The Pulitzer Prize for Beat Reporting was presented from 1991 to 2006 for a distinguished example of

beat reporting Beat reporting, also known as specialized reporting, is a genre of journalism focused on a particular issue, sector, organization, or institution over time. Description Beat reporters build up a base of knowledge on and gain familiarity with t ...

characterized by sustained and knowledgeable coverage of a particular subject or activity. From 1985 to 1990 it was known as the

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made ...

for Specialized Reporting. For 2007, the category was dropped in favor of a Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting, with the Pulitzer Prize Board noting that "the work of beat reporters remains eligible for entry in a wide range of categories that include—depending on the specialty involved— national, investigative, and explanatory reporting, as well as the new local category."Pulitzer Board Widens Range of Online Journalism in Entries
from the

website

Pulitzer Prize for Specialized Reporting

*1985: Randall Savage and Jackie Crosby of the '' Macon Telegraph and News'', for their in-depth examination of academics and athletics at the

University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...

and the

Georgia Institute of Technology The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part ...

. *1986:

Andrew Schneider Andrew Schneider is an American screenwriter and television producer, whose credits include writing for ''The Sopranos'', ''Northern Exposure'', '' The Incredible Hulk'' and ''Alien Nation''. He frequently co-writes episodes with his wife, Dian ...

and Mary Pat Flaherty of ''

Pittsburgh Press ''The Pittsburgh Press'' (formerly ''The Pittsburg Press'' and originally ''The Evening Penny Press'') was a major afternoon daily newspaper published in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1884 to 1992. At one time, the ''Press'' was the second larg ...

'', for their investigation of violations and failures in the

organ transplant Organ transplantation is a medical procedure in which an organ is removed from one body and placed in the body of a recipient, to replace a damaged or missing organ. The donor and recipient may be at the same location, or organs may be transpor ...

ation system in the United States. *1987: Alex S. Jones of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', for ''The Fall of the House of Bingham'', a skillful and sensitive report of a powerful newspaper family's bickering and how it led to the sale of a famed media empire. *1988:

Walt Bogdanich Walt Bogdanich (born October 10, 1950) is an American investigative journalist and three-time recipient of the Pulitzer Prize. Life Bogdanich graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1975 with a degree in political science. He rec ...

of ''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

'', for his chilling series of reports on faulty testing by American medical laboratories. *1989:

Edward Humes Edward Humes is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and non-fiction writer. Biography Humes was born in Philadelphia and attended Hampshire College. In 1989 he received the Pulitzer Prize for specialized reporting for investigative stories he wro ...

of the ''

Orange County Register ''The Orange County Register'' is a paid daily newspaper published in California. The ''Register'', published in Orange County, California, is owned by the private equity firm Alden Global Capital via its Digital Fiest/Media News subsidiaries. ...

'', for his in-depth reporting on the military establishment in

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban ...

. *1990:

Tamar Stieber Tamar Stieber is an American journalist who won the 1990 Pulitzer Prize for Specialized Reporting. Her coverage revealed a correlation between the drug L-tryptophan and a rare blood disorder. As a result of her reporting, the Food and Drug Admini ...

of ''

Albuquerque Journal The ''Albuquerque Journal'' is the largest newspaper in the U.S. state of New Mexico. History The ''Golden Gate'' newspaper was founded in June 1880. In the fall of 1880, the owner of the ''Golden Gate'' died and Journal Publishing Company was ...

'', For persistent reporting that linked a rare blood disorder to an over-the-counter dietary supplement, L-Tryptophan, and led to a national recall of the product.

Pulitzer Prize for Beat Reporting

* 1991:

Natalie Angier Natalie Angier /ænˈdʒɪər/ (born February 16, 1958 in the The Bronx, Bronx, New York City) is an American nonfiction writer and a science journalist for ''The New York Times''. Her awards include the Pulitzer Prize for Beat Reporting in 1991 ...

, ''

'', for her compelling and illuminating reports on a variety of scientific topics. * 1992:

Deborah Blum Deborah Blum (born October 19, 1954) is an American science journalist and the director of the Knight Science Journalism program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

, ''

The Sacramento Bee ''The Sacramento Bee'' is a daily newspaper published in Sacramento, California, in the United States. Since its foundation in 1857, ''The Bee'' has become the largest newspaper in Sacramento, the fifth largest newspaper in California, and the 2 ...

'', for her series, "The Monkey Wars," which explored the complex ethical and moral questions surrounding primate research. * 1993:

Paul Ingrassia Paul Joseph Ingrassia (August 18, 1950 – September 16, 2019) was an American Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who served as managing editor of Reuters from 2011 to 2016. He was also an editor at the Revs Institute, an automotive history and r ...

and Joseph B. White, ''

'', for often exclusive coverage of

General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...

' management turmoil. * 1994: Eric Freedman and Jim Mitzelfeld, ''

The Detroit News ''The Detroit News'' is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival ''Detroit Free Press'' building. ''The News'' absorbed the ''Detroit Tribune'' on Februar ...

'', for dogged reporting that disclosed flagrant spending abuses at

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...

's House Fiscal Agency. * 1995: David Shribman, ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...

'', for his analytical reporting on Washington developments and the national scene. * 1996: Bob Keeler, ''

Newsday ''Newsday'' is an American daily newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI", and fo ...

'', for his detailed portrait of a progressive local

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

parish and its parishioners. * 1997: Byron Acohido, ''

The Seattle Times ''The Seattle Times'' is a daily newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, United States. It was founded in 1891 and has been owned by the Blethen family since 1896. ''The Seattle Times'' has the largest circulation of any newspaper in Washington ...

'', for his coverage of the aerospace industry, notably an exhaustive investigation of

rudder A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (generally air or water). On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to counter adve ...

control problems on the

Boeing 737 The Boeing 737 is a narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing at its Renton Factory in Washington. Developed to supplement the Boeing 727 on short and thin routes, the twinjet retains the 707 fuselage width and six abreast seating with two u ...

, which contributed to new FAA requirements for major improvements. * 1998:

Linda Greenhouse Linda Joyce Greenhouse (born January 9, 1947) is an American legal journalist who is the Knight Distinguished Journalist in Residence and Joseph M. Goldstein Lecturer in Law at Yale Law School. She is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter who covered ...

, ''

'', for her consistently illuminating coverage of the

United States Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...

. * 1999:

Chuck Philips Charles Alan Philips (born October 15, 1952) is an American writer and journalist. He is best known for his investigative reporting in the '' Los Angeles Times'' on the culture, corruption, and crime in the music industry during the 1990s an ...

and Michael A. Hiltzik, ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...

'', for their stories on corruption in the entertainment industry, including a charity sham sponsored by the

National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is famous for its Grammy Aw ...

, illegal detoxification programs for wealthy celebrities, and a resurgence of radio payola. * 2000:

George Dohrmann George Dohrmann (born February 14, 1973), is an editor and writer for ''The Athletic'', the 2000 Pulitzer Prize winner for beat reporting, and author of '' Play Their Hearts Out'', which received the 2011 PEN/ESPN Award for Literary Sports Wr ...

, ''

Saint Paul Pioneer Press The ''St. Paul Pioneer Press'' is a newspaper based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. It serves the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area. Circulation is heaviest in the east metro, including Ramsey, Dakota, and Washington counties, ...

'', for his determined reporting, despite negative reader reaction, that revealed academic fraud in the men's

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

program at the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...

. * 2001:

David Cay Johnston David Cay Boyle Johnston (born December 24, 1948) is an American investigative journalist and author, a specialist in economics and tax issues, and winner of the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Beat Reporting. From July 2011 until September 2012 he was ...

, ''

'', for his penetrating and enterprising reporting that exposed loopholes and inequities in the U.S. tax code, which was instrumental in bringing about reforms. * 2002: Gretchen Morgenson, ''

'', for her trenchant and incisive

Wall Street Wall Street is an eight-block-long street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It runs between Broadway in the west to South Street and the East River in the east. The term "Wall Street" has become a metonym for ...

coverage. * 2003: Diana K. Sugg, ''

The Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries. Founded in 1837, it is currently owned by T ...

'', for her absorbing, often poignant stories that illuminated complex medical issues through the lives of people. * 2004:

Daniel Golden Daniel L. Golden (born 1957) is an American journalist, working as a senior editor for ProPublica. He was previously senior editor at Conde Nast's now-defunct Portfolio magazine, and a managing editor for Bloomberg News. Early life and education ...

, ''

'', for his compelling and meticulously documented stories on admission preferences given to the children of alumni and donors at American universities. *2005: Amy Dockser Marcus, ''

'', for her masterly stories about patients, families and physicians that illuminated the often unseen world of cancer survivors. *2006:

Dana Priest Dana Louise Priest (born May 23, 1957) is an American journalist, writer and teacher. She has worked for nearly 30 years for the ''Washington Post'' and became the third John S. and James L. Knight Chair in Public Affairs Journalism at the Univ ...

, ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...

'', for her persistent, painstaking reports on secret “

black site In military terminology, a black site is a location at which an unacknowledged black operation or black project is conducted. According to the Associated Press, "Black sites are clandestine jails where prisoners generally are not charged with ...

” prisons and other controversial features of the government’s

counterterrorism Counterterrorism (also spelled counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, incorporates the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, business, and intelligence agencies use to combat or ...

campaign.

References

{{PulitzerPrizes

Beat Reporting Beat reporting, also known as specialized reporting, is a genre of journalism focused on a particular issue, sector, organization, or institution over time. Description Beat reporters build up a base of knowledge on and gain familiarity with t ...

Awards established in 1985 Awards established in 1991 Awards disestablished in 2006 1985 establishments in the United States