Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting
Encyclopedia
The Pulitzer Prize
for Investigative Reporting has been awarded since 1953, under one name or another, for a distinguished example of investigative reporting by an individual or team, presented as a single article or series in print journalism. It is administered by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
in New York City.
From 1953 through 1963, the category was known as The Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting, No Edition Time. From 1964 to 1984, it was known as The Pulitzer Prize for Local Investigative Specialized Reporting.
The Pulitzer Committee issues an official citation explaining the reasons for the award.
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
for Investigative Reporting has been awarded since 1953, under one name or another, for a distinguished example of investigative reporting by an individual or team, presented as a single article or series in print journalism. It is administered by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism is one of Columbia's graduate and professional schools. It offers three degree programs: Master of Science in journalism , Master of Arts in journalism and a Ph.D. in communications...
in New York City.
From 1953 through 1963, the category was known as The Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting, No Edition Time. From 1964 to 1984, it was known as The Pulitzer Prize for Local Investigative Specialized Reporting.
The Pulitzer Committee issues an official citation explaining the reasons for the award.
Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting, No Edition Time
- 1953: Edward J. Mowery, New York World-Telegram & Sun, "for his reporting of the facts which brought vindication and freedom to Louis Hoffner."
- 1954: Alvin Scott McCoy, The Kansas City StarThe Kansas City StarThe Kansas City Star is a McClatchy newspaper based in Kansas City, Missouri, in the United States. Published since 1880, the paper is the recipient of eight Pulitzer Prizes...
, "for a series of exclusive stories which led to the resignation under fire of C. Wesley RobertsC. Wesley RobertsCharles Wesley Roberts was a Kansas businessman who was Chairman of the Republican National Committee for four months in 1953 under Dwight D. Eisenhower....
as Republican National Chairman." - 1955: Roland Kenneth Towery, Cuero Record (Texas), "for his series of articles exclusively exposing a scandal in the administration of the Veterans' Land Program in Texas. This 32-year-old World War II veteran, a former prisoner of the Japanese, made these irregularities a state-wide and subsequently a national issue, and stimulated state action to rectify conditions in the land program."
- 1956: Arthur Daley, The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, "for his outstanding coverage and commentary on the world of sports in his daily column, Sports of the Times." - 1957: Wallace TurnerWallace TurnerWallace Turner was an American journalist and government administrator. A native of Florida, he won a Pulitzer Prize in 1957 while working for The Oregonian in Portland, Oregon...
and William Lambert, Portland Oregonian, "for their expose of vice and corruption in Portland involving some municipal officials and officers of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Warehousemen and Helpers of AmericaTeamstersThe International Brotherhood of Teamsters is a labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of several local and regional locals of teamsters, the union now represents a diverse membership of blue-collar and professional workers in both the public and private sectors....
, Western Conference. They fulfilled their assignments despite great handicaps and the risk of reprisal from lawless elements." - 1958: George BeveridgeGeorge D. BeveridgeGeorge D. Beveridge was an American Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist praised for his coverage of the Washington, DC politics, government, and regional development, and described by the Washington Post as an expert on this city and a keen observer and critic of journalistic ethics and...
, Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), "for his excellent and thought-provoking series, "Metro, City of Tomorrow," describing in depth the urban problems of Washington, D.C., which stimulated widespread public consideration of these problems and encouraged further studies by both public and private agencies." - 1959: John Harold BrislinJohn Harold BrislinJohn Harold Brislin was an American journalist. and a reporter for the Scranton Tribune in Scranton, Pennsylvania.-Awards:* 1959 Pulitzer Prize "Local reporting, no edition time"...
, Scranton Tribune and Scrantonian, "for displaying courage, initiative and resourcefulness in his effective four-year campaign to halt labor violence in his home city, as a result of which ten corrupt union officials were sent to jail and a local union was embolden to clean out racketeering elements." - 1960: Miriam Ottenberg, Evening StarWashington StarThe Washington Star, previously known as the Washington Star-News and the Washington Evening Star, was a daily afternoon newspaper published in Washington, D.C. between 1852 and 1981. For most of that time, it was the city's newspaper of record, and the longtime home to columnist Mary McGrory and...
(Washington, D.C.), "for a series of seven articles exposing a used-car racket in Washington, D.C., that victimized many unwary buyers. The series led to new regulations to protect the public and served to alert other communities to such sharp practices." - 1961: Edgar May, Buffalo Evening News, "for his series of articles on New York State's public welfare services entitled, Our Costly Dilemma, based in part on his three-month employment as a state case worker. The series brought about reforms that attracted nation-wide attention."
- 1962: George BlissGeorge William BlissGeorge William Bliss was a Pulitzer Prize-winning Journalist for the Chicago Tribune. He won a Pulitzer prize for investigative journalism and was associated with two others:...
, Chicago TribuneChicago TribuneThe Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, "for his initiative in uncovering scandals in the Metropolitan Sanitary District of Greater Chicago, with resultant remedial action." - 1963: Oscar Griffin, Jr., Pecos Independent and Enterprise, "who as editor initiated the exposure of the Billie Sol EstesBillie Sol EstesBillie Sol Estes is an American former financier best known for his association with U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson. Mr. Estes currently lives in Granbury, Texas.-Fraud charges:...
scandal and thereby brought a major fraud on the United States government to national attention with resultant investigation, prosecution and conviction of Estes."
Pulitzer Prize for Local Investigative Specialized Reporting
- 1964: James V. Magee, Albert V. Gaudiosi and Frederick MeyerFrederick MeyerFrederick Heinrich Wilhelm Meyer , was an art educator prominent in the Arts and Crafts movement in the San Francisco Bay Area.-Early years:...
, Philadelphia BulletinPhiladelphia BulletinFor the 2004 resurrection of the Bulletin, see The Bulletin .The Philadelphia Bulletin was a daily evening newspaper published from 1847 to 1982 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was the largest circulation newspaper in Philadelphia for 76 years and was once the largest evening newspaper in the...
, "for their expose of numbers racket operations with police collusion in South PhiladelphiaSouth PhiladelphiaSouth Philadelphia, nicknamed South Philly, is the section of Philadelphia bounded by South Street to the north, the Delaware River to the east and south, and the Schuylkill River to the west.-History:...
, which resulted in arrests and a cleanup of the police department." - 1965: Gene Goltz, Houston PostHouston PostThe Houston Post was a newspaper that had its headquarters in Houston, Texas, United States. In 1995, the newspaper was absorbed into the Houston Chronicle.-History:The newspaper was established on February 19, 1880, by Gail Borden Johnson...
, "for his expose of government corruption Pasadena, Texas, which resulted in widespread reforms." - 1966: John Anthony Frasca, Tampa Tribune, "for his investigation and reporting of two robberies that resulted in the freeing of an innocent man."
- 1967: Gene MillerGene MillerGene Miller was a longtime investigative reporter at The Miami Herald who won two Pulitzer Prizes for reporting that helped save innocent men on Florida's Death Row from execution. He was also a legendary editor, mentoring generations of young reporters in how to write crisp, direct, and...
, Miami Herald, "for initiative and investigative reporting that helped to free two persons wrongfully convicted of murder." - 1968: J. Anthony LukasJ. Anthony LukasJay Anthony Lukas, aka J. Anthony Lucas , was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American journalist and author, probably best known for his 1985 book Common Ground: A Turbulent Decade in the Lives of Three American Families, a classic study of race relations and school busing in Boston, Massachusetts, as...
, The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, "for the social document he wrote in his investigation of the life and the murder of Linda Fitzpatrick." - 1969: Albert L. Delugach and Denny Walsh, St. Louis Globe-DemocratSt. Louis Globe-DemocratThe St. Louis Globe-Democrat was originally a daily print newspaper based in St. Louis, Missouri from 1852 until 1986...
, "for their campaign against fraud and abuse of power within the St. Louis Steamfitters UnionUnited AssociationThe United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing, Pipefitting and Sprinkler Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada, commonly known as the United Association is a trade union of journeymen and apprentices of the plumbing, pipefitting, and sprinkler fitting industry of...
, Local 562." - 1970: Harold Eugene Martin, Montgomery Advertiser and Alabama Journal, "for his expose of a commercial scheme for using Alabama prisoners for drug experimentation and obtaining blood plasma from them."
- 1971: William Jones, Chicago TribuneChicago TribuneThe Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, "for exposing collusion between police and some of Chicago's largest private ambulance companies to restrict service in low income areas, leading to major reforms." - 1972: Timothy Leland, Gerard M. O'Neill, Stephen A. Kurkjian and Ann Desantis, Boston Globe, "for their exposure of widespread corruption in Somerville, MassachusettsSomerville, MassachusettsSomerville is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located just north of Boston. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 75,754 and was the most densely populated municipality in New England. It is also the 17th most densely populated incorporated place in...
." - 1973: The Sun Newspapers Of Omaha, "for uncovering the large financial resources of Boys Town, NebraskaBoys Town, NebraskaBoys Town is a village in Douglas County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 818 at the 2000 census. Boys Town is a suburb of Omaha.The village of Boys Town was established as the headquarters of the Boys Town organization, also known as "Father Flanagan's Boys' Home", founded by Father...
, leading to reforms in this charitable organization's solicitation and use of funds contributed by the public." - 1974: William Sherman, New York Daily NewsNew York Daily NewsThe Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
, "for his resourceful investigative reporting in the exposure of extreme abuse of the New York MedicaidMedicaidMedicaid is the United States health program for certain people and families with low incomes and resources. It is a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the state and federal governments, and is managed by the states. People served by Medicaid are U.S. citizens or legal permanent...
program." - 1975: Indianapolis Star, "for its disclosures of local police corruption and dilatory law enforcement, resulting in a cleanup of both the Police Department and the office of the County Prosecutor."
- 1976: Staff of Chicago TribuneChicago TribuneThe Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, "for uncovering widespread abuses in Federal housing programs in Chicago and exposing shocking conditions at two private Chicago hospitals." - 1977: Acel Moore and Wendell Rawls, Jr.Wendell Rawls, Jr.Wendell Lee Rawls, Jr. is a Pulitzer Prize winning investigative reporter and editor. His career spans 40 years in journalism and media, beginning in 1967 at The Tennessean. -Life:...
, The Philadelphia InquirerThe Philadelphia InquirerThe Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the...
, "for their reports on conditions in the Farview (Pa.) State Hospital for the mentally ill." - 1978: Anthony R. DolanAnthony R. DolanAnthony R. Dolan is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and was the principal speechwriter for President Ronald Reagan from March 1981 until the end of Reagan's second term in 1989...
, Stamford Advocate, "for a series on municipal corruption." - 1979: Gilbert M. GaulGilbert M. GaulGilbert M. Gaul is an American journalist.He won the 1979 Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting, and 1990 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service...
and Elliot G. Jaspin, Pottsville Republican (Pennsylvania), "for stories on the destruction of the Blue Coal Company by men with ties to organized crime." - 1980: Stephen A. Kurkjian, Alexander B. Hawes Jr., Nils Bruzelius, Joan Vennochi and Robert M. Porterfield, Boston Globe, "for articles on Boston's transit system."
- 1981: Clark Hallas and Robert B. Lowe, Arizona Daily StarArizona Daily StarThe Arizona Daily Star is the major morning daily newspaper that serves Tucson and surrounding districts of southern Arizona in the United States. The paper was purchased by Pulitzer in 1971; Lee Enterprises bought Pulitzer in 2005....
, "for their investigation of the University of Arizona Athletic DepartmentArizona Wildcats-Athletic program:The University of Arizona participates in the NCAA's Division I-A in the Pacific-12 Conference Arizona participates in the conference's South Division, along with Arizona State, Colorado, UCLA, USC, and Utah...
." - 1982: Paul HendersonPaul Henderson (journalist)Paul Henderson III is an American journalist and private investigator who won the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting in 1982 as a reporter for The Seattle Times....
, Seattle Times, "for reporting which proved the innocence of a man convicted of rape." - 1983: Loretta TofaniLoretta TofaniLoretta Tofani is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American journalist.-Life:Tofani earned a bachelor’s degree from Fordham University in 1975 and a master’s degree in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley...
, The Washington PostThe Washington PostThe Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, "for her investigation of rape and sexual assault in the Prince George's County, MarylandPrince George's County, MarylandPrince George's County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland, immediately north, east, and south of Washington, DC. As of 2010, it has a population of 863,420 and is the wealthiest African-American majority county in the nation....
Detention Center." - 1984: Kenneth Cooper, Joan Fitz Gerald, Jonathan Kaufman, Norman Lockman, Gary McMillan, Kirk Scharfenberg and David Wessel, Boston Globe, "for their series examining race relations in Boston, a notable exercise in public service that turned a searching gaze on some the city's most honored institutions including the Globe itself."
Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting
- 1985: Lucy Morgan and Jack Reed, St. Petersburg TimesSt. Petersburg TimesThe St. Petersburg Times is a United States newspaper. It is one of two major publications serving the Tampa Bay Area, the other being The Tampa Tribune, which the Times tops in both circulation and readership. Based in St...
(Florida), "for their thorough reporting on Pasco County Sheriff John Short, which revealed his department's corruption and led to his removal from office by voters." - 1985: William K. Marimow, The Philadelphia InquirerThe Philadelphia InquirerThe Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the...
, "for his revelation that city police dogs had attacked more than 350 people - an exposure that led to investigations of the K-9 unit and the removal of a dozen officers from it." - 1986: Jeffrey A. Marx and Michael M. York, Lexington Herald-LeaderLexington Herald-LeaderThe Lexington Herald-Leader is a newspaper owned by The McClatchy Company and based in the U.S. city of Lexington, Kentucky. According to the 1999 Editor & Publisher International Yearbook, the Herald-Leaders paid circulation is the second largest in the Commonwealth of Kentucky...
(Kentucky), "for their series 'Playing Above the Rules,' which exposed cash payoffs to University of Kentucky basketballKentucky Wildcats men's basketballThe Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team, representing the University of Kentucky, is the winningest in the history of college basketball, both in all-time wins and all-time winning percentage. Kentucky's all-time record currently stands at 2058–647...
players in violation of NCAANational Collegiate Athletic AssociationThe National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
regulations. However, the UK basketball program did little to reform itself in the wake of the articles; true reform would not come until the program was involved in another cash-for-recruits scandal three years later." - 1987: Daniel R. Biddle, H.G. BissingerH. G. BissingerHarry Gerard Bissinger III, also known as H. G. Bissinger and Buzz Bissinger , is an American journalist and author, best known for his non-fiction book Friday Night Lights.-Early life and education:...
, and Fredric N. Tulsky, The Philadelphia InquirerThe Philadelphia InquirerThe Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the...
, "for their series 'Disorder in the Court,' which revealed transgressions of justice in the Philadelphia court systemPhiladelphia Municipal CourtThe Philadelphia Municipal Court handles matters of limited jurisdiction as well as landlord-tenant disputes, appeals from traffic court, preliminary hearings for felony-level offenses, and misdemeanor criminal trials...
and led to federal and state investigations." - 1988: Dean BaquetDean BaquetDean P. Baquet is an American journalist, who on June 2, 2011 was named to become managing editor for news operations of The New York Times effective September 6....
, William C. Gaines, and Ann Marie LipinskiAnn Marie LipinskiAnn Marie Lipinski is a journalist and the curator of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard. She is the former editor of the Chicago Tribune and Vice President for Civic Engagement at the University of Chicago...
, Chicago TribuneChicago TribuneThe Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, "for their detailed reporting on the self-interest and waste that plague Chicago's City CouncilChicago City CouncilThe Chicago City Council is the legislative branch of the government of the City of Chicago in Illinois. It consists of 50 aldermen elected from 50 wards to serve four-year terms...
." - 1989: Bill DedmanBill DedmanBill Dedman, an American journalist, is an investigative reporter for news site msnbc.com and a recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting....
, Atlanta Journal and ConstitutionThe Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionThe Atlanta Journal-Constitution is the only major daily newspaper in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, and its suburbs. The AJC, as it is called, is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is the result of the merger between The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta...
, "for his investigation of the racial discrimination practiced by lending institutions in Atlanta, reporting which led to significant reforms in those policies." - 1990: Lou Kilzer and Chris Ison, Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune, "for reporting that exposed a network of local citizens who had links to members of the St. Paul fire department and who profited from fires, including some described by the fire department itself as being of suspicious originArsonArson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
." - 1991: Joseph T. HallinanJoseph HallinanJoseph T. "Joe" Hallinan is an award-winning journalist and author. He has written extensively on the criminal justice system in the United States.While a journalist with the Indianapolis Star he and Susan M...
and Susan M. Headden, The Indianapolis StarThe Indianapolis StarThe Indianapolis Star is a morning daily newspaper that began publishing on June 6, 1903. It has won the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting twice, in 1975 and 1991. It is currently owned by the Gannett Company.-History:...
, "for their shocking series on medical malpractice in the state." - 1992: Lorraine AdamsLorraine AdamsLorraine Adams is an American journalist, and novelist.She was a staff writer for the Washington Post, and the Dallas Morning News.She lives in Washington, D.C.-Awards:* 2010 Guggenheim Fellowship* 2006 VCU First Novelist Award...
and Dan MaloneDan MaloneDanny Frank Malone is a United States journalist and a Pulitzer Prize winner for investigative reporting. Malone currently works for the Fort Worth Weekly, an alternative newspaper....
, The Dallas Morning NewsThe Dallas Morning NewsThe Dallas Morning News is the major daily newspaper serving the Dallas, Texas area, with a circulation of 264,459 subscribers, the Audit Bureau of Circulations reported in September 2010...
, "for reporting that charged Texas police with extensive misconduct and abuses of power." - 1993: Jeff BrazilJeff BrazilJeff Brazil is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American journalist, writer, and editor who received, along with fellow journalist Steve Berry, the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Journalism in 1993 for a series of articles published in the Orlando Sentinel on unjust and racially motivated traffic stops...
and Steve BerryStephen Berry (journalist)Stephen J. Berry is an investigative journalist. In 1993, he and Jeff Brazil won the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting for a report in The Orlando Sentinel exposing a sheriff department drug squad's unlawful seizure of millions of dollars from motorists, mostly minorities...
, Orlando SentinelOrlando SentinelThe Orlando Sentinel is the primary newspaper of the Orlando, Florida region. It was founded in 1876. The Sentinel is owned by Tribune Company and is overseen by the Chicago Tribune. As of 2005, the Sentinel’s president and publisher was Kathleen Waltz; she announced her resignation in February 2008...
(Florida), "for exposing the unjust seizure of millions of dollars from motorists - most of them minorities - by a sheriff's drug squad." - 1994: Providence Journal-BulletinThe Providence JournalThe Providence Journal, nicknamed the ProJo, is a daily newspaper serving the metropolitan area of Providence, Rhode Island and is the largest newspaper in Rhode Island. The newspaper, first published in 1829 and the oldest continuously-published daily newspaper in the United States, was purchased...
(Rhode Island) staff, "for thorough reporting that disclosed pervasive corruption within the Rhode Island court system." - 1995: Stephanie Saul and Brian DonovanBrian DonovanBrian Donovan is an anime and cartoon voice actor residing in the U.S. state of California. As of 2011, he voices Rock Lee in Naruto Shippuden & is the voice of recurring character Salty in Alpha and Omega.- Animation/Anime Roles :...
, NewsdayNewsdayNewsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
, "for their stories that revealed disability pension abuses by local police." - 1996: The Orange County RegisterThe Orange County RegisterThe Orange County Register is a daily newspaper published in Santa Ana, California. The Register is the flagship publication of Freedom Communications, Inc., which publishes 28 daily newspapers, 23 weekly newspapers, Coast magazine, and several related Internet sites.The Register is notable for its...
staff, "for reporting that uncovered fraudulent and unethical fertility practices at a leading research university hospital and prompted key regulatory reforms." - 1997: Eric NalderEric NalderEric Nalder is an American investigative journalist.He graduated from the University of Washington, with a BA in 1968.He writes for the website SeattlePI.com, and is senior enterprise reporter for Hearst Newspapers.-Awards:...
, Deborah Nelson, and Alex TizonAlex TizonTomas Alex Tizon is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, a former national correspondent for the Los Angeles Times and long-time staff writer for The Seattle Times. He has contributed to Newsweek and 60 Minutes, and he has lectured at Harvard University, the University of California, Berkeley and...
, The Seattle TimesThe Seattle TimesThe Seattle Times is a newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, US. It is the largest daily newspaper in the state of Washington. It has been, since the demise in 2009 of the printed version of the rival Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle's only major daily print newspaper.-History:The Seattle Times...
, for their investigation of widespread corruption and inequities in the federally-sponsored housing program for Native Americans, which inspired much-needed reforms. - 1998: Gary CohnGary Cohn (journalist)Gary Cohn is an American journalist.With Will Englund, he won the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting.He won the 1997 George Polk Award.-Life:He is a native of Pleasantville, New York....
and Will EnglundWill EnglundWilliam A. Englund is a foreign correspondent, for the Washington Post.He was the recipient of the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting for his work on the shipbreaking industry.-Life:...
, The Baltimore SunThe Baltimore SunThe Baltimore Sun is the U.S. state of Maryland’s largest general circulation daily newspaper and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries....
, "for their compelling series on the international shipbreaking industry that revealed the dangers posed to workers and the environment when discarded ships are dismantled." - 1999: The Miami Herald staff, "for its detailed reporting that revealed pervasive voter fraud in a city mayoral election that was subsequently overturned."
- 2000: Sang-Hun Choe, Charles J. Hanley, and Martha Mendoza, Associated PressAssociated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, "for a report on the killings of Korean civilians by American soldiersNo Gun Ri massacreNo Gun Ri Massacre was an incident during the Korean War in which an undetermined number of South Korean civilians were killed by soldiers of the U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment between July 26 and July 29, 1950 near the village of No Gun Ri...
in the early days of the Korean WarKorean WarThe Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
." - 2001: David WillmanDavid WillmanDavid Willman is a Pulitzer Prize winning investigative journalist.-Life:He graduated from San Jose State University with a B.A. in Journalism in 1978....
, Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, "for his pioneering exposé of seven unsafe prescription drugs that had been approved by the Food and Drug AdministrationFood and Drug AdministrationThe Food and Drug Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments...
, and an analysis of the policy reforms that had reduced the agency's effectiveness." - 2002: Sari HorwitzSari HorwitzSari Horwitz is a Pulitzer-Prize winning member of The Washington Post's investigation unit. A reporter for The Washington Post since 1984, she has covered crime, homeland security, federal law enforcement, education, and social services.-Career:...
, Scott HighamScott HighamScott Higham is a Pulitzer Prize-winning member of The Washington Post's investigations unit. He has conducted numerous investigations for the news organization, including an examination of abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison, and waste and fraud in Homeland Security contracting...
, and Sarah CohenSarah Cohen (journalist)Sarah Cohen is an American journalist, and Knight Professor of the Practice of Journalism and Public Policy, at Duke University.She won the 2009 Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting, and 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting.-Life:...
, The Washington PostThe Washington PostThe Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, "for a series that exposed the District of Columbia's role in the neglect and death of 229 children placed in protective care between 1993 and 2000, which prompted an overhaul of the city's child welfare system." - 2003: Clifford J. LevyClifford J. LevyClifford J. Levy is an investigative journalist for The New York Times.Levy is a graduate of New Rochelle High School and Princeton University in 1989....
, The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, "for his vivid, brilliantly written series 'Broken Homes' that exposed the abuse of mentally ill adults in state-regulated homes." - 2004: Michael D. SallahMichael D. SallahMichael D. Sallah is a Pulitzer Prize- winning American investigative journalist from Toledo, Ohio.-Life:He graduated from St. John's Jesuit High School and the University of Toledo, where he obtained his undergraduate degree in journalism....
, Joe MahrJoe MahrJoe Mahr is an American investigative journalist, who won the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting.-Life:He was born in Genoa, Ohio and attended Genoa Area High School and the Honors Tutorial College at Ohio University, where he obtained his undergraduate degree in journalism.In 2004,...
, and Mitch WeissMitch WeissMitchell S. Weiss is an American investigative journalist, and editor of the Charlotte Observer. He won the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting, with Joe Mahr and Michael D. Sallah.-Life:...
, Toledo Blade, "for a series on atrocities by the Tiger ForceTiger ForceTiger Force was a task force of the United States Army, 1st Battalion , 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade , 101st Airborne Division, which fought in the Vietnam War....
during the Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
." - 2005: Nigel JaquissNigel JaquissNigel Jaquiss is an American journalist who won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting, for his work exposing former Governor of Oregon Neil Goldschmidt's sexual abuse of a 14-year-old girl while he was mayor of Portland, Oregon...
of Willamette WeekWillamette WeekWillamette Week is an alternative weekly newspaper published in Portland, Oregon, United States. It features reports on local news, politics, sports, business and culture....
, Portland, OregonPortland, OregonPortland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, "for his investigation exposing former governor Neil GoldschmidtNeil GoldschmidtNeil Edward Goldschmidt is an American businessman and former Democratic politician from Oregon who held local, state, and federal offices over three decades. After serving as the governor of Oregon, Goldschmidt is widely considered the most influential figure in the state's politics, both as an...
's long concealed sexual misconductSexual misconductSexual misconduct is misconduct of a sexual nature. The term may be used to condemn an act, but in some jurisdictions it has also a legal meaning....
with a 14-year-old girl." - 2006: Susan SchmidtSusan SchmidtSusan Schmidt is an investigative reporter with the Wall Street Journal. She is best known for her work at The Washington Post, where she worked from 1983 until recently. While at the Post, she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting in 2006, for her probe into and exposure of...
, James V. GrimaldiJames V. GrimaldiJames V. Grimaldi is an investigative reporter with the Washington Post and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting in 2006.He attended the University of Missouri at Columbia and became a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity....
and R. Jeffrey SmithR. Jeffrey SmithR. Jeffrey Smith is a reporter at the Washington Post and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting in 2006.Smith was a senior writer from 1977 to 1986 for Science magazine and he won two Science in Society Journalism Awards during that period. Afterward, his career has developed...
of The Washington PostThe Washington PostThe Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, "for their indefatigable probe of Washington lobbyist Jack AbramoffJack AbramoffJack Abramoff is an American former lobbyist and businessman. Convicted in 2006 of mail fraud and conspiracy, he was at the heart of an extensive corruption investigation that led to the conviction of White House officials J. Steven Griles and David Safavian, U.S. Representative Bob Ney, and nine...
that exposed congressional corruption and produced reform efforts." - 2007: Brett BlackledgeBrett BlackledgeBrett J. Blackledge is a reporter for The Associated Press in Washington D.C.. While working for The Birmingham News, he won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting for a series on alleged nepotism and cronyism in Alabama's two-year college system.Blackledge was born in Baton Rouge,...
of The Birmingham NewsThe Birmingham NewsThe Birmingham News is the principal daily newspaper for Birmingham, Alabama, United States, and the largest newspaper in Alabama. The paper is owned by Advance Publications...
, "for his exposure of cronyism and corruption in the state's two-year college system, resulting in the dismissal of the chancellor and other corrective action." - 2008: (Two winning newspapers) Walt BogdanichWalt BogdanichWalt Bogdanich is an American investigative journalist.-Life:Bogdanich graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1975 with a degree in political science...
and Jake HookerJake Hooker (journalist)Jake Hooker is an American journalist and recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting for investigations done while in China...
of The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, "for their stories on toxic ingredients in medicine and other everyday products imported from China, leading to crackdowns by American and Chinese officials." Staff of The Chicago Tribune, "for its exposure of faulty governmental regulation of toys, car seats and cribs, resulting in the extensive recall of hazardous products and congressional action to tighten supervision." - 2009: David BarstowDavid Barstow-Life:Born in Boston, he received a bachelor's degree from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism in 1986. Barstow has worked for The New York Times since 1999, and has been an investigative reporter there since 2002.He worked for The St...
of The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, for his tenacious reporting that revealed how some retired generals, working as radio and television analysts, had been co-opted by the Pentagon to make its case for the war in Iraq, and how many of them also had undisclosed ties to companies that benefited from policies they defended." - 2010: Barbara LakerBarbara LakerBarbara Laker is an American journalist for the Philadelphia Daily News. She won with Wendy Ruderman the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting.-Life:She grew up in Kent, England.She immigrated when she was 12....
and Wendy RudermanWendy RudermanWendy Ruderman is an American journalist for the Philadelphia Daily News. She won with Barbara Laker the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting.-Life:She was raised in Cherry Hill, New Jersey....
of the Philadelphia Daily NewsPhiladelphia Daily NewsThe Philadelphia Daily News is a tabloid newspaper that serves Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The newspaper is owned by Philadelphia Media Holdings which also owns Philadelphia's other major newspaper The Philadelphia Inquirer. The Daily News began publishing on March 31, 1925, under...
and Sheri FinkSheri FinkDr. Sheri Fink is an American journalist and a reporter on subjects covering health, medicine and science. Her articles appeared in a number of high profiled publications such as the New York Times, Discover and Scientific American.-Life:...
of ProPublicaProPublicaProPublica is a non-profit corporation based in New York City. It describes itself as an independent non-profit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest. In 2010 it became the first online news source to win a Pulitzer Prize, for a piece written by one of its...
, in collaboration with The New York Times MagazineThe New York Times MagazineThe New York Times Magazine is a Sunday magazine supplement included with the Sunday edition of The New York Times. It is host to feature articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors...
. Laker and Ruderman won for "their resourceful reporting that exposed a rogue police narcotics squad, resulting in an FBI probe and the review of hundreds of criminal cases tainted by the scandal", Fink for "a story that chronicles the urgent life-and-death decisions made by one hospital’s exhausted doctors when they were cut off by the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina." - 2011: Paige St. JohnPaige St. JohnPaige St. John is a American journalist for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. St. John was awarded the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting, the Herald Tribunes first: -Life:...
of the Sarasota Herald-TribuneSarasota Herald-TribuneThe Sarasota Herald-Tribune is a daily newspaper located in Sarasota, Florida.It is owned by The New York Times Company, who purchased it in 1982, and part of its regional news group. Along with Comcast, the newspaper operates a local 24-hour...
, "for her examination of weaknesses in the murky property-insurance system vital to Florida homeowners, providing handy data to assess insurer reliability and stirring regulatory action."
See also
- duPont-Columbia AwardDuPont-Columbia AwardThe Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award is an American award that honors excellence in broadcast journalism. The awards, administered since 1968 by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York City, are considered a broadcast equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize, another...
(for broadcast journalism) - Investigative Reporters and Editors AwardInvestigative Reporters and EditorsInvestigative Reporters and Editors, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that focuses on the quality of investigative reporting. Formed in 1975, it presents the IRE Awards and holds conferences and training classes for journalists. Its headquarters is in Columbia, Missouri, at the University of...
(for all media) - George Polk AwardsGeorge Polk AwardsThe George Polk Awards in Journalism are a series of American journalism awards presented annually by Long Island University in New York in the United States.-History:...
(American journalism) - Walkley AwardsWalkley AwardsThe annual Walkley Awards, under the administration of the Walkley Foundation for Journalism, are presented in Australia to recognise and reward excellence in journalism. Finalists are chosen by an independent board of eminent journalists and photographers. The awards cover all media including...
(Australian journalism)