Remembering Jeffrey Brodsky

Jeff Brodsky’s passed away on July 26, 2023. He was 49 years old. Jeff and his father, Howard, founded The Brodsky Prize for excellence in student journalism. Please take a moment to read about Jeff’s life and to watch this video prepared by his family.

ABOUT JEFFREY BRODSKY

When Jeffrey Brodsky was a student at Manchester’s Central High School nearly 30 years ago, he found his voice as co-editor of Central’s student newspaper, the Little Green. His out-of- the-box thinking as editor brought him headlines beyond the campus and started him on a career in the media. Now, he and his family have established a scholarship program to give back to their community and encourage another generation of journalists.

The Brodsky Prize for 2024

All New Hampshire public, charter, and parochial high school students are eligible for the $5,000 Brodsky Prize that Jeffrey Brodsky hopes will encourage out-of-the-box efforts and innovation by a new generation of student journalists.

DEADLINE TUESDAY, April 30, at midnight.

APPLICATION for 2024 Brodsky Prize

2023 Winners

Coe-Brown Northwood and Hollis-Brookline Seniors Share Sixth Annual Brodsky Prize

Three Additional NH Students Honored for Excellence in High School Journalism 

Manchester, NH – Samuel Marcotte, a senior at Coe-Brown Northwood Academy and Aiden Barker, a Hollis-Brookline senior are the co-winners of first place honors for the 2023 Brodsky Prize, recognizing journalistic excellence by high school students.

Co-winners Marcotte and Barker will use their $2,500 awards to attend college—Marcotte to  study economics and journalism at Saint Anselm College, and Barker to study journalism and graphic design at Northeastern University. Both expressed gratitude for the Prize and their enthusiasm for future journalism studies. “I am beyond honored to receive this award as it demonstrates not only my passion for journalism, but also the hard work I've put into every one of my journalism pieces, from newspaper articles, to social media posts, to podcast episodes. I will use this award to help further my education,” said Barker. Marcotte added, "I am extremely grateful and excited to be given this award. This scholarship will go directly to my college education where I will use my opportunities to improve my writing skills. My love of learning is why I wish to become a journalist. This prize will allow me to be that much closer to my dream career."

There were three additional 2023 Brodsky Prize recipients. Second-place winner Michael Blair of Manchester Central High was awarded $1,000. Two finalists received $100 each: Madison Harressey, Pinkerton Academy, and Vick Mahindru, Manchester High School West.

Judging criteria for The Brodsky Prize includes a student's journalistic initiative and enterprise, as well as what Jeffrey Brodsky calls "a contrarian nature and out-of-the-box thinking." The Brodsky Prize was created five years ago by Jeffrey Brodsky, who was co-editor of his high school newspaper, The Little Green, at Manchester Central High School during the early 1990s. He hopes to encourage “boldness and innovation” by a new generation of student journalists.Jeffrey Brodsky started The Brodsky Prize in 2018 to honor, encourage and reward high school journalists around the state. In 2015, Columbia University also established the Jeffrey H. Brodsky Oral History Award to honor future generations of journalists and historians in conducting innovative and outstanding research. With this year’s announcement, “We have awarded more than $50,000 to truly outstanding high school and collegiate journalists,” Brodsky said.

The Brodsky prize is open to all New Hampshire public and parochial high school students. Longtime judges are Howard Brodsky, Jeffrey's father, and Chairman of CCA Global Partners; Misbah Tahir, the former Little Green co-editor, now a biotechnology finance executive; former Union Leader and NH Sunday News president and publisher Joseph McQuaid, and Leah Todd Lin, New England regional manager of the Solutions Journalism Network. The Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications helps oversee the award program and provides one of the judges, Executive Director Laura Simoes.

THE Brodsky Prize Award CRITERIA

Who is eligible?

High school students who live in New Hampshire and attend public, charter or parochial schools. Students who live in a neighboring state, but attend a NH School, are also eligible.

Entry criteria:

Judges will consider a student’s journalistic initiative and enterprise, contrarian nature and out-of- the-box thinking, as well as other journalistic attributes such as spelling and grammar, attention-getting lead, fairness and accuracy and whether the entry clearly explains the issue it covers.

Entry requirements:

• Please respond to the following questions in essay format (up to 1000 words each):

  • How will new media technologies change the future of news and information? What role have you played or could you play in that change?

  • Solutions Journalism means rigorous reporting of responses to problems. How could you apply a Solutions Journalism approach to covering news in your community? (Learn more at https://loebschool.org/solutions-journalism-lab).

• Please tell us how you would use The Brodsky Prize award to further your journalistic studies or efforts (up to 200 words).

• Please submit three examples of your student journalism work, with at least two examples having been published in a school-run publication, having been used as part of your school’s communications, or printed/broadcast by a local news outlet.

Submission deadline: TUESday, April 30

Student journalists are asked to submit examples of their work and respond to an application.

SUBMIT HERE

Questions?
loebschool@loebschool.org
WITH Subject line: Brodsky Prize

Past Winners

Souhegan High School Senior Siera Biddle was The First-Place Winner Of The 2022 Brodsky Prize, Recognizing Journalistic Excellence By High School Students.

"I vividly remember more than 30 years ago, when my son Jeffrey was co-editor of his school newspaper, and the innovative mind-set and action he showed as top editor of the publication. I look back fondly on the impact the newspaper had on his life at the time. I’m proud that The Brodsky Prize continues Jeff’s passion for journalism,” said Howard Brodsky, Prize cofounder and a member of the judging committee.

Judging criteria for The Brodsky Prize includes a student's journalistic initiative and enterprise, as well as what Jeffrey Brodsky calls "a contrarian nature and out-of-the-box thinking." The Brodsky Prize was created four years ago by Jeffrey Brodsky, who was co-editor of his high school newspaper, The Little Green, at Manchester Central High School during the early 1990s. He hopes to encourage “boldness and innovation” by a new generation of student journalists.

Jeffrey Brodsky started The Brodsky Prize in 2018 to honor, encourage and reward high school journalists around the state. In 2015, Columbia University also established the Jeffrey H. Brodsky Oral History Award to honor future generations of journalists and historians in conducting innovative and outstanding research. With this year’s announcement, “We have awarded more than $50,000 to truly outstanding high school and collegiate journalists,” Brodsky said.

First place winner Biddle will use her $5,000 award to attend college to study English, with a focus on both creative writing and journalism.  In her submission essay, Biddle wrote about the impact of Covid on high school students’ mental health and submitted examples of her school journalism, both reporting opinion on topics as varied as women in sports, popular entertainment, and interviews with fellow students. Her work has appeared in Souhegan High School’s Literary Magazine, The Claw, and her local newspaper, The Monadnock Ledger-Transcript. “I am so honored to have received this award, as journalism has been a huge part of my life throughout high school, and it feels amazing to be recognized for something I am so passionate about,” added Biddle.

Including Biddle, there were seven 2022 Brodsky Prize recipients. Second-place winner Emily Bisson of Manchester Central High was awarded $1,000. Third-place winner Samantha Autumn of Pinkerton Academy was awarded $500. Four finalists received $100 each: Matthew Blair, Manchester Central High; Kathryn Craig, Manchester Central High; Rachel Phinney, Pembroke High School and Emily Polsin, Pembroke High School.

Gilford High School senior Serena Pugh was the first place winner of the 2021 Brodsky Prize, recognizing journalistic excellence and “out of the box” thinking by high school journalists. 

Pugh used her award to attend Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts at The New School in New York, with a focus on Journalism and Design. In her submission essay, Pugh wrote, “I realized journalism was my ideal career path when I saw all the craziness that 2020 had to bring and how journalists helped in diverse ways. Whether it was the election, COVID-19, the BLM protests, our environmental issues, or just staying connected with your community, journalism was the way we were all able to remain informed and almost together, while still being socially distant.”

In addition to Pugh, there were an additional four prize recipients in 2021. Finalists in Second Place (tie): Eve Brown-Ryder of Manchester Memorial and Zachary Rioux, of Bishop Guertin, Nashua. Third Place Finalists (tie): Tyler Hughes of Winnacunnet High School, Hampton, and Daisy Macdonald of Hinsdale High School. The total 2021 awards were $10,200, the highest in the Brodsky Prize’s four year history. Judging criteria included a student's journalistic initiative and enterprise, as well as what Brodsky calls "a contrarian nature and out-of-the-box thinking." Since many school newspapers have been challenged by the Covid pandemic, this year’s Brodsky Prize focused on student responses to essay questions, using a Solutions Journalism lens.   

Bedford High School senior Emma Rosenbaum was the winner of the 2020 Brodsky Prize, a $5,000 cash award that recognizes journalistic excellence and “out of the box” thinking by high school journalists. Rosenbaum, then 18, was the founder and editor-in-chief of The Runaway Bulldog, an independent, student-run news source for Bedford High School, and alternative outlet to the school newspaper. 

She started her news source two years ago, after community outrage about Bedford High went unreported by the official, student-run newspaper. “I knew the school newspaper would not cover the issue because it avoids controversial topics. Reading inflammatory parent comments on social media finally pushed me to act. I founded my own newspaper, independent from the school.”  The Runaway Bulldog now spans three online platforms and receives about 1000 readers each week.

Rosenbaum used some of the prize money to support the online news source in the coming year. She also used the award to help meet future college expenses at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. 

In her submission essay, Rosenbaum wrote, “This paper transformed my life. It gave me a sense of direction. It gave me the confidence to talk to and call out anyone. It taught me the discipline of releasing content once a week, no matter what was going on in my life.”

2019: CARLEY CRAIN & EAMONN RYAN

Central High School student journalists Eamonn Ryan and Carley Crain are sharing the 2019 Brodsky Prize, a $5,000 cash award that recognizes journalistic excellence and “out of the box” thinking by high school journalists.

Ryan, a junior, is editor-in-chief of Central’s The Little Green newspaper. Crain, a senior, was sports editor this year. Both said they will use some of their prize to support the Little Green next year.

In addition, Ryan said he will use his award to help meet future college expenses as he pursues a journalism career.

“Every moment I spend in the computer lab when the deadline is near and I’m stressed, brings me a little closer to achieving my goal of becoming a journalist,” he wrote in his scholarship essay. “Through this publication I have found myself, and to it, I owe everything.

Crain will use her share of the award as she attends Springfield College, majoring in sports journalism and communications.

“Writing for The Little Green has helped me develop my sense of style, and I have been able to voice my opinions and express my love for sports,” she wrote. “I have also learned important principles, the power of hard work and determination, and the value of my voice.”

Ryan’s winning entry included a story about student activism and a column highlighting student safety at Central. Crain included a commentary about how Central’s sports teams struggle with scheduling and the condition of facilities they use for practice and competition.

Brodsky Prize judges felt the student journalists were equally deserving of this year’s award because they confidently presented strong opinions, backed by research, on topics that are relevant, timely and important to their school and the community.

2018: MONERICKA SEMERAN

From the New Hampshire Union Leader: 

Semeran has been writing for The Little Green newspaper at Central since her freshman year, serving as co-editor in-chief this school year, concentrating on editorials and commentary.

“The Little Green has taught me that opinions have teeth, that facts are meant to be unalterable, and that nothing is as important to development of the self as the development of the Voice,” Semeran wrote in an essay accompanying her Brodsky Prize entry. “Through working for the paper, I have developed principles, learned what it truly means to give your all to something, and I have been lucky enough to witness the fruits of my labor every month when we publish an issue.” She will use her award to support Central’s student newspaper and to help with her college expenses as she attends Vassar College in the fall to study International Relations and write for the college newspaper.

Semeran’s entry consisted of three opinion columns in which she denounced author Michael Wolff’s Fire and Fury, one of the first books about the Trump administration’s White House; took on the controversy over NFL players kneeling during the National Anthem; and decried “normalizing” neo-Nazism.

She is donating $1000 of her award to The Little Green, enough to finance two issues in the next school year. Brodsky Prize judges felt Semeran’s work showed she confidently presented strong opinions, backed by research, on a variety of relevant, timely and important issues facing all of us.

Past Awards and The Brodsky Family

In the Union Leader

The NH Sunday News

Foster’s

U.S. News & World Report

Eagle Tribune

The Caledonian Record

The Washington Times

Read MORE about The Brodsky Prize and our namesake

The Nashua Telegraph LINK / pdf

The Union Leader LINK / pdf

The Concord Monitor LINK / pdf