Ben Blackstock Award

Named for late Oklahoma Press Association Executive Director Ben Blackstock, this award recognizes a non-governmental person or organization that has shown a commitment to freedom of information.

2023-24: Bruce Willingham, publisher, McCurtain Gazette-News
2022: Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP)
2021: Robby Korth, reporter at StateImpact Oklahoma
2020: Paul Monies and Whitney Bryen, reporters at Oklahoma Watch and Kassie McClung, reporter at The Frontier
2019: Joe Wertz, Senior Environment Reporter at the Center for Public Integrity
2018: Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters
2017: Joey Senat, Ph.D., Associate Professor, OSU School of Media & Strategic Communications
2016: Ziva Branstetter, Editor-in-Chief, The Frontier
2015: Joey Stipek, University of Oklahoma student
2014: Joel Rabin and Sharon Hurst, residents of Bartlesville, Okla.
2013: Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise
2012: Nicholas Harrison, student of the University of Oklahoma College of Law and reporter for The Oklahoma Daily
2011: The Oklahoman
2010: Tulsa World
2009: Mark Thomas, Executive Vice President, Oklahoma Press Association
2008: Ben Blackstock, Executive Director, Oklahoma Press Association, retired