Judy Woodruff, senior correspondent and former anchor and managing editor of the “PBS NewsHour.” A distinguished journalist for more than five decades, Woodruff is nationally recognized for her integrity, reporting, and media leadership. She is the recipient of numerous awards, among them a Peabody Journalistic Integrity Award and an Emmy Lifetime Achievement Award. She has received 25 honorary degrees.

In January, Woodruff stepped away from her anchor duties to devote 2023 and 2024 to a new reporting project, “Judy Woodruff Presents: America at a Crossroads,” trying to understand our country better and probing why Americans seem so divided. She will also do a series of reports on challenges facing people with disabilities. Her project is in line with the goals of the Kettering Foundation’s Fanning Fellowship, which is awarded to journalists and scholars of journalism from the U.S. and abroad to explore the role of journalism in strengthening a democratic society.

Learn more about Judy Woodruff’s work:

• Judy speaking at tnpone
• Past episodes of America at a Crossroads

The Katherine W. Fanning Fellowship in Journalism and Democracy is awarded to journalists and scholars from around the world whose work furthers the lifelong commitment to journalism in service and democracy made by Katherine Fanning, an innovative and influential newspaper editor and publisher. The fellowship aims to provide recipients with opportunities to speak, report, and write on some of the most urgent challenges of democracy. The president of the Kettering Foundation selects recipients of the Fanning Fellowship. Learn more about all of our Kettering fellows.