The Tom and Pat Gish Award is named for the late couple who published The Mountain Eagle at Whitesburg, Ky., for more than 50 years and became nationally known for their battles with coal operators and politicians, and the firebombing of their office by a Whitesburg policeman.
Meyer and his weekly newspaper became a touchstone for freedom of the press in August 2023, when local police raided his office and his home and confiscated computers, reporters’ notes and cell phones, ostensibly investigating charges of identity theft and illegal use of a computer.
Past award winners and their affiliations at the time:
- 2024: Eric Meyer and the Marion County Record, Marion, Kansas
- 2023: Craig Garnett and the Uvalde Leader-News, Uvalde, Texas
- 2022: Ellen Kreth and the Madison County Record of Huntsville, Ark.
- 2021: The Thomas-High Family of The News Reporter and the Border Belt Independent in Whiteville, N.C.
- 2020: The late Tim Crews of the Sacramento Valley Mirror, Calif.
- 2019: Ken Ward Jr. of the Charleston Gazette-Mail; his mentor, the late Paul J. Nyden of the Charleston Gazette; and Howard Berkes, retired from NPR
- 2018: Leslie "Les" Zaitz and the Malheur Enterprise in Vale, Oregon.
- 2017: The Cullen family and the Storm Lake Times in Buena Vista County, Iowa
- 2016: Ivan Foley of The Platte County Landmark in Platte City, Missouri
- 2015: The Trapp Family and the Rio Grande Sun in Española, N.M.
- 2014: The late Landon Wills of the McLean County News in Calhoun, Ky.
- 2012: Jon and Susan Austin of the Yancey County News in Burnsville, N.C
- 2011: Stanley Nelson and the Concordia Sentinel in Ferriday, La.
- 2010: Samantha Swindler of The Times-Tribune in Corbin, Ky.
- 2008: Former publisher Stanley Dearman and Publisher Jim Prince of The Neshoba Democrat of Philadelphia, Mississippi
- 2007: The Ezzell family, publishers of The Canadian (Tex.) Record
- 2005: Tom and Pat Gish of The Mountain Eagle