Jane Mayer Wins 2017 Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism
MAY 23, 2017 – Jane Mayer has won The New York Public Library’s 2017 Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism for her revelatory work, Dark Money. The winner was announced last night at the 30th annual Bernstein Awards ceremony, held at the Library's iconic Stephen A. Schwarzman Building.
Mayer is the first person ever to win the Helen Bernstein Book Award twice; she first won in 2009 for her book The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals. Mayer is a staff writer for The New Yorker and the author of three bestselling and critically acclaimed narrative nonfiction books. She co-authored Landslide: The Unmaking of the President, 1984–1988, with Doyle McManus, and Strange Justice: The Selling of Clarence Thomas, with Jill Abramson, which was a finalist for the National Book Award. For her reporting at The New Yorker, Mayer has been awarded the John Chancellor Award, the George Polk Award, the Toner Prize for Excellence in Political Reporting, and the I. F. Stone Medal for Journalistic Independence presented by the Nieman Foundation at Harvard. Mayer lives in Washington, D.C.
In Dark Money, Mayer illuminates the history of an elite cadre of plutocrats who have bankrolled a systematic plan to fundamentally alter the American political system. Drawing from hundreds of exclusive interviews, as well as extensive scrutiny of public records, private papers, and court proceedings, Mayer provides portraits of the secretive figures behind the new American oligarchy and a look at the carefully concealed agendas steering the nation.
"This is an incredible honor," said Mayer during her acceptance speech last night. Thanking the Bernstein family for their creation of this prize, she added that it "really encourages reporters like myself to take the time, to run the risk of digging really deep on things that we think matter. It's becoming harder and harder to do this kind of investigative reporting in news organizations that are under financial pressure. So it's wonderful to have this prize as encouragement."
Dark Money was one of five finalists for the Bernstein Award selected by a six-member Library Review Committee, which received and read nearly 100 nominations from publishers. The winner was chosen by a separate Bernstein Selection Committee, chaired by journalist and editor James Hoge. The other finalists were:
The Morning They Came for Us, by Janine di Giovanni (WW Norton/Liveright)
Cast Away, by Charlotte McDonald-Gibson (New Press)
Pandemic, by Sonia Shah (Sarah Crichton Books/Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
Another Day in the Death of America, by Gary Younge (Nation Books)
"Jane Mayer's Dark Money reveals the well funded efforts of a handful of billionaires to implant far right and libertarian ideas into politics, education and the media," said Hoge. "It is a startling story of a formidable challenge to democracy. It is also an urgent wake up call."
The award ceremony’s keynote speaker was Bill Keller, editor-in-chief of The Marshall Project. Keller worked for The New York Times from 1984 to 2014 as a correspondent, editor, and op-ed columnist. As a correspondent, he covered the collapse of the Soviet Union, winning a Pulitzer Prize, and the end of white rule in South Africa. From July 2003 until September 2011, he was the executive editor of The Times.
"On behalf of The New York Public Library, I congratulate Jane on her second Bernstein Award," said Carrie Welch, NYPL's Chief External Relations Officer. "Jane's writing is profound and revelatory, and Dark Money explores issues of grave importance in America today. Jane's work perfectly exemplifies the powerful journalism this award has celebrated for 30 years, and will continue to celebrate for many more years to come."
The Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism was established in 1987 through a gift from Joseph F. Bernstein, in honor of journalist Helen Bernstein Fealy. The award, which comes with a $15,000 prize, honors working journalists whose books have brought clarity and public attention to important issues, events or policies.
In anticipation of the ceremony and to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the award, the Library released special installments of its podcast featuring interviews with each of the finalists. The Library also hosted public programs on the state of journalism today, with guests including Dean Baquet, Katherine Boo, Anand Giridharadas, Philip Gourevitch, Bill Moyers, Shawna Thomas, Jose Antonio Vargas, and Jacob Weisberg. Both the finalist interviews and recordings of the public programs are available here.
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