Who does Politico secretly think it is?
Ernest Borgnine? Carol Burnett? Robert Redford? George Burns? Ricardo Montalbon?
All these actors have won Screen Guild life achievement awards. Two are still alive.
But nearly 10-year-old Politico hardly seems out of its infancy, much less an elderly statesman of the news industry.
Nevertheless, the company is out with a release Wednesday stating that it has won a Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Journalism from the Missouri School of Journalism.
“They’re too young to get this award,” a media industry insider told The Mirror. “They’re practically in diapers. Except they’re filled with more shit than most diapers can handle.”
The press release is so regal.
“Last evening, POLITICO was awarded the prestigious Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism. Medalists are selected by the faculty of the School on the basis of lifetime or superior achievement in journalism. POLITICO Executive Editor Peter Canellos accepted the award on POLITICO’s behalf.”
Never missing a chance to inflate itself, Politico‘s Executive Editor Peter Canellos remarked, “POLITICO’s team of reporters has provided our readers unparalleled coverage on everything 2016, and we’re pleased to be recognized for our breaking news reports and in depth coverage.”
But some journalists viewed the whole thing differently.
Other reactions from the media peanut gallery to The Mirror:
“The only award anything ten years old deserves is first place for a crappy volcano model at the science fair.”
“Wait… people still read Politico?”
“Don’t they usually give out lifetime achievement awards when the recipient’s prime is over? And possibly near dead?”
As if he was receiving an Olympic medal, Canellos had the award around his neck. (See below.)
At least according to the University of Missouri, Politico is now in a league with these other outstanding previous award winners: Tom Brokaw, Christiane Amanpour, Sir Winston Churchill, Gloria Steinem, Deborah Howell, David Granger and Gordon Parks.
To be fair, the publication has reached a level of success that could be envied by other publications around town. They have employed journalists who have moved on to such esteemed news entities as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, MSNBC and CNN.
In the past year they’ve also lost their old guard in Jim VandHei, Roy Schwartz, Danielle Jones, Kim Kingsley and Mike Allen.
