Pulitzer Prize

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Pulitzer Prize
Awarded for	Excellence in newspaper journalism, literary achievements, and musical composition
Presented by	Columbia University
Country	United States
First awarded	1917
Official website	http://www.pulitzer.org/

The Pulitzer Prize  /ˈpʊlɨtsər/^[1] is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American (Hungarian-born) publisher Joseph Pulitzer in the year 1917 and is administered by Columbia University in New York City. Prizes are awarded yearly in twenty-one categories. In twenty of these, each winner receives a certificate and a US$10,000 cash award.^[2] The winner in the public service category of the journalism competition is awarded a gold medal, which always goes to a newspaper, although an individual may be named in the citation.

Entry and prize consideration

The Pulitzer Prize does not automatically evaluate all applicable works in the media, but only those that have been entered with a $50 entry fee^[3] (one per desired entry category). Entries must fit in at least one of the specific prize categories, and cannot simply gain entrance on the grounds of having general literary or compositional properties.^[3] Works can also only be entered into a maximum of two prize categories, regardless of their properties.

Each year, 102 judges are selected^{[by whom?]} to "serve on 20 separate juries" for the 21 award categories (one jury for both photography awards). Most of the juries consist of five members, except for those of "public service, investigative reporting, beat reporting, feature writing and commentary categories", which have seven members.^[4] For each award category, a jury makes three nominations. The board selects the winner by majority vote from the nominations or bypass the nominations and select a different entry with a 75% majority vote. The board can also vote no award. The board gets no compensation for its work. The jurors in letters, music, and drama get a $2000 honorarium for the year, while each chair gets $2500.^[4]

The difference between entrants and nominated finalists

Anyone whose work has been submitted is called an "entrant". The jury selects a small group of "nominated finalists" and announces them together with the winner for each category.

History

Newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer gave money in his will to Columbia University to start a journalism school and establish the Prize. $250,000 was allocated to the prize and scholarships.^[5] He specified "four awards in journalism, four in letters and drama, one in education, and four traveling scholarships."^[4] After his death, the first Pulitzer Prizes were awarded June 4, 1917; they are now announced each April.

Recipients

Individuals

Recipients of the Pulitzer Prize include:

• President John F. Kennedy for Biography
• John Steinbeck, Margaret Mitchell, Alfred Chandler, Saul Bellow, Ernest Hemingway, Eudora Welty, Harper Lee, William Faulkner, Upton Sinclair, Toni Morrison for Fiction
• Roger Ebert for Criticism
• Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Stephen Sondheim and Jonathan Larson for Drama
• Alice Walker for The Color Purple, Cormac McCarthy for The Road, and David Mamet for Glengarry Glen Ross

Recipients of multiple Pulitzer Prizes include:

• Four awards:
  • Robert Frost
  • Eugene O'Neill (two of the awards were in a four-year period)
  • Carol Guzy (for photography)
• Three awards:
  • Edwin Arlington Robinson
  • Archibald MacLeish
  • Thomas L. Friedman for International Reporting and Commentary
  • John Steinbeck
  • Edward Albee
  • Thorton Wilder (once in the Novel category and twice in Drama)
  • Robert Penn Warren (once for Fiction and twice for Poetry)
  • Carl Sandburg (once for Biography and twice for Poetry)
• Two awards:
  • Robert Caro for Biography
  • David McCullough
  • Robert Lowell for Poetry
  • Gene Weingarten for Feature Writing (twice (2008 and 2010) in a three-year period)
  • Margaret Leech for History
  • August Wilson for Drama
  • Barbara W. Tuchman for General Non-Fiction
  • Norman Mailer for Fiction and Non-Fiction
  • William Faulkner
  • John Updike
  • Gian Carlo Menotti for music composition
  • Samuel Barber for music composition
  • Elliot Carter for music composition
  • Booth Tarkington for Novel (twice in a four-year period)

Newspapers

The prize for Public Service is awarded to newspapers. Awards for journalism categories such as General News Reporting may be awarded to individuals or newspapers or newspaper staffs.^{[citation needed]}

Categories

The Pulitzer Prizes

Joseph Pulitzer    •    Pulitzers by year Pulitzer winners

Journalism:

Public Service Breaking News Reporting Investigative Reporting Explanatory Reporting Local Reporting National Reporting International Reporting Feature Writing Commentary Criticism Editorial Writing Editorial Cartooning Breaking News Photography Feature Photography

Letters and drama:

Biography or Autobiography Fiction Drama History Poetry General Non-Fiction

Other prizes:

Music Special Citations and Awards

Awards are made in categories relating to newspaper journalism, arts, and letters and fiction. Only published reports and photographs by United States-based newspapers or daily news organizations are eligible for the journalism prize. Beginning in 2007, "an assortment of online elements will be permitted in all journalism categories except for the competition's two photography categories, which will continue to restrict entries to still images."^[6] In December 2008 it was announced that for the first time content published in online-only news sources would be considered.^[7]

The current Pulitzer Prize category definitions in the 2008 competition, in the order they are awarded, are:

• Public Service – for a distinguished example of meritorious public service by a newspaper through the use of its journalistic resources, which may include editorials, cartoons, and photographs, as well as reporting. Often thought of as the grand prize, the Public Service award is given to the newspaper, not to individuals, though individuals are often mentioned for their contributions.
• Breaking News Reporting – for a distinguished example of local reporting of breaking news.
• Investigative Reporting – for a distinguished example of investigative reporting by an individual or team, presented as a single newspaper article or series.
• Explanatory Reporting – for a distinguished example of explanatory newspaper reporting that illuminates a significant and complex subject, demonstrating mastery of the subject, lucid writing, and clear presentation.
• Local Reporting – for a distinguished example of local newspaper reporting that illuminates significant issues or concerns.^[6]
• National Reporting – for a distinguished example of newspaper reporting on national affairs.
• International Reporting – for a distinguished example of newspaper reporting on international affairs, including United Nations correspondence.
• Feature Writing – for a distinguished example of newspaper feature writing giving prime consideration to high literary quality and originality.
• Commentary – for distinguished commentary.
• Criticism – for distinguished criticism.
• Editorial Writing – for distinguished editorial writing, the test of excellence being clarity of style, moral purpose, sound reasoning, and power to influence public opinion in what the writer perceives to be the right direction.
• Editorial Cartooning – for a distinguished cartoon or portfolio of cartoons published during the year, characterized by originality, editorial effectiveness, quality of drawing, and pictorial effect.
• Breaking News Photography, previously called Spot News Photography – for a distinguished example of breaking news photography in black and white or color, which may consist of a photograph or photographs, a sequence, or an album.
• Feature Photography – for a distinguished example of feature photography in black and white or color, which may consist of a photograph or photographs, a sequence, or an album.

There are six categories in letters and drama:

• Fiction – for distinguished fiction by an American author, preferably dealing with American life.
• Drama – for a distinguished play by an American playwright, preferably original in its source and dealing with American life.
• History – for a distinguished book on the history of the United States.
• Biography or Autobiography – for a distinguished biography or autobiography by an American author.
• Poetry – for a distinguished volume of original verse by an American poet.
• General Non-Fiction – for a distinguished book of non-fiction by an American author that is not eligible for consideration in any other category.

There is one prize given for music:

• Pulitzer Prize for Music – for a distinguished musical contribution by an American that had its first performance or recording in the United States during the year.

There have also been a number of Special Citations and Awards.

In addition to the prizes, Pulitzer travelling fellowships are awarded to four outstanding students of the Graduate School of Journalism as selected by the faculty.

Board

The 19-member board consists mostly of major newspaper editors and executives, along with four academics including the president of Columbia University and the dean of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. The administrator and the dean cannot vote. The board elects its own members for a three-year term (excluding the dean and the administrator). Members of the board and the juries are selected with close attention "given to professional excellence and affiliation, as well as diversity in terms of gender, ethnic background, geographical distribution and size of newspaper." Each year, the chair rotates to the most senior member.^[8] The board makes all prize decisions.^[4]

The 2009–2010 board members were:^[9]

• Danielle Allen, Professor, Departments of Classics and Political Science and the Committee on Social Thought, University of Chicago
• Jim Amoss, Editor, The Times-Picayune, New Orleans, Louisiana
• Randell Beck, President and Publisher, Argus Leader Media, Sioux Falls, SD
• Amanda Bennett, Executive Editor/Enterprise, Bloomberg News
• Lee Bollinger, President, Columbia University
• Kathleen Carroll, Executive Editor and Senior Vice President, Associated Press
• Joyce Dehli, Vice President for News, Lee Enterprises
• Thomas Friedman, Columnist, The New York Times
• Paul Gigot, Editorial Page Editor, The Wall Street Journal
• Sig Gissler, Administrator, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
• Anders Gyllenhaal, Executive Editor, The Miami Herald
• David M. Kennedy, Donald J. McLachlan Professor of History, Stanford University
• Nicholas Lemann, Dean, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
• Ann Marie Lipinski, former Senior Vice President and Editor (2001–2008), Chicago Tribune
• Gregory Moore, Editor, The Denver Post
• Paul Tash, Editor, CEO, and Chairman, St. Petersburg Times
• Jim VandeHei, Executive Editor and Co-founder, Politico
• Keven Ann Willey, Vice President/Editorial Page Editor, Dallas Morning News

Discontinued awards

Over the years, awards have been discontinued either because the field of the award has been expanded to encompass other areas, the award been renamed because the common terminology changed, or the award has become obsolete, such as the prizes for telegraphic reporting, which was based on the old technology of the telegram.

An example of a writing field that has been expanded was the former Pulitzer Prize for the Novel, which has been changed to the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, which also includes short stories, novellas, novelettes, and fictional poetry, as well as novels.

To find, for example, all the winners for investigative reporting, you have to also look back at the prize for local investigative specialized reporting, which previously was the prize for local reporting, no edition time.

Discontinued or merged categories include:

• Pulitzer Prize for Reporting, 1917–1947.
• Pulitzer Prize for Correspondence, 1929–1947.
• Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Journalism, became the Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting.
• Pulitzer Prize for General News Reporting, 1985–1990, became the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting.
• Pulitzer Prize for Local General or Spot News Reporting, 1964–1984, became the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting.
• Pulitzer Prize for Local Investigative Specialized Reporting, 1964–1984, became the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting.
• Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting, Edition Time, 1953–1963, became the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting.
• Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting, No Edition Time, 1953–1963, became the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting.
• Pulitzer Prize for Photography, was divided in 1968 into Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography and a spot news category, which became the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography.
• Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Reporting, 1991–1997, became the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting.
• Pulitzer Prize for Telegraphic Reporting - International, became the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting.
• Pulitzer Prize for Telegraphic Reporting - National, became the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting.
• Pulitzer Prize for Specialized Reporting 1985–1990, became the Pulitzer Prize for Beat Reporting.
• Pulitzer Prize for Beat Reporting, 1991–2006; replaced by the reinstituted Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting^[6]
• Pulitzer Prize for the Novel, became the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

Brief chronology of renamings, splittings, and introductions

1917: + Biography or Autobiography; + History; + Editorial Writing; + Reporting

1918: + Novel; + Drama; + Public Service

1922: + Poetry; + Editorial Cartooning

1929: + Correspondence

1942: + Photography; + Telegraphic Reporting—National; + Telegraphic Reporting—International

1943: + Music

1948: − Correspondence; − Novel + Fiction; − Reporting + Local reporting; − Telegraphic Reporting—National + National Reporting; − Telegraphic Reporting—International + International Reporting

1953: − Local reporting + Local Reporting, Edition Time; + Local Reporting, No Edition Time

1962: + General Non-Fiction

1964: − Local Reporting, Edition Time + Local General or Spot News Reporting; − Local Reporting, No Edition Time + Local Investigative Specialized Reporting

1968: − Photography; + Feature Photography; + Spot News Photography

1970: + Commentary; + Criticism

1979: + Feature Writing

1985: − Local General or Spot News Reporting + General News Reporting; − Local Investigative Specialized Reporting; + Investigative Reporting; + Specialized Reporting; + Explanatory Journalism

1991: − General News Reporting + Spot News Reporting; − Specialized Reporting + Beat Reporting

1998: − Spot News Reporting + Breaking News Reporting; − Explanatory Journalism + Explanatory Reporting

2000: − Spot News Photography + Breaking News Photography

2007: − Beat Reporting + Local reporting

Controversies

• Calls for revocation of journalist Walter Duranty's 1932 Pulitzer Prize
• Call for revocation of journalist William L. Laurence's 1946 Pulitzer Prize
• The other 11 members of the Pulitzer Prize board overturning the nomination committee's unanimous endorsement of Gravity's Rainbow for the 1974 Fiction Award, resulting in no prize awarded that year.
• Forfeiture of Janet Cooke's 1981 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing for fabricating the story.

Criticism

Some critics of the Pulitzer Prize have accused the organization of favoring those who support liberal causes or oppose conservative causes. Syndicated columnist L. Brent Bozell said that the Pulitzer Prize has a "liberal legacy", particularly in its prize for commentary.^[10] He pointed to a 31-year period in which only five conservatives won prizes for commentary. The claim is also supported by a statement from the 2010 Pulitzer Prize winner for commentary, Kathleen Parker: "It's only because I'm a conservative basher that I'm now recognized."^[11]

See also

• List of Pulitzer Prizes awarded to The New York Times
• National Magazine Awards

References

• Auxier, George W. (March 1940). "Middle Western Newspapers and the Spanish American War, 1895–1898". Mississippi Valley Historical Review (Organization of American Historians) 26 (4): 523. doi:10.2307/1896320. JSTOR 1896320. 

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