The Sidney Prize for Journalism and Public Service
A sidney prize is a recognition of someone’s accomplishments or good works. It is usually given in the form of a cash award or an object. This type of prize is often given to people in a variety of different fields, such as science, history and current events. The prize is also given to people who are known for their activism or promotion of civil liberties. The Sidney Hillman Foundation awards a number of prizes each year for journalism and public service. The foundation was founded in 1946 and is named after a president of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America labor union. Its board of directors includes left-leaning activists, such as Danny Glover and former Workers United president Bruce Raynor.
The winner of the 2023 Neilma Sidney Short Story Prize is Annie Zhang for her story ‘Who Rattles the Night?’ The piece deals with a couple who discover that they are living with ghosts in their new home. The judging panel included Patrick Lenton, Alice Bishop and Sara Saleh, who reviewed over 500 entries. The prize is worth $5000, with two runners-up receiving $750 each. Overland will publish the winning entry in its print publication, while the two runners-up will have their stories published online.
In order to win the Sidney Prize, one must write an essay that addresses a specific topic and sheds light on it. The essay must be based on a real event or situation and it should be well researched. It must also be clear and concise. In addition, the essay must be written in English. The essay must be between 1,000 and 2,000 words long.
In honor of the generative influence of the late professor Sidney Cox upon hundreds of Dartmouth students both in and out of his classes, a group of his friends has established a fund to award an annual prize to that undergraduate writing which best meets the high standard of originality and integrity which he held for himself and his teaching.
The first Sidney Award was awarded in 2014 to George Packer’s superb profile of Angela Merkel, “The Quiet German,” that appeared in The New Yorker. The article exemplifies the way a journalist can capture a leader’s evolution. He does not portray her as a hero or romantic visionary, but as a meticulous and practical plodder.
Another winner of the prize is reporter Maya Srikrishnan and her team’s ten-year investigation into the way state income taxes are collected. They worked doggedly to uncover how states stall, quote outrageous fees or fail to collect what is owed to them. They worked with data reporters, interviewed low-income taxpayer clinic attorneys and even surveyed every state with an income tax.
The Sidney Prize is given annually to a person who demonstrates great courage and moral conviction in promoting the ideals of peace with justice, human rights and non-violence. The foundation has a long track record of supporting the pursuit of these goals, including funding scholarships, research and lecture series on college campuses.