America's Newspapers congratulates all of the winners and finalists of the 2023 Pulitzer Prizes in Journalism:
The Associated Press, for the work of Mstyslav Chernov, Evgeniy Maloletka, Vasilisa Stepanenko and Lori Hinnant — for courageous reporting from the besieged city of Mariupol that bore witness to the slaughter of civilians in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“AP journalists have done courageous and important work in Ukraine throughout the war, shining a spotlight in particular on the human toll of the conflict,” said AP Senior Vice President and Executive Editor Julie Pace. “From dispelling Russian misinformation to contributing to the creation of a humanitarian corridor, their work has been an incredible public service and we’re so pleased that it has been honored by the Pulitzer board.”
Finalists:
The staff of the Los Angeles Times — for revealing a secretly recorded conversation among city officials that included racist comments, followed by coverage of the rapidly resulting turmoil and deeply reported pieces that delved further into the racial issues affecting local politics.
In response to this award and the Pulitzer Prize that Christina House of The Times won for Feature Photography, Times Executive Editor Kevin Merida said: “These prizes reflect careful, sophisticated, nuanced reporting and photography on complex topics important to Angelenos: power, representation, race relations, homelessness. The awards are a testament to the consistent high quality of L.A. Times journalism. I am very proud of the winners and of the entire staff.”
Read more from the Los Angeles Times
Finalists:
The staff of The Wall Street Journal — for sharp accountability reporting on financial conflicts of interest among officials at 50 federal agencies, revealing those who bought and sold stocks they regulated and other ethical violations by individuals charged with safeguarding the public’s interest.
“The success of this extensive, expansive project is due in large part to the cross-collaborative efforts of the investigative team and the D.C. bureau, with assistance from the data and visual departments,” Emma Tucker, the Journal’s editor in chief, said in a memo Monday to staff.
Read more from The Wall Street Journal
Finalists:
Caitlin Dickerson of The Atlantic — for deeply reported and compelling accounting of the Trump administration policy that forcefully separated migrant children from their parents, resulting in abuses that have persisted under the current administration.
The Atlantic’s editor in chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, wrote to staff: “Caitlin’s piece, one of the longest and most complicated stories The Atlantic has published across its 166-year history, required the unflagging work of a good portion of our comparatively small staff—from the copy-editing and fact-checking teams to our artists and designers and lawyers. Our ambitions outmatch our size, but I’m proud to say that our team rises to every challenge.”
Finalists:
Anna Wolfe of Mississippi Today, Ridgeland, Mississippi — for reporting that revealed how a former Mississippi governor used his office to steer millions of state welfare dollars to benefit his family and friends, including NFL quarterback Brett Favre.
“Anna Wolfe deserves this for so many reasons,” said Adam Ganucheau, editor-in-chief at Mississippi Today. “The late nights she spent poring through spreadsheets, the sheer number of roadblocks she faced from state officials, the thoughtfulness and care she put into her writing, the passion she always has for helping Mississippians — it’s been the absolute honor of my life to get an up-close look at how hard she works and how much she cares about our state.”
Read more from Mississippi Today
John Archibald, Ashley Remkus, Ramsey Archibald and Challen Stephens of AL.com, Birmingham — for a series exposing how the police force in the town of Brookside preyed on residents to inflate revenue, coverage that prompted the resignation of the police chief, four new laws and a state audit.
“The power in this work is that it is done by a reporting team who lives here, understands Alabama and can report in a way that will power change here at home,” said Kelly Scott, editor in chief and vice president of AL.com.
“That’s why we do this work — the impact it has here. And that tremendous impact is what we’re most proud of with this reporting and series. This work has forever changed Alabama.”
Finalist:
Caroline Kitchener of The Washington Post — for unflinching reporting that captured the complex consequences of life after Roe v. Wade, including the story of a Texas teenager who gave birth to twins after new restrictions denied her an abortion.
“So often people don’t hear anything about why the other side feels differently,” Kitchener said. “In my work, I really strive to sit in that complication in between two sides, in the gray areas and the nuance.”
Read more from The Washington Post
Finalists:
The staff of The New York Times — for their unflinching coverage of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including an eight-month investigation into Ukrainian deaths in the town of Bucha and the Russian unit responsible for the killings.
International Editor Phil Pan said: "This is a war unlike any we’ve seen in our lifetimes, a brutal trench war and proxy war unfolding more than 30 years after the end of the Cold War. The world is struggling to understand what’s happening, why it’s happening and what the consequences will be.
"Under the leadership of my predecessor, Michael Slackman; his partner and now mine, Greg Winter; and Jim Yardley, who made the big decisions before New York even woke up — The Times mobilized to cover this war, and answer these questions, in a way I’ve never seen any news organization cover any war before."
Read more from The New York Times
Finalists:
Eli Saslow of The Washington Post — for evocative individual narratives about people struggling with the pandemic, homelessness, addiction and inequality that collectively form a sharply-observed portrait of contemporary America.
“He doesn't build his stories from any kind of assumption. Every sentence is a defensible piece of reporting,” said Saslow’s longtime editor, David Finkel. “He’s empathetic without being maudlin. There’s that authenticity to his work.”
Read more from The Washington Post
Finalists:
Kyle Whitmire of AL.com, Birmingham — for measured and persuasive columns that document how Alabama's Confederate heritage still colors the present with racism and exclusion, told through tours of its first capital, its mansions and monuments — and through the history that has been omitted.
“Kyle’s work is the kind of journalism that can only be done when you love a place enough to ask it to be better – and that’s what he’s done here for Alabama,” said Kelly Scott, editor in chief and vice president of content at AL.com. “The themes he brings to life show us that we have much to learn from our past — all of it.”
Click here to read more from AL.com
Finalists:
Andrea Long Chu of New York magazine — for book reviews that scrutinize authors as well as their works, using multiple cultural lenses to explore some of society’s most fraught topics.
“Andrea Long Chu’s literary criticism is remarkable for its scope as much as its pyrotechnics,” said New York editor-in-chief David Haskell. “She’s most interested in the ways some writers are always revealing themselves: via their politics, especially, and their fixations. When preparing to review a new book, she reads the author’s entire body of work, along with every interview that author has ever given, in an attempt to burrow herself into that writer’s worldview.”
Read more from New York Magazine
Finalists:
Nancy Ancrum, Amy Driscoll, Luisa Yanez, Isadora Rangel and Lauren Costantino of the Miami Herald — for a series of editorials on the failure of Florida public officials to deliver on many taxpayer-funded amenities and services promised to residents over decades.
“This honor affirms the obvious: Opinion journalism is vital,” said Nancy Ancrum, the Miami Herald’s editorial page editor. “Opinion journalism holds the powerful to account. Opinion journalism forces things to change — for the better.
“‘Broken Promises’ acting on behalf of a public already distrustful of government, highlighted the failure of several local institutions,” Ancrum said. “I think that is an editorial board’s most profound mission.”
Read more from the Miami Herald
Finalists:
Mona Chalabi, contributor, The New York Times — for striking illustrations that combine statistical reporting with keen analysis to help readers understand the immense wealth and economic power of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
Jake Silverstein, editor of The New York Times Magazine, said: "This award is first and foremost a testament to the journalistic vision and visual creativity of Mona, who has been one of the most interesting and innovative data reporters in our field for a long time, and whom we were lucky to get to work with for this project.
"It’s also a testament to the talented and collaborative digital design operation that the Magazine’s brilliant creative director, Gail Bichler, has built — and to the high standards and dedication Gail brings to everything she touches. "
Read more from The New York Times
Finalists:
Photography Staff of The Associated Press — for unique and urgent images from the first weeks of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including the devastation of Mariupol after other news organizations left, victims of the targeting of civilian infrastructure and the resilience of the Ukrainian people who were able to flee.
View the haunting photos from Ukraine that earned AP a Pulitzer Prize
Finalists:
Christina House of the Los Angeles Times — for an intimate look into the life of a pregnant 22-year-old woman living on the street in a tent–images that show her emotional vulnerability as she tries and ultimately loses the struggle to raise her child.
Read more from the Los Angeles Times
Finalists:
Staff of Gimlet Media, notably Connie Walker — whose investigation into her father’s troubled past revealed a larger story of abuse of hundreds of Indigenous children at an Indian residential school in Canada, including other members of Walker’s extended family, a personal search for answers expertly blended with rigorous investigative reporting.
Finalists:
