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 Reuters won in international reporting for its coverage of the
violent persecution of a Muslim minority in Myanmar who in efforts
to flee often fall into the hands of brutal human-trafficking
networks.
The celebrated prizes, awarded by Columbia University, are the most
respected in U.S. journalism and can bring badly needed attention
and recognition to newspapers and websites suffering from economic
pressures and budget constraints.
The prize-winning work by the Guardian US and The Washington Post in
the Pulitzer's public service category was based on documents leaked
by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, who revealed details of
global electronic surveillance by the U.S. spy agency.
Reporting on the leaks not only sparked international debate over
the limits of government surveillance but prompted President Barack
Obama to introduce curbs on NSA spying powers.
"We are particularly grateful for our colleagues across the world
who supported the Guardian in circumstances which threatened to
stifle our reporting," Guardian Editor in Chief Alan Rusbridger said
in a statement.
"And we share this honor, not only with our colleagues at The
Washington Post, but also with Edward Snowden, who risked so much in
the cause of the public service which has today been acknowledged by
the award of this prestigious prize," he said.
Russia granted Snowden temporary asylum last year after the U.S.
Justice Department charged him with violating the Espionage Act.
In giving Reuters its first Pulitzer for text coverage, the board
commended Jason Szep and Andrew R.C. Marshall for their "courageous
reports" on the Rohingya, who in their efforts to flee the Southeast
Asian country often fall victim to human-trafficking networks.
"For two years, Reuters reporters have tirelessly investigated
terrible human-rights abuses in a forgotten corner of the Muslim
world, bringing the international dimensions of the oppressed
Rohingya of Myanmar to global attention," Stephen Adler, Reuters
editor-in-chief, said in a statement.
Szep, from Washington, said: "What we were writing about was
under-reported. I hope through this, there is greater international
attention to the risks and presence of religious violence in
Myanmar."
Reuters was also a finalist in the investigative reporting category
for a series by Megan Twohey, which exposed the underground market
for adopted children. Her work won praise for "triggering
governmental action to curb the practice" of exchanging unwanted
kids online.
Goran Tomasevic of Reuters was named a finalist for breaking news
photography, with judges recognizing "his sequence of photographs
that chronicle two hours of fierce combat on the rebel frontline in
Syria's civil war."
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The breaking news photography prize went to Tyler Hicks of The New
York Times for coverage of the attack by Islamist militants at
Westgate mall in Nairobi, Kenya. The feature photography prize went
to Josh Haner of The New York Times for an essay on a Boston
Marathon bomb blast victim. The Boston Globe won for its breaking
news coverage of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and the ensuing
manhunt. Finalists included The Arizona Republic for coverage of a
wildfire that killed 19 firefighters and The Washington Post for
coverage of the mass shooting at the Washington Navy Yard.
The prize for investigative reporting went to Chris Hamby of The
Center for Public Integrity for reports on how some lawyers and
doctors rigged a system to deny benefits to coal miners stricken
with black lung disease.
The prize for explanatory reporting went to Eli Saslow of the
Washington Post for work on the prevalence of food stamps in
post-recession America.
The prize for local reporting went to Will Hobson and Michael
LaForgia of the Tampa Bay Times for an investigation into squalid
housing conditions for the city's homeless population. The prize for
national reporting went to David Philipps of The Gazette in Colorado
Springs, Colorado, for his examination of how wounded combat
veterans are mistreated.
No award was given in the category of feature writing.
The commentary prize went to Stephen Henderson of the Detroit Free
Press and the criticism prize went to Inga Saffron of the
Philadelphia Inquirer. The editorial writing prize was awarded to
the staff of The Oregonian and editorial cartooning went to Kevin
Siers of the Charlotte Observer.
For an example of the work by Szep and Marshall, see "Special Report:
Thailand secretly supplies Myanmar refugees to trafficking rings" (http://reut.rs/1iPKLkK).
(Editing by Scott Malone, G. Crosse and Tom
Brown; additional
reporting by Barbara Goldberg)
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