Tia Mitchell, a 2001 graduate of FAMU's School of Journalism & Graphic Communication, has been named the recipient of the Gwen Ifill Award by the Washington Government Relations Group, an honor recognizing journalistic excellence and a commitment to mentoring the next generation of reporters.
Mitchell is the Washington Bureau Chief for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where she directs coverage of Congress, presidential politics and the federal policies affecting Georgia. She is also a frequent political analyst on CNN and other national television networks.
Named for the late PBS anchor and pioneering journalist Gwen Ifill, the award recognizes journalists whose work exemplifies professional excellence while investing in future generations of the profession. Mitchell has long championed young journalists through the National Association of Black Journalists, where she previously led the organization's Political Task Force and helped shape programming for its national conventions.
Her path to Washington began in Florida newsrooms. After graduating from FAMU, Mitchell joined The Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville in 2002, covering beats that ranged from public safety to city government. She later moved to the Tampa Bay Times, reporting from its Tallahassee bureau on health care, higher education and state politics before returning to The Florida Times-Union as Statehouse Bureau Chief.
Mitchell joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2017 as a DeKalb County government reporter before moving to the political beat, where she covered Georgia's rapidly evolving political landscape, including Stacey Abrams' historic 2018 gubernatorial campaign. She was promoted to Washington correspondent in 2019 and later became the newspaper's Washington Bureau Chief.
Beyond the newsroom, Mitchell has become one of the country's most recognizable political journalists. She regularly appears on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, NPR and C-SPAN, where she has served as a guest host of Washington Journal. She also co-hosts the Politically Georgia podcast and radio program, helping explain the political forces shaping state and national affairs.
Mitchell's leadership extends throughout the journalism profession. She is a member of the Gridiron Club and serves on the board of the Washington Press Club Foundation, organizations dedicated to advancing excellence in political reporting.
Mitchell's latest honor adds another distinguished chapter to the stellar impact of the FAMU journalism program and its dedication to educate ethically, visionary, and socially responsible communication leaders guided by the First Amendment ready to serve local communities and on the national media landscape.