GBJ professor Pam Tobey honored with new visual journalism award at National Press Club Journalism Institute
- Rick Dunham
- Aug 29
- 3 min read
The National Press Club Journalism Institute on August 27 announced the creation of the Pamela Tobey Award for Excellence in Visual Storytelling, made possible through the generosity of Rick Dunham, former president of both the National Press Club and the Institute, and his wife, Pamela Tobey, a distinguished graphics editor formerly of The Washington Post.
The award honors Tobey’s cutting-edge work in visual journalism and her commitment to advancing innovative storytelling. Dunham and Tobey have invested an initial $20,000 endowment, with plans to fully fund the award at $50,000 within five years.
Dunham has been co-director of the Global Business Journalism program at Tsinghua University since 2013. Tobey has been a visiting professor in the GBJ program, teaching Business News Data Visualization, and has conducted workshops and training sessions for students and journalism professionals.
In announcing the award, the National Press Club Journalism Institute noted that their commitment ensures the Institute may both celebrate and amplify outstanding visual storytelling while providing training opportunities to help journalists expand their design and visual storytelling skills.
“In this era of digital news, visual storytelling and graphics have become important tools for every news organization. But the talented journalists who create this work are often underappreciated,” Tobey said. “I want to add to the recognition of outstanding work in visual storytelling with this award at the National Press Club Journalism Institute.”
The annual award will recognize work that pushes the boundaries of storytelling beyond text, rewarding creative uses of data visualization, interactivity, photography, videography, audio, illustration and other emerging tools.
The winning journalist will receive a $1,000 cash prize and will also contribute to the Institute’s training programs by sharing insights with peers in the field.
“Pam began her career at The Washington Post in the days when artists used drafting tables and pica poles, when a Macintosh was only an apple you ate, and graphics were always black and white,” Dunham recalled. “She was part of an amazing transformation of the art department into a multimedia, multi-dimensional storytelling force. Pam then took that leadership to China, where she trained a new generation of journalists and students from around the world in data visualization and visual storytelling, sharing her expertise and experience for the betterment of the profession she loves.”
Applications for the inaugural Pamela Tobey Award will open in early September, with no entry fee required. Journalists from organizations of all sizes are invited to apply. The deadline for entry is October 20, 2025.
“Pamela Tobey’s career exemplifies the power of visual journalism to connect with audiences in fresh and compelling ways,” said Ed Kelley, president of the National Press Club Journalism Institute. “We are deeply grateful to Rick and Pam for entrusting the Institute to carry forward their vision of elevating design innovation in journalism.”
The Calvert K. Collins Family Foundation has also contributed an initial $10,000 to support the launch of this award.
To contribute to the Pamela Tobey Award for Excellence in Visual Storytelling, please use this link. Contributions up to $5,000 made between now and Dec. 31, 2025, will be matched by Mr. Dunham.
About the National Press Club Journalism InstituteThe National Press Club Journalism Institute equips journalists with skills and knowledge, inspires civic engagement through compelling programming, and serves as a beacon for a free and independent press. As the nonprofit affiliate of the National Press Club, the Institute advances the work of journalism in service of democracy.
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