RTDNA Foundation honors Karen DeWitt with Lifetime Achievement Award

The RTDNA Foundation will honor longtime New York political reporter Karen DeWitt with the Lifetime Achievement Award, joining a group of honorees at the 34th annual First Amendment Awards.

The event will be held March 6 at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C., and honors journalists and news organizations for their dedication to upholding the First Amendment and their commitment to a free press.

The RTDNA Foundation selected DeWitt for this honor, stating: “State political reporting is critically important to a functioning American democracy, and few in the country did it better than Karen DeWitt. For decades, she served the people of New York by challenging politicians in Albany and holding them accountable for their votes, their words, and their actions. Karen set a high bar for statehouse reporting in the United States.”

DeWitt is the former Capitol Bureau Chief for the New York Public News Network, a collaboration among 13 radio stations across New York State. She was also a regular contributor to the statewide public TV show, New York Now.

She retired in June after 34 years in public radio. 

Throughout her long career, she covered the changing fortunes of the Cuomos — both Mario and Andrew — the fall of Eliot Spitzer, the election of former First Lady Hillary Clinton to the U.S. Senate, and the election of the state’s first female governor. 

She now writes a regular column for the Albany Times Union.

Register Now for the 2025 First Amendment Awards

The RTDNA Foundation will be announcing all First Amendment Award honorees over the next couple weeks. The First Amendment Awards will be held March 6 at The Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C.