Library of Congress honors News Literacy Project with highest award

Rubenstein Prize recognizes efforts to improve literacy in the U.S. or abroad

WASHINGTON, Sept. 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The News Literacy Project today received the highest honor from the Library of Congress Literacy Awards Program, the David M. Rubenstein Prize, in recognition of NLP's outstanding efforts to help people of all ages identify misinformation and help stop its spread.   

The awards are given annually on Sept. 8, which UNESCO has designated as International Literacy Day.

The David M. Rubenstein Prize ($150,000) goes to an organization in the U.S. or abroad that has shown an "exceptional and sustained" commitment to advancing literacy while meeting "the highest standards of excellence in its operations and services." Past awardees include Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and Reading is Fundamental.

NLP, a national nonpartisan education nonprofit, is the leading provider of news literacy education, offering free resources, tools and programs for educators and the public.

"The News Literacy Project is committed to ensuring a future founded on facts. The David M. Rubenstein Prize is a testament to the real, measurable impact of our programs. We are honored to receive this recognition from the Library of Congress," said Charles Salter, president and CEO of NLP.

About NLP

The News Literacy Project is building a national movement to advance the practice of news literacy throughout American society, creating better informed, more engaged and more empowered individuals — and ultimately a stronger democracy.

Founded in 2008 by Alan C. Miller, a Pulitzer Prize winning-journalist with the Los Angeles Times, the organization helped launch the field of news literacy. Today, NLP offers free training and resources to educators and the public in all 50 states and more than 120 countries.

NLP's signature offerings include the Checkology^® virtual classroom, an e-learning platform that teaches users how to navigate today's challenging information landscape; National News Literacy Week, an annual public information campaign that involves major newsrooms from across the country; and webinars and in-person training for educators, students, journalists and the public to help them learn to recognize fact from fiction.

In 2022, the organization launched RumorGuard^™, a platform that debunks viral misinformation and teaches people how to evaluate the credibility of online content.

About the awards

Established in 2013 and generously supported by philanthropist David M. Rubenstein, the Library of Congress Literacy Awards Program recognizes organizations that provide exemplary, innovative, sustainable and replicable strategies to promote literacy and reading.

The Literacy Awards also include an American Prize ($50,000) and International Prize ($50,000). Up to 15 organizations each year are named Successful Practices Honorees ($5,000).

For additional information on the awards and previous winners, as well as an interactive program map, visit the Library of Congress website.

SOURCE The News Literacy Project