In journalistic circles, the Pulitzers are more than a big deal — they’re probably the biggest deal. This year, online publishers have made a stronger showing than ever.
The Huffington Post’s David Wood won in the category of national reporting for his 10 part series on the struggles of wounded American soldiers returning home from Afghanistan and Iraq.
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The site appears to view the award as an answer to everyone who has criticised it over the years.
Its founder Arianna Huffington said “It’s the culmination of what we started to build almost seven years ago,” adding that the Pulitzer was “a great affirmation that great journalism can thrive on the Web.”
The Pulitzer board called Wood’s series a “riveting exploration of the physical and emotional challenges facing American soldiers.”
Wood is a veteran reporter having previous experience at Time Magazine and the LA Times. He said the Huffington Post had given him the space to explore “that the kind of reporting that I’ve always aspired to, which is deep, thoughtful, hard reporting”. He also believes that this kind of reporting is at risk of being swept away in other news rooms.
Politico‘s Matt Wuerker meanwhile won in the Editorial Cartooning category, a major triumph for the five-year-old political site.
The Pulitzer Prize was established by US publisher Joseph Pulitzer in 1917 and is administered by Columbia University. It aims to celebrate achievements in journalism, literature and music.
