New Orleans – The late Katharine Graham, former chair and CEO of The Washington Post Co. and former publisher of The Washington Post, is the posthumous recipient of the Newspaper Association of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award, which will be renamed the Katharine Graham Lifetime Achievement Award in her honor. Graham was the first and, to date, only woman to chair the American Newspaper Publishers Association (1980-82), precursor to NAA.
The award will be accepted on Graham’s behalf by her son, Donald, chairman and CEO of The Washington Post Co., at a luncheon ceremony today at NAA’s Annual Convention, being held April 28-May 1 at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside.
The NAA Lifetime Achievement Award, established in 1998, is presented to individuals who have been conspicuous in their career accomplishments and whose leadership and contributions to the newspaper industry have been exemplary.
"Mrs. Graham was an extraordinary newspaper publisher," said NAA Chairman Orage Quarles III, president and publisher of The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C. "The journalistic accomplishments of the Post on her watch are legendary – the Pentagon Papers case, taking the lead on breaking news of the Watergate scandal. At the same time, she helped steer the company to new growth and business success. Mrs. Graham was a shining example of how a newspaper can be successful as a business while maintaining the highest standards for journalism."
In her Pulitzer Prize-winning 1997 autobiography, "Personal History," Graham wrote, "I believe that our concentration on journalistic excellence was a good business approach as well as a necessary editorial strategy. I think that this was another reason for our ultimate success; that we operated under the philosophy…that journalistic excellence and profitability go hand in hand."
Graham, who died last year at age 84, took over the company in 1963 after the death of her husband, Philip. Thrown into a leadership position she says she was unprepared for, Graham wrote, "What I essentially did was to put one foot in front of the other, shut my eyes and step off the ledge. The surprise was that I landed on my feet."
A pioneer for women in business, not just newspapers, Graham headed the newspaper company at a time when women in the workforce at all were rare – let alone in leadership positions. As such, she racked up a series of industry "firsts," including first woman to chair ANPA, to serve as a director of The Associated Press and to head a Fortune 500 company.
When she stepped down as CEO in 1991 and then as chair in 1993, Graham had seen The Washington Post Co. rise from a relatively small family enterprise that included the Post, Newsweek magazine and two TV stations, to a diversified media company that included newspaper, magazine, television, cable and educational-services holdings. More about Graham’s life and tributes to her can be found on the Post’s Web site at www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/specials/graham/index.htm.
Members of the working press who’d like to cover the NAA Annual Convention should contact Debra Gersh Hernandez, NAA public relations director, at (703) 902-1737 or gersh@naa.org; or Zachary Brousseau, NAA public relations manager, at (703) 902-1698 or brouz@naa.org.
All media will be asked to show photo identification and current press credentials or a letter from an assigning editor. Whether covering NAA or the AP, all press must first come to the NAA Press Office in the Newberry Room at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside for convention credentials. Advance notice of attendance is recommended to expedite credentialing, although onsite processing will be available. Special broadcast needs, such as a mult box or camera platform, must be arranged in advance.
Sponsors of NAA’s 2002 Annual Convention are Goss International Corp., MAN Roland Inc., Media Command, Mutual Insurance, Parade Publications, USA Weekend, Veronis Suhler Stevenson and Virtual Ad Taker.
NAA is a nonprofit organization representing the $59 billion newspaper industry and more than 2,000 newspapers in the U.S. and Canada. Most NAA members are daily newspapers, accounting for 87 percent of the U.S. daily circulation. Headquartered in Tysons Corner (Vienna, Va.), the Association focuses on six key strategic priorities that affect the newspaper industry collectively: marketing, public policy, diversity, industry development, newspaper operations and readership. Information about NAA and the industry may also be found at the Association’s World Wide Web site on the Internet (www.naa.org).
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