The Donald L. Shaw Senior Scholar Award  will recognize an individual for excellence in journalism history research who has a minimum 15-year academic career and a record of division membership.   

The award is named in honor of the pioneering journalism theoretician, distinguished journalism historian, and former head of the History Division, who taught for almost half of a century at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Hussman School of Journalism and Media. 

Shaw is renowned, along with Dr. Maxwell McCombs of the University of Texas, Austin, for the development of the agenda setting theory of the press. Shaw is also known for his studies of 19th and 20th century American and Southern press history. He is author, co-author, or co-editor of 13 books and about 75 scholarly articles or book chapters. His media history work includes examining news about American slavery, campaign news, and sensationalism.

Current Recipient
2023 John M. Hamilton, Louisiana State University

Past Recipients
2022 Carolyn Kitch, Temple University

2021 Jinx Broussard, Louisiana State University

2020 Maurine Beasley, University of Maryland