Journalist Ellen Schultz received the 2012 New York Public Library Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism for her recent book, Retirement Heist:How Companies Plunder and Profit from the Nest Eggs of American Workers. An impressive, investigative work detailing corporate greed, the book chronicles how workers pensions are depleted by companies to pay for company restructuring and entitlements for their CEOs. The award was presented by Library President Tony Marx and Selection Committee Chair James F. Hoge at a reception in the Trustees Room at the Library’s Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on June 5th. (press release)
2012 finalists for the Bernstein Award Included: Pirates of Somalia by Jay Bahadur, Killing the Cranes by Edward Girardet, Moby Duck by Donovan Hohn, and Counterstrike by Eric Schmitt and Thom Shanker.
The Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism was established in 1987 through a gift from Joseph Frank Bernstein, in honor of journalist Helen Bernstein (now Helen Bernstein Fealy). The award is given annually to a journalist whose work has brought public attention to important issues and includes a $15,000 cash prize. Other past Bernstein Award winners include Shane Harris, David Finkel, Jane Mayer, Lawrence Wright, Charlie Savage and Dana Priest.
