The medal recognizes work being done to advance democracy in the United States and internationally.
Trusting News awarded Brown Democracy Medal from Penn State University
Trusting News has been named the 2026 recipient of the Brown Democracy Medal from the McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State University. The medal recognizes work being done to advance democracy in the United States and internationally — both practical innovations and theoretical advances.
The honor includes a $10,000 award. Joy Mayer and Lynn Walsh will visit the campus in the fall to accept the award and give a public lecture. They will also write a book about their work that will be published by Cornell University Press.
Chris Beem, McCourtney Institute for Democracy managing director, said the selection committee is pleased to recognize a media organization for the first time. “We felt that this year was the time to give journalism its due and sought nominations of organizations doing innovative work in media,” Beem said. “Democracy depends on the fourth estate, and Trusting News is striving to make that role viable once again in American society.”
Mayer said she is thrilled to have journalism’s role in a democracy recognized in this way. “So many people across sectors are working to support and strengthen democracy. It’s validating to have journalism’s essential function reinforced by the McCourtney Institute. Our team sees this award as representing so many in the news industry who are working to hold democratically elected leaders accountable and help the public navigate and participate in democracy.”
At Trusting News, we work toward a world in which journalists continually work to earn trust and be trustworthy. Our vision is this:
“All people deserve information that is responsive to their needs, equips them to navigate their communities, and reflects their diverse priorities and values. In an era of content overwhelm, confusion and fatigue, responsible journalists must demonstrate — transparently and consistently — why they are worthy of trust. Doing so is crucial to both their public service mission and their business sustainability.”
Our aim to support a functioning democracy plays out across our foundational strategies and also in our years-long involvement in the Advancing Democracy program, a partnership with Hearken and Solutions Journalism Network.
Inaccurate and polarizing information are threats to a functioning society, and journalists need to work harder to understand people’s experiences with the news and how they vary across fault lines such as age, geography, class, education level and political leanings. Trust levels vary drastically along partisan lines, and journalists need to be investing in understanding why that is and responding to it. Trusting News is looking for funding partners to support training and research on that topic and welcomes ideas at joy@TrustingNews.org.
At Trusting News, we learn how people decide what news to trust and turn that knowledge into actionable strategies for journalists. We train and empower journalists to take responsibility for demonstrating credibility and actively earning trust through transparency and engagement. Learn more about our work, vision and team. Subscribe to our Trust Tips newsletter. Follow us on Twitter, BlueSky and LinkedIn.
