Journalism

Pulitzer Prize Winners, Public Service

(retrieved directly from the Pulitzer.org database)

• 2011 Los Angeles Times: For its exposure of corruption in the small California city of Bell where officials tapped the treasury to pay themselves exorbitant salaries, resulting in arrests and reforms.
• 2010 Bristol (VA) Herald Courier: For the work of Daniel Gilbert in illuminating the murky mismanagement of natural-gas royalties owed to thousands of land owners in southwest Virginia, spurring remedial action by state lawmakers.
• 2009 Las Vegas Sun, and notably the courageous reporting by Alexandra Berzon: For the exposure of the high death rate among construction workers on the Las Vegas Strip amid lax enforcement of regulations, leading to changes in policy and improved safety conditions.
• 2008 The Washington Post: For the work of Dana Priest, Anne Hull and photographer Michel du Cille in exposing mistreatment of wounded veterans at Walter Reed Hospital, evoking a national outcry and producing reforms by federal officials.
• 2007 The Wall Street Journal: For its creative and comprehensive probe into backdated stock options for business executives that triggered investigations, the ouster of top officials and widespread change in corporate America.
• 2006 The Times-Picayune, New Orleans: For its heroic, multi-faceted coverage of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, making exceptional use of the newspaper's resources to serve an inundated city even after evacuation of the newspaper plant.
• 2006 Sun Herald, Biloxi-Gulfport: For its valorous and comprehensive coverage of Hurricane Katrina, providing a lifeline for devastated readers, in print and online, during their time of greatest need.
• 2005 Los Angeles Times: For its courageous, exhaustively researched series exposing deadly medical problems and racial injustice at a major public hospital.
• 2004 The New York Times: For the work of David Barstow and Lowell Bergman that relentlessly examined death and injury among American workers and exposed employers who break basic safety rules.
• 2003 The Boston Globe: For its courageous, comprehensive coverage of sexual abuse by priests, an effort that pierced secrecy, stirred local, national and international reaction and produced changes in the Roman Catholic Church.
• 2002 The New York Times: For "A Nation Challenged," a special section published regularly after the September 11th terrorist attacks on America, which coherently and comprehensively covered the tragic events, profiled the victims, and tracked the developing story, locally and globally.
• 2001 The Oregonian, Portland: For its detailed and unflinching examination of systematic problems within the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, including harsh treatment of foreign nationals and other widespread abuses, which prompted various reforms.
• 2000 The Washington Post: For the work of Katherine Boo that disclosed wretched neglect and abuse in the city's group homes for the mentally retarded, which forced officials to acknowledge the conditions and begin reforms.
• 1999 The Washington Post: For its series that identified and analyzed patterns of reckless gunplay by city police officers who had little training or supervision.
• 1998 Grand Forks (ND) Herald: For its sustained and informative coverage, vividly illustrated with photographs, that helped hold its community together in the wake of flooding, a blizzard and a fire that devastated much of the city, including the newspaper plant itself.
• 1997 The Times-Picayune, New Orleans: For its comprehensive series analyzing the conditions that threaten the world's supply of fish.
• 1996 The News & Observer, Raleigh, NC: Ffor the work of Melanie Sill, Pat Stith and Joby Warrick on the environmental and health risks of waste disposal systems used in North Carolina's growing hog industry.
• 1995 The Virgin Islands Daily News: For its disclosure of the links between the region's rampant crime rate and corruption in the local criminal justice system. The reporting, largely the work of Melvin Claxton, initiated political reforms.
• 1994 Akron Beacon Journal: For its broad examination of local racial attitudes and its subsequent effort to promote improved communication in the community.
• 1993 The Miami Herald: For coverage that not only helped readers cope with Hurricane Andrew's devastation but also showed how lax zoning, inspection and building codes had contributed to the destruction.
• 1992 The Sacramento (CA) Bee: For "The Sierra in Peril," reporting by Tom Knudson that examined environmental threats and damage to the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California.
• 1991 Des Moines Register: For reporting by Jane Schorer that, with the victim's consent, named a woman who had been raped --which prompt widespread reconsideration of the traditional media practice of concealing the identity of rape victims.
• 1990 Washington (NC) Daily News: For revealing that the city's water supply was contaminated with carcinogens, a problem that the local government had neither disclosed nor corrected over a period of eight years.
• 1990 The Philadelphia Inquirer: For reporting by Gilbert M. Gaul that disclosed how the American blood industry operates with little government regulation or supervision.
• 1989 Anchorage Daily News: For reporting about the high incidence of alcoholism and suicide among native Alaskans in a series that focused attention on their despair and resulted in various reforms.
• 1988 The Charlotte Observer: For revealing misuse of funds by the PTL television ministry through persistent coverage conducted in the face of a massive campaign by PTL to discredit the newspaper.
• 1987 The Pittsburgh Press: For reporting by Andrew Schneider and Matthew Brelis, which revealed the inadequacy of the FAA's medical screening of airline pilots and led to significant reforms.
• 1986 The Denver Post: For its in-depth study of "missing children," which revealed that most are involved in custody disputes or are runaways, and which helped mitigate national fears stirred by exaggerated statistics.
• 1985 Fort Worth (TX) Star-Telegram: For reporting by Mark J. Thompson which revealed that nearly 250 U.S. servicemen had lost their lives as a result of a design problem in helicopters built by Bell Helicopter -a revelation which ultimately led the Army to ground almost 600 Huey helicopters pending their modification.
• 1984 Los Angeles Times: For an in-depth examination of southern California's growing Latino community by a team of editors and reporters.
• 1983 Jackson (MS) Clarion-Ledger: For its successful campaign supporting Governor Winter in his legislative battle for reform of Mississippi's public education system.
• 1982 The Detroit News: For a series by Sydney P. Freedberg and David Ashenfelter which exposed the U.S. Navy's cover-up of circumstances surrounding the deaths of seamen aboard ship and which led to significant reforms in naval procedures.
• 1981 Charlotte (NC) Observer: For its series on "Brown Lung: A Case of Deadly Neglect."
• 1980 Gannett News Service: For its series on financial contributions to the Pauline Fathers.
• 1979 Point Reyes Light, a California weekly: For its investigation of Synanon.
• 1978 The Philadelphia Inquirer: For a series of articles showing abuses of power by the police in its home city.
• 1977 Lufkin (TX) News: For an obituary of a local man who died in Marine training camp, which grew into an investigation of that death and a fundamental reform in the recruiting and training practices of the United States Marine Corps.
• 1976 Anchorage Daily News: For its disclosures of the impact and influence of the Teamsters Union on Alaska's economy and politics.
• 1975 The Boston Globe: For its massive and balanced coverage of the Boston school desegregation crisis.
• 1974 Newsday, Garden City, NY: For its definitive report on the illicit narcotic traffic in the United States and abroad, entitled, "The Heroin Trail."
• 1973 The Washington Post: For its investigation of the Watergate case.
• 1972 The New York Times: For the publication of the Pentagon Papers.
• 1971 Winston-Salem (NC) Journal and Sentinel: For coverage of environmental problems, as exemplified by a successful campaign to block strip mining operation that would have caused irreparable damage to the hill country of northwest North Carolina.
• 1970 Newsday, Garden City, NY: For its three-year investigation and exposure of secret land deals in eastern Long Island, which led to a series of criminal convictions, discharges and resignations among public and political officeholders in the area.
• 1969 Los Angeles Times: For its expose of wrongdoing within the Los Angeles City Government Commissions, resulting in resignations or criminal convictions of certain members, as well as widespread reforms.
• 1968 Riverside (CA) Press-Enterprise: For its expose of corruption in the courts in connection with the handling of the property and estates of an Indian tribe in California, and its successful efforts to punish the culprits.
• 1967 Milwaukee Journal: For its successful campaign to stiffen the law against water pollution in Wisconsin, a notable advance in the national effort for the conservation of natural resources.
• 1967 Louisville Courier-Journal: For its successful campaign to control the Kentucky strip mining industry, a notable advance in the national effort for the conservation of natural resources.
• 1966 The Boston Globe: For its campaign to prevent confirmation of Francis X Morrissey as a Federal District Judge in Massachusetts.
• 1965 Hutchinson (KS) News: For its courageous and constructive campaign, culminating in 1964, to bring about more equitable reapportionment of the Kansas Legislature, despite powerful opposition in its own community.
• 1964 St. Petersburg (FL) Times: For its aggressive investigation of the Florida Turnpike Authority which disclosed widespread illegal acts and resulted in a major reorganization of the State's road construction program.
• 1963 Chicago Daily News: For calling public attention to the issue of providing birth control services in the public health programs in its area.
• 1962 Panama City (FL) News-Herald: For its three-year campaign against entrenched power and corruption, with resultant reforms in Panama City and Bay County.
• 1961 Amarillo (TX) Globe-Times: For exposing a breakdown in local law enforcement with resultant punitive action that swept lax officials from their posts and brought about the election of a reform slate. The newspaper thus exerted its civic leadership in the finest tradition of journalism.
• 1960 Los Angeles Times: For its thorough, sustained and well-conceived attack on narcotics traffic and the enterprising reporting of Gene Sherman, which led to the opening of negotiations between the United States and Mexico to halt the flow of illegal drugs into southern California and other border states.
• 1959 Utica (NY) Observer-Dispatch and Utica Daily Press: For their successful campaign against corruption, gambling and vice in their home city and the achievement of sweeping civic reforms in the face of political pressure and threats of violence. By their stalwart leadership of the forces of good government, these newspapers upheld the best tradition of a free press.
• 1958 Arkansas Gazette, Little Rock, AR: For demonstrating the highest qualities of civic leadership, journalistic responsibility and moral courage in the face of great public tension during the school integration crisis of 1957. The newspaper's fearless and completely objective news coverage, plus its reasoned and moderate policy, did much to restore calmness and order to an overwrought community, reflecting great credit on its editors and its management.
• 1957 Chicago Daily News: For determined and courageous public service in exposing a $2,500,000 fraud centering in the office of the State Auditor of Illinois, resulting in the indictment and conviction of the State Auditor and others. This led to the reorganization of State procedures to prevent a recurrence of the fraud.
• 1956 Watsonville (CA) Register-Pajaronian: For courageous exposure of corruption in public office, which led to the resignation of a district attorney and the conviction of one of his associates.
• 1955 Columbus (GA) Ledger and Sunday Ledger-Enquirer: For its complete news coverage and fearless editorial attack on widespread corruption in neighboring Phenix City, Ala., which were effective in destroying a corrupt and racket-ridden city government. The newspaper exhibited an early awareness of the evils of lax law enforcement before the situation in Phenix City erupted into murder. It covered the whole unfolding story of the final prosecution of the wrong-doers with skill, perception, force and courage.
• 1954 Newsday, Garden City, NY: For its expose of New York State's race track scandals and labor racketeering, which led to the extortion indictment, guilty plea and imprisonment of William C. DeKoning, Sr., New York labor racketeer.
• 1953 Whiteville News Reporter and Tabor City Tribune, two weekly NC newspapers: For their successful campaign against the Ku Klux Klan, waged on their own doorstep at the risk of economic loss and personal danger, culminating in the conviction of over one hundred Klansmen and an end to terrorism in their communities.
• 1952 St. Louis Post-Dispatch: For its investigation and disclosures of wide spread corruption in the Internal Revenue Bureau and other departments of the government.
• 1951 Miami Herald and Brooklyn Eagle: For their crime reporting during the year.
• 1950 Chicago Daily News and St. Louis Post-Dispatch: For the work of George Thiem and Roy J. Harris, respectively, in exposing the presence of 37 Illinois newspapermen on an Illinois State payroll.
• 1949 Nebraska State Journal: For the campaign establishing the "Nebraska All-Star Primary" presidential preference primary which spotlighted, through a bi-partisan committee, issues early in the presidential campaign.
• 1948 St. Louis Post-Dispatch: For the coverage of the Centralia, Illinois, mine disaster and the follow-up which resulted in impressive reforms in mine safety laws and regulations.
• 1947 Baltimore Sun: For its series of articles by Howard M. Norton dealing with the administration of unemployment compensation in Maryland, resulting in convictions and pleas of guilty in criminal court of 93 persons.
• 1946 The Scranton Times: For its fifteen-year investigation of judicial practices in the United States District Court for the middle district of Pennsylvania, resulting in removal of the District Judge and indictment of many others.
• 1945 Detroit Free Press: For its investigation of legislative graft and corruption at Lansing, Michigan.
• 1944 The New York Times: For its survey of the teaching of American History.
• 1943 Omaha (NE) World-Herald: For its initiative and originality in planning a state-wide campaign for the collection of scrap metal for the war effort. The Nebraska plan was adopted on a national scale by the daily newspapers, resulting in a united effort which succeeded in supplying our war industries with necessary scrap material.
• 1942 Los Angeles Times: For its successful campaign which resulted in the clarification and confirmation for all American newspapers of the right of free press as guaranteed under the Constitution.
• 1941 St. Louis Post-Dispatch: For its successful campaign against the city smoke nuisance.
• 1940 Waterbury (CT) Republican & American: For its campaign exposing municipal graft.
• 1939 Miami Daily News: For its campaign for the recall of the Miami City Commission.
• 1938 Bismarck (ND) Tribune: For its news reports and editorials entitled, "Self Help in the Dust Bowl."
• 1937 St. Louis Post-Dispatch: For its exposure of wholesale fraudulent registration in St. Louis. By a coordinated news, editorial and cartoon campaign this newspaper succeeded in invalidating upwards of 40,000 fraudulent ballots in November and brought about the appointment of a new election board.
• 1936 Cedar Rapids Gazette: For its crusade against corruption and misgovernment in the State of Iowa.
• 1935 The Sacramento (CA) Bee: For its campaign against political machine influence in the appointment of two Federal judges in Nevada.
• 1934 Medford (OR) Mail Tribune: For its campaign against unscrupulous politicians in Jackson County, Oregon.
• 1933 New York World-Telegram: For its series of articles on veterans relief, on the real estate bond evil, the campaign urging voters in the late New York City municipal election to "write in" the name of Joseph V. McKee, and the articles exposing the lottery schemes of various fraternal organizations.
• 1932 Indianapolis News: For its successful campaign to eliminate waste in city management and to reduce the tax levy.
• 1931 The Atlanta Constitution: For a successful municipal graft exposure and consequent convictions.
• 1930 (No Award)
• 1929 New York Evening World: For its effective campaign to correct evils in the administration of justice, including the fight to curb "ambulance chasers," support of the "fence" bill, and measures to simplify procedure, prevent perjury and eliminate politics from municipal courts; a campaign which has been instrumental in securing remedial action.
• 1928 The Indianapolis Times: For its work in exposing political corruption to Indiana, prosecuting the guilty and bringing about a more wholesome state of affairs in civil government.
• 1927 Canton (Ohio) Daily News: For its brave, patriotic and effective fight for the ending of a vicious state of affairs brought about by collusion between city authorities and the criminal element, a fight which had a tragic result in the assassination of the editor of the paper, Mr. Don R. Mellett.
• 1926 Columbus (GA) Enquirer Sun: For the service which it rendered in its brave and energetic fight against the Ku Klux Klan; against the enactment of a law barring the teaching of evolution; against dishonest and incompetent public officials and for justice to the Negro and against lynching.
• 1925 (No Award)
• 1924 New York World: For its work in connection with the exposure of the Florida peonage evil.
• 1923 Memphis Commercial Appeal: For its courageous attitude in the publication of cartoons and the handling of news in reference to the operations of the Ku Klux Klan.
• 1922 New York World: For articles exposing the operations of the Ku Klux Klan, published during September and October, 1921.
• 1921 The Boston Post: For its exposure of the operations of Charles Ponzi by a series of articles which finally led to his arrest.
• 1920 (No Award)
• 1919 The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: For its strong and courageous campaign for Americanism in a constituency where foreign elements made such a policy hazardous from a business point of view.
• 1918 The New York Times: For its public service in publishing in full so many official reports, documents and speeches by European statesmen relating to the progress and conduct of the war.
• 1917 (No Award)

Janet Cooke, a journalist for The Washington Post,won a 1981 Pulitzer Prize in Feature Writing for "Jimmy's World," an article about an eight-year-old heroin addict living in urban Washington, DC.

Then-Mayor Marion Barry ordered city officials to organize a search to locate the boy, but were unable to find him. Barry, however, claimed the city had rescued "Jimmy" and that he was currently in treatment. Assistant Managing Editor Bob Woodward believed the report was truthful and nominated Cooke's article for a Pulitzer.

After Cooke won, several reporters at the Post raised questions about her anonymous sources and compared apparent lies she'd told about her personal life. After a brief investigation, the newspaper determined the story had been fabricated and issued a public apology for publishing it.

Two days later, Cooke returned the Prize and resigned from The Washington Post, citing the high pressure environment as her reason for submitting a fictitious piece.

The Pulitzer Prize Board subsequently gave the award for Feature Writing to Teresa Carpenter of The Village Voice, in New York City.

The story was later released as a movie, The Hoax, starring Richard Gere.

To read the article, see Related Links, below.

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