Vivian Wang Awarded Osborn Elliott Prize

Vivian Wang, a China correspondent for The New York Times, has won the Osborn Elliott Prize for Excellence in Journalism on Asia. The award, given by the Asia Society, recognized a series of stories by Vivian that examined the contradictions of everyday existence in China, where ordinary people contend with the pressures of living in a society dominated by technological ambitions and fueled by nationalism.

The series included an interactive that documented the state's sustained effort to suppress the public outcry and activism around a woman who had been found chained to a shed. It also included a story from Shanghai, where a chaotic lockdown during the pandemic continued to cast a shadow over the lives of residents, and a story about the challenges older workers face in trying to get work. The jury chair, Marcus Brauchli, described Vivian's detailed approach as a "poignant and important counterpoint to the narrative emanating from Beijing of China as the new superpower."

"Vivian's work in China has been revelatory, showing the world some of the complexity and humanity going on there behind the great-power maneuvers that are dominating the news," said Douglas Schorzman, the Asia editor for The Times. "She consistently kept up her brave and impactful journalism despite unreasonable pressure from the Chinese authorities."

The award is named for Osborn Elliott, former editor in chief of Newsweek.