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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
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2017 Pulitzer Prizes for Journalism & Arts

Winners of the 2017 Pulitzer Prizes for journalism and the arts Monday included the East Bay Times in Oakland, California, for breaking news coverage of the "Ghost Ship" fire, which killed 36 people at a warehouse party and Colson Whitehead for his book, "The Underground Railroad."

(CN) - The winners of the 2017 Pulitzer Prizes for journalism and arts were announced Monday afternoon at Columbia University in New York. Among the winners was the East Bay Times in Oakland, California, which won the Pulitzer Prize for breaking news coverage for its reporting of the "Ghost Ship" fire, which killed 36 people at a warehouse party.

Eric Eyre, of the Charleston Gazette-Mail in West Virginia, nabbed the investigative reporting prize for exposing the flood of opioids flowing into coal country, and an international consortium of investigative journalists, McClatchy and the Miami Herald were honored in the explanatory reporting category for their work on the Panama Papers, a series of stories using a collaboration of more than 300 reporters to expose the hidden infrastructure and global scale of offshore tax havens.

This year's Pulitzers come at a trying time for exceptional journalism, where so-called fake news is shaping the public debate and the Trump administration has openly and repeatedly vented its hostility at the news media.

Speaking of the new president, David A. Fahrenthold of The Washington Post won the Pulitzer Prize for national reporting for his work on Mr. Trump’s charitable foundation.

The full list of winners appears below:

JOURNALISM

Public Service

New York Daily News and ProPublica for uncovering, primarily through the work of reporter Sarah Ryley, widespread abuse of eviction rules by the police to oust hundreds of people, most of them poor minorities.

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Breaking News Reporting

East Bay Times in Oakland, California, for coverage of the "Ghost Ship" fire, which killed 36 people at a warehouse party.

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Investigative Reporting

Eric Eyre, of the Charleston Gazette-Mail in West Virginia, for reporting to expose the flood of opioids flowing into depressed West Virginia counties.

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Explanatory Reporting

International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, McClatchy and the Miami Herald for the Panama Papers, a series of stories using a collaboration of more than 300 reporters to expose the hidden infrastructure and global scale of offshore tax havens.

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Local Reporting

The Salt Lake Tribune staff for reports revealing the mistreatment of sexual assault victims at Brigham Young University.

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National Reporting

David A. Fahrenthold of The Washington Post for reporting casting doubt on Donald Trump's assertions of generosity toward charities.

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International Reporting

The New York Times staff for coverage of Vladimir Putin's efforts to project Russia's power abroad.

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Feature Writing

C.J. Chivers of The New York Times for a story on a Marine's postwar descent into violence.

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Commentary

Peggy Noonan of The Wall Street Journal for columns during one of the nation's most divisive political campaigns.

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Criticism

Hilton Als of The New Yorker for reviews that put stage dramas within a real-world cultural context.

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Editorial Writing

Art Cullen of The Storm Lake Times for editorials that challenged powerful corporate agricultural interests in Iowa.

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Editorial Cartooning

Jim Morin of the Miami Herald for editorial cartoons that delivered sharp perspectives through flawless artistry, biting prose and crisp wit.

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Breaking News Photography

Daniel Berehulak, freelance photographer, for images published in The New York Times showing the disregard for human life in the Philippines brought about by a government assault on drug dealers and users.

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Feature Photography

E. Jason Wambsgans of the Chicago Tribune for a portrayal of a 10-year-old boy and his mother striving to put the boy's life back together after he survived a shooting.

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LETTERS, DRAMA AND MUSIC

Fiction

"The Underground Railroad," by Colson Whitehead.

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Drama

"Sweat," by Lynn Nottag.

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History

"Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy," by Heather Ann Thompson.

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Biography or Autobiography

"The Return," by Hisham Matar.

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Poetry

"Olio," by Tyehimba Jess.

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General Nonfiction

"Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City," by Matthew Desmond.

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Music

"Angel's Bone," by Du Yun.

Categories / Arts, Business, Media, National

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