Clurman Award
2024 Clurman Award Recipient
The Livingston Awards honored Kevin Merida with the 2024 Richard M. Clurman Award for his commitment to counseling, nurturing and inspiring young journalists. Merida is the former executive editor of the Los Angeles Times, former senior vice president at ESPN and former managing editor of The Washington Post. In a video tribute, journalists from the Los Angeles Times, ESPN and The Washington Post talked about Merida’s encouragement of young reporters and his influence on their careers.
“Nearly every piece of journalism that changed me, challenged me and upped my game as a reporter had Kevin’s imprint and genius behind it. He is the kind of leader I now strive to be – empowering, innovative, accessible, no B.S. He showed so many of us that we could lead in newsrooms as ourselves.”
— Krissah Thompson, Managing Editor, The Washington Post
Honoring Newsroom Leaders and Mentors
The Livingston Awards, a program honoring journalists under the age of 35, recognizes that every young journalist succeeds with the guidance and support of an experienced journalist. The Richard M. Clurman Award honors these on-the-job mentors who stand out for nurturing, critiquing and inspiring young journalists. Through their commitment, these individuals make a vital contribution to fostering excellence in journalism. The Clurman Award stands alongside the Livingston Awards in bolstering the work of young journalists and developing the next generation of reporters and newsroom leaders. Named for Richard M. Clurman, an editor at Time from 1948 to 1972 and architect of the Livingston Awards program, the Clurman Award is presented each June at the annual Livingston Awards ceremony.
The Richard M. Clurman Legacy
In the life of every successful journalist, there is a special colleague who goes above and beyond to advise, critique, applaud and inspire. Richard M. Clurman was such a person. His career at Time included a post as chief of correspondents and head of the Time-Life News Service. Throughout the 1960s, Clurman oversaw a staff of 105 reporters stationed around the globe.
Always passionate about elevating the work of young journalists, Clurman helped Mollie Parnis Livingston to envision and establish the Livingston Awards and became a founding member of the Mollie Parnis Livingston Foundation’s board. Following Clurman’s passing in 1996, the Livingston Awards board and panel of judges elected to memorialize his legacy, creating a new award for journalists in his honor: the Richard M. Clurman Award for mentors in journalism.
Nominate Your Journalism Mentor
Was there an on-the-job mentor who made a difference in your journalism career and the careers of other journalists? Introduce us to your mentor and enter your nomination for the Clurman Award here.
Nominations for the 2025 Clurman Award close on March 1, 2025.