The Publicity Club of Chicago to Honor Charles Whitaker with Media Impact Award at 67th Annual Golden Trumpet Awards
Chicago, IL – Friday, August 8, 2025 – The Publicity Club of Chicago (PCC) is proud to announce that Charles Whitaker will be honored with the Media Impact Award at the 67th Annual Golden Trumpet Awards, taking place on Thursday, September 18, 2025.
Charles Whitaker, dean of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, has shaped the future of journalism for more than three decades. He has spent his career transforming the field, from mentoring rising reporters to diversifying newsrooms and guiding publications nationwide to tell more inclusive stories.
“Charles Whitaker’s work has left a profound mark on journalism in Chicago and across the world,” said Kimberley Rudd, Co-President of the Publicity Club of Chicago. “From his tenure as a writer and editor at the legendary Ebony magazine, to his roles as professor and dean at NU, his leadership, advocacy, and dedication to amplifying underrepresented voices has advanced the profession in meaningful and lasting ways. PCC is proud to recognize his tremendous impact with this year’s Media Impact Award.”
Whitaker is the first Northwestern alumnus to serve as dean of Medill, where he has taught since 1992 and since recruited many respected journalists to join its faculty. His leadership extends beyond the classroom: He has advised national and local media organizations, including the American Society of Magazine Editors, ProPublica, the Prison Journalism Project, the Evanston RoundTable, and Block Club Chicago. He has also directed programs such as the Academy for Alternative Journalism and Project Masthead, both designed to diversify the pipeline of talented journalists entering the field.
“I am deeply honored to receive the Publicity Club of Chicago’s Media Impact Award,” said Charles Whitaker. “My life’s work has been dedicated to ensuring that journalism reflects the communities it serves, and I am humbled to be recognized by an organization that values the power of storytelling to inform, connect, and inspire.”
About the Publicity Club of Chicago Media Impact Award
The Publicity Club of Chicago's Media Impact Award is an annual honor bestowed upon a distinguished individual or organization for making significant and lasting contributions to the media profession. This award recognizes work that has demonstrated excellence in reporting, storytelling, and ethical journalism, and has resonated beyond the newsroom to shape public discourse and influence the broader media landscape.
About the Publicity Club of Chicago and the Golden Trumpet Awards:
Since its establishment in 1941, the Publicity Club of Chicago has been the professional home for individuals in the communications, marketing, and public relations domains. Over the span of 66 years, PCC has been at the forefront of acknowledging outstanding achievements within these industries through the prestigious Golden Trumpet Awards, which stand as a hallmark of distinction in the Midwest and beyond. Tickets for the 67th Annual Golden Trumpet Awards ceremony are available for purchase and more information about the Publicity Club of Chicago can be found at publicity.org.
###