Benjamin Franklin Award for Excellence

Congratulations to Paula Knudsen Burke, the 2024 Benjamin Franklin Award for Excellence recipient!

The Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association is proud to honor Paula Knudsen Burke with the 2024 Benjamin Franklin Award for Excellence.

Throughout her career, Paula has positioned herself as an advocate for First Amendment rights and government transparency. She has held the role of investigative reporter, editor, lobbyist, media law attorney, instructor, and mentor. Paula is currently an attorney with the nonprofit Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.

Paula has litigated successful cases across Pennsylvania pro bono, defending the public’s access to government meetings and open records through Right-To-Know laws. She also dedicates her time to training journalists, government officials and the public on media law issues and the press’ critical role in democracy.

Her commitment to a strong, free, independent press is unmatched. It is for these reasons that PNA is proud to recognize Paula Knudsen Burke for her outstanding service to the news media industry.

View our Press Release.

Purpose of the Award

The Benjamin Franklin Award recognizes individuals who have performed an outstanding service to his/her newspaper, to the news media industry in general, to his/her local community, or to the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association that reflected positively on the news media industry in Pennsylvania. (Nominees may include news media owners and employees, legislators, community leaders, business leaders, and university/college administrators.)

Award Criteria

The criteria for this award are flexible to accommodate a wide range of circumstances and situations. Some examples would include:

• How well a candidate reacted in times of a natural disaster
• Undertaking a legal battle for his/her newspaper
• Lobbying efforts for a news media cause
• Innovative methods of selling, marketing, or producing newspaper products
• Outstanding community, college, or non-profit service

The work for which the candidate is being nominated should be current within the past one to two years.

Nomination Guidelines

Nominations must be made in writing with biographical information included, along with any appropriate supporting documents explaining the reasons the nominee should receive the award. Letters from the nominee’s peers and coworkers supporting the nomination may also be included. Deadline for nominations is typically mid to late summer. Email nominations to teresas@pa-news.org or mail to:

Benjamin Franklin Award for Excellence
c/o Teresa Shaak
Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association
4000 Crums Mill Rd., Suite 101, Harrisburg, PA 17112

• No limitations are placed on the length of information submitted. However, conciseness and clarity are suggested.
• Artistic qualities of the nomination submissions (such as the use of graphics, photographs, etc.) will not be considered in the selection of the award recipient.
• Any staff member of a PNA news media organization may submit a nomination.
• The Benjamin Franklin Award for Excellence Selection Committee is comprised of the PNA Executive Committee members.