Pulitzer Prize for Beat Reporting
Encyclopedia
The Pulitzer Prize for Beat Reporting was presented from 1991 to 2006 for a distinguished example of beat reporting
characterized by sustained and knowledgeable coverage of a particular subject or activity.
From 1985 to 1990 it was known as the Pulitzer Prize
for Specialized Reporting.
For 2007, the category was dropped in favor of a Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting
, with the Pulitzer Prize Board noting that "the work of beat reporters remains eligible for entry in a wide range of categories that include—depending on the specialty involved—national
, investigative
, and explanatory reporting
, as well as the new local category."
Beat reporting
Beat reporting, also known as specialized reporting, is a genre of journalism that can be described as the craft of in-depth reporting on a particular issue, sector, organization or institution over time. Beat reporters build up a base of knowledge on and gain familiarity with the topic, allowing...
characterized by sustained and knowledgeable coverage of a particular subject or activity.
From 1985 to 1990 it was known as the Pulitzer Prize
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 Specialized Reporting.
For 2007, the category was dropped in favor of a Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting
Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting
The Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting is awarded to an example of "local reporting that illuminates significant issues or concerns." This Pulitzer Prize was first awarded in 1948. Like most Pulitzers the winner receives a $10,000 award.-History:...
, with the Pulitzer Prize Board noting that "the work of beat reporters remains eligible for entry in a wide range of categories that include—depending on the specialty involved—national
Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting
The Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting has been awarded since 1948 for a distinguished example of reporting on national affairs. The Pulitzer Committee issues an official citation explaining the reasons for the award....
, investigative
Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting
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...
, and explanatory reporting
Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting
The Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting has been presented since 1998, for a distinguished example of explanatory reporting that illuminates a significant and complex subject, demonstrating mastery of the subject, lucid writing and clear presentation...
, as well as the new local category."
Pulitzer Prize for Specialized Reporting
- 1985: Randall Savage and Jackie Crosby of the Macon Telegraph and News, for their in-depth examination of academics and athletics at the University of GeorgiaUniversity of GeorgiaThe University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
and the Georgia Institute of TechnologyGeorgia Institute of TechnologyThe Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
. - 1986: Andrew Schneider and Mary Pat Flaherty of Pittsburgh PressPittsburgh PressThe Pittsburgh Press is an online newspaper in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, currently owned and operated by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Historically, it was a major afternoon paper...
, for their investigation of violations and failures in the organ transplantOrgan transplantOrgan transplantation is the moving of an organ from one body to another or from a donor site on the patient's own body, for the purpose of replacing the recipient's damaged or absent organ. The emerging field of regenerative medicine is allowing scientists and engineers to create organs to be...
ation system in the United States. - 1987: Alex S. Jones 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 The Fall of the House of Bingham, a skillful and sensitive report of a powerful newspaper family's bickering and how it led to the sale of a famed media empire. - 1988: 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...
of The Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
, for his chilling series of reports on faulty testing by American medical laboratories. - 1989: Edward HumesEdward Humes-Biography:Humes was born in Philadelphia and attended Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. In 1985 he moved to Southern California.In 1989 he received the Pulitzer Prize for specialized reporting for several investigative stories he wrote about the United States military...
of 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...
, for his in-depth reporting on the military establishment in Southern CaliforniaSouthern CaliforniaSouthern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
. - 1990: Tamar Stieber of Albuquerque JournalAlbuquerque Journal-History:Its earliest predecessor, the Albuquerque Daily Journal, was first published on October 14, 1880. The newspaper is owned by the Journal Publishing Company, a family-owned business headed by president/publisher T.H. Lang; it is operated by the Albuquerque Publishing Company...
, For persistent reporting that linked a rare blood disorder to an over-the-counter dietary supplement, L-Tryptophan, and led to a national recall of the product.
Pulitzer Prize for Beat Reporting
- 1991: Natalie AngierNatalie AngierNatalie Angier is a nonfiction writer and a science journalist for the New York Times.- Life :...
, 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 her compelling and illuminating reports on a variety of scientific topics. - 1992: Deborah BlumDeborah BlumDeborah Blum is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and the author of The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York....
, The Sacramento BeeThe Sacramento BeeThe Sacramento Bee is a daily newspaper published in Sacramento, California, in the United States. Since its creation in 1857, the Bee has become Sacramento's largest newspaper, the fifth largest newspaper in California, and the 25th largest paper in the U.S...
, for her series, "The Monkey Wars," which explored the complex ethical and moral questions surrounding primate research. - 1993: Paul IngrassiaPaul IngrassiaPaul Ingrassia is currently Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Reuters News, a division of Thompson Reuters, headquartered in New York City.Ingrassia is a former president of Dow Jones Newswires, a unit of Dow Jones & Company....
and Joseph B. White, The Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
, for often exclusive coverage of General Motors' management turmoil. - 1994: Eric Freedman and Jim Mitzelfeld, Detroit News, for dogged reporting that disclosed flagrant spending abuses at MichiganMichiganMichigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
's House Fiscal Agency. - 1995: David Shribman, Boston Globe, for his analytical reporting on Washington developments and the national scene.
- 1996: Bob Keeler, 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 his detailed portrait of a progressive local CatholicCatholicThe word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
parish and its parishioners. - 1997: Byron Acohido, 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 his coverage of the aerospace industry, notably an exhaustive investigation of rudderRudderA rudder is a device used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft or other conveyance that moves through a medium . On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw and p-factor and is not the primary control used to turn the airplane...
control problems on the Boeing 737Boeing 737The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
, which contributed to new FAAFederal Aviation AdministrationThe Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
requirements for major improvements. - 1998: Linda GreenhouseLinda GreenhouseLinda Greenhouse is the Knight Distinguished Journalist in Residence and Joseph M. Goldstein Senior Fellow at Yale Law School...
, 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 her consistently illuminating coverage of the United States Supreme Court. - 1999: Chuck Philips and Michael A. Hiltzik, 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 their stories on corruption in the entertainment industry, including a charity sham sponsored by the National Academy of Recording Arts and SciencesNational Academy of Recording Arts and SciencesThe National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc., known variously as The Recording Academy or NARAS, is a U.S. organization of musicians, producers, recording engineers and other recording professionals dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural condition for music and its...
, illegal detoxification programs for wealthy celebrities, and a resurgence of radio payola. - 2000: George Dohrmann, Saint Paul Pioneer Press, for his determined reporting, despite negative reader reaction, that revealed academic fraud in the men's basketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
program at the University of MinnesotaUniversity of MinnesotaThe University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
. - 2001: David Cay JohnstonDavid Cay JohnstonDavid Cay Johnston is an investigative journalist and author, a specialist in economics and tax issues, and winner of the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Beat Reporting....
, 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 penetrating and enterprising reporting that exposed loopholes and inequities in the U.S. tax code, which was instrumental in bringing about reforms. - 2002: Gretchen MorgensonGretchen MorgensonGretchen C. Morgenson is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who writes the Market Watch column for the Sunday "Money & Business" section of the New York Times.-Life:...
, 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 her trenchant and incisive Wall StreetWall StreetWall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
coverage. - 2003: Diana K. Sugg, 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 her absorbing, often poignant stories that illuminated complex medical issues through the lives of people. - 2004: Daniel GoldenDaniel GoldenDaniel Golden is an American journalist, working as an editor at large for Bloomberg News. He was previously senior editor at Conde Nast's now-defunct Portfolio magazine....
, The Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
, for his compelling and meticulously documented stories on admission preferences given to the children of alumni and donors at American universities. - 2005: Amy Dockser Marcus, The Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
, for her masterly stories about patients, families and physicians that illuminated the often unseen world of cancer survivors. - 2006: Dana PriestDana PriestDana Priest is an American author and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. Priest has worked almost 20 years for The Washington Post. As one of the Post's specialists on National Security she has written many articles on the United States' "War on terror." In 2006 she won the Pulitzer Prize for Beat...
, Washington Post, for her persistent, painstaking reports on secret “black siteBlack siteIn military terminology, a black site is a location at which an unacknowledged black project is conducted. Recently, the term has gained notoriety in describing secret prisons operated by the United States Central Intelligence Agency , generally outside of U.S. territory and legal jurisdiction. It...
” prisons and other controversial features of the government’s counterterrorism campaign.