Morgan’s School of Global Journalism and Communication Names 2025 Vernon Jarrett Medal for Journalistic Excellence Winner

Renowned Public Radio Journalist Michelle Tyrene Johnson Recognized for Podcast Storytelling, Exploring the Complexities of Race in America  

BALTIMORE — Adding to the distinguished roster of past recipients, the Morgan State University School of Global Journalism and Communication (SGJC) has named Michelle Tyrene Johnson as the 2025 winner of the Vernon Jarrett Medal for Journalistic Excellence. The Kansas City native and accomplished journalist received the honor for her powerful storytelling centered on the experiences of Black life in America. Now in its 10th year, the award—which includes a $10,000 prize—was presented during a Sept. 19 ceremony at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

Johnson currently serves as lead producer and host of Race Unwrapped, a Louisville Public Media podcast that examines the complexities of race in America. A 2023 regional Edward R. Murrow Award recipient, she was also a Pulitzer Center grantee for her 2019–2020 project, A Tale of Three Kings, which she completed while reporting on race, identity, and culture at KCUR 89.3 in Kansas City.

“It is exciting to honor such wonderful work, especially so on our 10th anniversary. The competition is confirmation that there are still many important stories to be told, and many journalists out there seeking to make a difference and keep our communities informed through their work,” said Jackie Jones, dean of the School of Global Journalism and Communication.

Outside of her journalism career, Johnson is a former attorney and an award-winning playwright. Her multidisciplinary career reflects a deep commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices and examining the intersections of race, culture, and justice in America.

“What has always driven me the most in my life is my passion for justice and equity…my deep love of storytelling and genuine conversations that provide light, not just heat,” said Johnson to the Spokesman Newspaper regarding what motivates her.

In addition to receiving her bronze medal emblazoned with Jarrett’s image and the winner’s purse during the ceremony hosted by Wisdom Martin, Emmy Award–winning news anchor at WUSA 9, Johnson will be accepting an SGJC student to work alongside her as part of an internship.

The award is named for the late Vernon Jarrett, a pioneering African American columnist. Jarrett wrote for the Chicago Defender, the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times. In the late 1940s, he partnered with composer Oscar Brown, Jr., to produce “Negro Newsfront,” the first radio news broadcast in the United States created by African Americans. He also founded The NAACP's Act-So program, which encourages academic excellence among Black youth. He was also a founding member and former National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) president.

The Jarrett Award was created by DeWayne Wickham, who is also a founder and former president of NABJ. Wickham, a longtime columnist for USA Today and founding dean of the School of Global Journalism and Communication, is an Emmy-winning director of the Center for New Media and Strategic Initiatives, which produces documentaries and other research-driven projects.

Previous medal winners include: D. Watkins, New York Times bestselling author and Salon editor (2023); Wesley Lowery, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author (2022); Dr. Kaye Wise-Whitehead, WEAA-FM public affairs host and associate professor at Loyola University (2021), Errin Haines, The 19th, and Adam Serwer, The Atlantic (2020); Audra D.S. Burch, New York Times (2019); Helen Ubiñas (2018) and Mensah Dean (2017), both from the Philadelphia Media Network; Kirsten West Savali, a writer, cultural critic and associate editor of The Root, (2016); and Dr. Stacey Patton, a former reporter for The Chronicle of Higher Education (2015). 

About the School of Global Journalism and Communication

 The School of Global Journalism and Communication, created in July 2013, is led by Dean Jackie Jones, who succeeded founding Dean Emeritus DeWayne Wickham. The school is dedicated to giving voice to people who struggle to contribute to the public discourse that shapes the nation and the world through innovative teaching, cutting-edge research and exemplary service to Maryland, the nation and the world. The school seeks to instill in students the skills, knowledge and training necessary to become effective communicators and to add to the variety of thought in news media.

About Morgan

Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering more than 150 baccalaureate, master’s degree, doctorate and certificate programs. As Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.

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Media Contacts:

Larry Jones, or Dell Jackson, for Morgan State University PR
443-885-3022

Sheri Booker, for SJGC
443-885-4773