Pulitzer Prizes

This week Pulitzer Prizes were announced. The Washington Post topped with six of the 14 Awards going to it. Pulitzer Prizes began in 1917 and it is regarded as the highest honour in Journalism.
The prize was established by Joseph Pulitzer, a Hungarian -American journalist and newspaper publisher. Pulitzer saw himself as a crusader on the side of people and a spokesman for democracy. He supported labor, attacked trusts and monopolies, and revealed political corruption. When journalism was not a respectable way of earning one's living, Pulitzer was committed to raising the standards of the profession.
Pulitzer left money to Columbia University upon his death in 1911. A portion of his bequest was used to found the University's Journalism School in 1912. The first Pulitzer Prizes were awarded on June 4, 1917, and they are now announced each April. Recipients are chosen by an independent board.
This year 'The Washington Post' has topped the list of prestigious Pulitzer journalism award winners this year bagging six out of 14 awards, including one for its coverage of Virginia Tech shooting.
In the Breaking News category, the award went to the staff of the 'Post' for its coverage of the deadly shooting at Virginia Tech.
In the International Reporting category, Post's Mr Steve Fainaru won for his reporting on private security contractors in Iraq who operate outside most of the laws governing American forces.
The New York Times won the award for Explanatory Reporting and shared with Chicago Tribune for Investigative Reporting. Pakistani-born and Bangkok-based photographer Adrees Latif won the Pulitzer for Reuters in the Breaking News Photography with his shout showing a Japanese videographer sprawled on the payment fatally wounded during a street demonstration in Myanmar.
No award was given for Editorial Writing but Mr Michael Ramirez of Investor's Business Daily won Pulitzer for Editorial Cartooning. The award for criticism went to Mr Mark Feeney of the Boston Globe and Mr Preston Gannaway of the Concord Monitor won for Feature Photography.