Online sites win first prizes in journalism at Pulitzers

The chronicle of decisions by doctors caring for patients stranded by the flood, written by Sheri Fink of ProPublica in collaboration with The New York Times Magazine, marked the first time an online service won a top journalism award given annually by the Pulitzer Prize Board at Columbia University.

The nonprofit ProPublica is considered by some to be a new model for journalism as struggling for-profit outlets have fewer resources to put toward investigative reporting. The Times magazine published the Hurricane Katrina piece.

“This is something we're going to see more of in the years ahead as there's more and more collaboration of news entities when it comes to enterprise journalism,” Sig Gissler, administrator of the prizes, said in announcing the winners.

In another online first, www.sfgate.com, the Web site of the San Francisco Chronicle, won for editorial cartooning. The award for the animated cartoons by Mark Fiore marked the first time an Internet-based entry won in that category.

A second Pulitzer for investigative reporting went to Barbara Laker and Wendy Ruderman of the Philadelphia Daily News for their expose of a rogue police narcotics squad. Reporter Michael Moss and New York Times staff won in the explanatory reporting category for writing about contaminated hamburger and food safety issues. Reporter Matt Richtel and Times staff won the national reporting award for writing about the hazards of using cell phones and computers while driving. “The watchdog function of journalism is heavily underscored,” Gissler said. “Watchdog journalism is still a vibrant force.”

“It's been a tough time for newspapers the last few years,” he added. “But amid the gloomy talk, the winners and the finalists are encouraging examples of the high quality of journalism across the nation.”

In the public service category, the Bristol, Virginia Herald Courier won for writing about the “murky mismanagement” of natural gas royalties owed to landowners, the board said. The Washington Post won four prizes. The newspaper's Anthony Shadid, now with The New York Times, won for international reporting for his articles from Iraq, and Gene Weingarten won in feature writing for a story about parents who accidentally kill their children by forgetting them in cars.

The Post's columnist Kathleen Parker won in the commentary category and dance writer Sarah Kaufman won for criticism. Tod Robberson, Colleen McCain Nelson and William McKenzie of The Dallas Morning News won in editorial writing for their work exploring social and economic disparities in the city.

The prize for breaking news photography went to Mary Chind of The Des Moines Register for a picture of a rescuer trying to save a woman trapped in water. The prize for feature photography went to Craig Walker of The Denver Post for his portrait of a teenager joining the US Army.

List of Pulitzer Prize winners for 2010

The following is a list of 2010 Pulitzer Prize winners, awarded annually by the Pulitzer Prize Board at Columbia University for outstanding works of journalism, letters, drama and music:

Awards for Journalism

 Public Service: Bristol (VA) Herald Courier for the work of Daniel Gilbert detailing the murky mismanagement of natural-gas royalties owed to thousands of land owners in southwest Virginia, spurring action by lawmakers.

 Breaking News Reporting: Staff of The Seattle Times for coverage of the fatal shooting of four police officers in a coffee house and the subsequent 40-hour manhunt.

 Investigative Reporting: Sheri Fink of ProPublica with The New York Times Magazine for telling of the urgent life-and-death decisions made in a hospital when exhausted doctors were cut off by Hurricane Katrina. Barbara Laker and Wendy Ruderman of the Philadelphia Daily News for exposing a rogue police narcotics squad resulting in an FBI probe and the review of hundreds of cases tainted by the scandal.

 Explanatory Reporting: Michael Moss and staff of The New York Times for reporting on contaminated hamburger and other food safety issues that spotlighted defects in federal regulation and led to improved practices.

 Local Reporting: Raquel Rutledge of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for reports on fraud and abuse in a child-care program for low-wage parents that fleeced taxpayers and imperiled kids, resulting in a crackdown on providers.

 National Reporting: Matt Richtel and New York Times staff for revealing the hazardous use of cell phones and other devices while driving, stimulating efforts to curb distracted driving.

 International Reporting: Anthony Shadid of The Washington Post for his series on Iraq as the United States departs and its people and leaders struggle to deal with the legacy of war and to shape the nation's future.

 Feature Writing: Gene Weingarten of The Washington Post for his story about parents, from varying walks of life, who accidentally kill their children by forgetting them in cars.

 Commentary: Kathleen Parker of The Washington Post for columns on an array of political and moral issues.

 Criticism: Sarah Kaufman of The Washington Post for her dance criticism.

 Editorial Writing: Tod Robberson, Colleen McCain Nelson and William McKenzie of The Dallas Morning News for editorials about the stark divide between the wealthy and the poor in Dallas.

 Editorial Cartooning: Mark Fiore, self syndicated, appearing on SFGate.com, for his animated cartoons which had biting wit, extensive research and distilled complex issues.

 Breaking News Photography: Mary Chind of The Des Moines Register for her photograph of the moment when a rescuer dangling in a makeshift harness tried to save a woman trapped in the foaming water beneath a dam.

 Feature Photography: Craig F. Walker of The Denver Post for his portrait of a teenager joining the US Army at the height of insurgent violence in Iraq.

Letters, Drama and Music

 Fiction: “Tinkers” by Paul Harding (Bellevue Literary Press), a debut novel in which a New England father and son transcend their imprisoning lives and offer new ways of perceiving the world and mortality.

 Drama: “Next to Normal,” music by Tom Kitt, book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey, a rock musical about mental illness in a suburban family.

 History: “Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World” by Liaquat Ahamed (The Penguin Press), about how four bankers played crucial roles triggering the Great Depression of the 1930s and ultimately transformed the United States into the world's financial leader.

 Biography: “The First Tycoon: The Epic Life of Cornelius Vanderbilt” by T.J. Stiles (Alfred A. Knopf), about the self-made titan who revolutionized transportation, amassed vast wealth and shaped the economic world in ways still felt today.

 Poetry: “Versed” by Rae Armantrout (Wesleyan University Press), a book striking for its wit and linguistic inventiveness, with poems that are often little thought-bombs detonating in the mind long after the first reading.

 General Nonfiction: “The Dead Hand: The Untold Story of the Cold War Arms Race and Its Dangerous Legacy” by David E. Hoffman (Doubleday), about the doomsday competition between two superpowers and how such weapons still imperil humankind.

 Music: “Violin Concerto” by Jennifer Higdon (Lawdon Press), which premiered on February 6, 2009, in Indianapolis, which combines flowing lyricism with dazzling virtuosity.

 Special Citations: Hank Williams for his poignant and simple songs which expressed universal feelings and played a pivotal role in transforming country music into a major force in America. New York Reuters