May 8, 2026
Martha “Marty” Steffens, a professor at the University of Missouri School of Journalism, has been named the 2026 recipient of the Distinguished Achievement Award from the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing (SABEW), the organization’s highest individual honor.
Established in 1993, the award recognizes individuals who have made a significant impact on the field of business journalism and who have served as a nurturing influence on others in the profession.
“Marty has spent more than two decades bringing the Missouri Method to business journalism classrooms and newsrooms around the world,” Dean David Kurpius of the Missouri School of Journalism said. “This recognition from SABEW reflects the lasting impact she has had on her students and on the profession.”
Steffens holds the SABEW endowed chair in business and financial journalism and joined the Mizzou faculty in 2002 after a career leading major American newsrooms, including serving as executive editor of the San Francisco Examiner and in senior editing roles at the Los Angeles Times. She is retiring from Mizzou this year.
Her teaching is grounded in the Missouri Method. Students in her classes analyze live financial data, report on earnings in real time and engage directly with industry leaders. Many of her graduates now work at Reuters, Bloomberg, CNBC and other leading national outlets.
Steffens has also organized student reporting trips to New York, Seattle, Austin and other media hubs, offering students direct access to newsrooms and industry networks.
“This recognition means a great deal to me because it reflects the work my students and those SABEW members in my training sessions have gone on to do,” Steffens said. “Business journalism, at its best, holds power to account and helps people understand the forces shaping their lives. From any workshop or class that I teach, I hope that my students leave Missouri ready to ask better questions, follow the money, and report with both rigor and courage.”
Steffens will be recognized at the SABEW annual conference in Philadelphia in May.
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