Terry Gross to receive 2026 Paul White Award
Terry Gross, the longtime host and co-executive producer of “Fresh Air with Terry Gross & Tonya Mosley,” will be honored as the 2026 recipient of the Radio Television Digital News Association’s Paul White Award.
The Paul White Award, named for the first news director of CBS, is RTDNA’s highest honor, presented annually to recognize a lifetime of achievement and service to the journalism profession.
“Few journalists have shaped the art of the interview quite like Terry Gross,” said RTDNA President and CEO Tara Puckey. “For decades, she has brought extraordinary curiosity, preparation and empathy to conversations that have helped audiences better understand the people, ideas and stories shaping our world. Her remarkable body of work embodies the lifetime of achievement the Paul White Award was created to honor.”
Since 1956, honorees have included Edward R. Murrow, Walter Cronkite, Barbara Walters and Ted Koppel. Gross will be recognized at the 2026 Edward R. Murrow Awards Gala on Oct. 12 in New York City.
“Terry Gross has set a standard for interviewing that generations of journalists have learned from and aspired to,” RTDNA Chair Blaise Labbe said. “Her remarkable ability to combine rigorous preparation with genuine curiosity and empathy has produced some of the most memorable conversations in journalism. She is an extraordinary choice for RTDNA’s highest honor.”
“Fresh Air with Terry Gross & Tonya Mosley” is nationally syndicated program produced by WHYY-FM and distributed by NPR. During her 50-year tenure, Gross has helped make “Fresh Air” one of the country’s most respected interview programs.
Under Gross’ leadership, “Fresh Air” has grown from a local radio program into a global phenomenon, reaching listeners in more than 200 countries and territories and drawing more than 6 million listeners each week across broadcast radio and podcasts. The program has received Peabody and Peabody Institutional awards and was named one of Time magazine’s “100 Greatest Podcasts of All Time.”
Over the course of her career, Gross has become known for in-depth conversations with some of the most influential figures in culture, journalism, politics and public life. Her interviews are distinguished by extensive preparation, thoughtful questioning and an ability to draw out revealing conversations about her guests’ lives and work.
Gross’ honors include the Edward R. Murrow Award, the National Humanities Medal presented by President Barack Obama, the Literarian Award presented at the 2007 National Book Awards ceremony and induction into the Radio Hall of Fame. In 2026, she also received iHeartMedia’s Audio Pioneer Award.
She is the author of “All I Did Was Ask,” a collection of “Fresh Air” interviews that brings together conversations from throughout her career.
For five decades, Gross’ work has demonstrated the power of thoughtful, curious interviewing to help audiences better understand the people and ideas shaping the world around them.