The Missouri Lifestyle Journalism Awards were first awarded in 1960 as the Penney-Missouri Awards to recognize women's pages that covered topics other than society, club, and fashion news, and that also covered such topics as lifestyle and consumer affairs.[1][2] The Penney-Missouri Awards were often described as the "Pulitzer Prize of feature writing".[3] They were the only nationwide recognition specifically for women's page journalists,[4] at a time when few women had other opportunities to write or edit for newspapers.[3] The annual awards appear to have been last given in 2008.

History

The Penney-Missouri awards were conceived by James Cash Penney, founder of the J. C. Penney retail chain, who hoped improving women's page sections would turn them into more effective advertising channels for his stores.[5] Penney established the award at the University of Missouri because he believed the school had the necessary prestige.[5]

Kimberly Wilmot Voss's research suggests that as early as 1960, when the awards were established, women's page sections were reporting on a broader range of issues than expected, often creating the kind of coverage the awards were intended to encourage: "more than just society notices and photographs of brides".[4]

In 1974, as most newspapers were changing their women's sections into features sections, contest rules changed to allow entries from journalists who did not work full-time in a women's page section.[5]

In 1994, J. C. Penney stopped funding the awards, and they were renamed as the Missouri Lifestyle Journalism Awards, with the University of Missouri funding as well as judging.[5]

Award winners were announced for 2008 and previous years in the media and Missouri School of Journalism press releases.[6][7][8][9][10] However, at least some of the trophies and $1,000 cash prizes for the 2008 winners were only distributed after public reporting of what journalism reporter Jim Romenesko described as "the no-prizes flap," and as late as May 2009, nine months after the announcement of winners.[11][12] There appears to be no evidence of the awards being given after 2008.

Leadership

The directors of the award program were:[13]

Impact

Rodger Streitmatter, writing in the scholarly journal Journalism History, credits the awards for helping to change women's pages journalism.[14]

Award winners

References

  1. ^ Taft, William H (2015). Encyclopedia of Twentieth Century Journalists. Routledge. p. xiv. ISBN 9781317403258. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
  2. ^ Harp, Dustin (2007). Desperately Seeking Women Readers: U.S. Newspapers and the Construction of a Female Readership. Lexington Books. p. 32. ISBN 9780739114902.
  3. ^ a b Voss, Kimberly Wilmot (Spring 2006). "The Penney-Missouri Awards: Honoring the Best in Women's News". Journalism History. 32 (1): 43. doi:10.1080/00947679.2006.12062697. S2CID 140928882.
  4. ^ a b Voss, Kimberly Wilmot (Spring 2006). "The Penney-Missouri Awards: Honoring the Best in Women's News". Journalism History. 32 (1): 44. doi:10.1080/00947679.2006.12062697. S2CID 140928882.
  5. ^ a b c d Voss, Kimberly Wilmot (Spring 2006). "The Penney-Missouri Awards: Honoring the Best in Women's News". Journalism History. 32 (1): 46. doi:10.1080/00947679.2006.12062697. S2CID 140928882.
  6. ^ Romenesko, Jim (19 August 2008). "Winners of Missouri Lifestyle Journalism Awards announced". Poynter. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  7. ^ "Missouri School of Journalism Announces 2008 Winners of the Missouri Lifestyle Journalism Awards" (Press release). Missouri School of Journalism. 19 August 2008.
  8. ^ "Winners of 2007 Missouri Lifestyle Journalism Awards Announced" (Press release). Missouri School of Journalism. 22 May 2007. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  9. ^ "Missouri Lifestyle Journalism Awards: 2006 Winners and Finalists" (Press release). Missouri School of Journalism. 24 October 2006. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  10. ^ "Missouri Lifestyle Journalism Awards: 2005 Winners and Finalists" (Press release). Missouri School of Journalism. 20 June 2005. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  11. ^ a b Romenesko, Jim (27 January 2009). "Missouri journalism contest director promises that winners will get their prizes". Poynter. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  12. ^ Romenesko, Jim (7 May 2009). "Missouri Lifestyle Journalism Award prize finally arrives". Poynter. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  13. ^ "Penney-Missouri Journalism Awards, Records, 1960-1993" (PDF). State Historical Society of Missouri. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  14. ^ Streitmatter, Rodger (Summer 1998). "Transforming the Women's Pages: Strategies that Worked" (PDF). Journalism History. 24 (2): 72–80. doi:10.1080/00947679.1998.12062493. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 December 2018. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
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