The Pulitzer Prizes released its 2014 winners today. No local triumphs, but two finalists:
- The Sacramento Bee for its series on Nevada busing mentally ill patients to California.
- Lacy Atkins of the San Francisco Chronicle for her revealing portrait of an Oakland school's efforts to help African-American boys avoid neighborhood risks and profit from education
And here are the winners:
- The Boston Globe for its coverage of the Boston Marathon bombings (Breaking news)
- The Washington Post and The Guardian for their revelations of widespread "secret surveillance by the National Security Agency." (Public service)
- Chris Hamby of The Center for Public Integrity, for his reports on "how some lawyers and doctors rigged a system to deny benefits to coal miners stricken with black lung disease, resulting in remedial legislative efforts. (Investigative reporting)
- Eli Saslow of The Washington Post for his "unsettling and nuanced reporting on the prevalence of food stamps in post-recession America, forcing readers to grapple with issues of poverty and dependency." (Explanatory reporting)
- Will Hobson and Michael LaForgia of the Tampa Bay Times for their "relentless investigation into the squalid conditions that marked housing for the city’s substantial homeless population, leading to swift reforms. (Local reporting)
- David Philipps of The Gazette, Colorado Springs, Colo., for "expanding the examination of how wounded combat veterans are mistreated, focusing on loss of benefits for life after discharge by the Army for minor offenses, stories augmented with digital tools and stirring congressional action." (National reporting)
- Jason Szep and Andrew R.C. Marshall of Reuters for their "courageous reports on the violent persecution of the Rohingya, a Muslim minority in Myanmar that, in efforts to flee the country, often falls victim to predatory human-trafficking networks." (International reporting)
- Stephen Henderson of the Detroit Free Press for his columns on the financial crisis facing his hometown, written with passion and a stirring sense of place, sparing no one in their critique. (Commentary)
- Inga Saffron of The Philadelphia Inquirer for her criticism of architecture that blends expertise, civic passion and sheer readability into arguments that consistently stimulate and surprise. (Criticism)
- The Editorial Staff of The Oregonian, Portland, for its "lucid editorials that explain the urgent but complex issue of rising pension costs, notably engaging readers and driving home the link between necessary solutions and their impact on everyday lives."(Editorial writing)
And if you're not in the mood to read first-class journalism (hey, it happens), take a look at the work of ...
- Kevin Siers of The Charlotte Observer for his "thought-provoking cartoons drawn with a sharp wit and bold artistic style."
- The photographs of The New York Times' Tyler Hicks, for his "compelling pictures that showed skill and bravery in documenting the unfolding terrorist attack at Westgate mall in Kenya." (Breaking news photography).
- Photos from the The New York Times' Josh Haner (feature photography), for his "his moving essay on a Boston Marathon bomb blast victim who lost most of both legs and now is painfully rebuilding his life."