Suffolk Reporter

Sarah Baxter, director of the Marie Colvin Center for International Reporting, has been recognized as a finalist for a national journalism award in the United Kingdom. She is among six nominees for the Media Freedom Award in the category of Commentator of the Year – Popular, thanks to her weekly column on American politics published in the London Standard.

The Standard highlighted Baxter's influence during this year's presidential election, stating that she "has become a must-read in the run-up to the U.S. election and her knowledge, clarity and freshness of writing have won her a transatlantic audience."

Laura Lindenfeld, dean of the School of Communication and Journalism and executive director of the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science, praised Baxter's storytelling skills: “Sarah’s extraordinary ability to get and tell vitally important stories is matched only by her deep compassion and empathy for those whose stories she tells. Her ability to get beyond her own opinions and record and share accurately the perspectives of others inspires her students and her readers alike. We are so lucky to have her.”

Since 2022, Baxter has led the Colvin Center while serving as a visiting professor at Stony Brook University. The center focuses on training students in international journalism while honoring Marie Colvin, an international war correspondent who died in Syria in 2012.

Baxter's career spans over two decades covering American politics. Her work includes reporting on significant events such as the September 11 attacks, multiple presidential elections, Emmett Till’s murder anniversary, Canadian residential schools' mass graves discovery, and Greece's efforts to reclaim the Parthenon Marbles from Britain—a story that earned her recognition from Greece with a Gold Cross Order of Beneficence.

The Media Freedom Awards are presented by the Society of Editors to honor "excellence in public interest and campaigning journalism across the breadth of the UK news media industry." This organization supports press freedom while acknowledging those advocating for democracy and free speech.