Pulitzer Prize for Public Service

The Pulitzer Prize for Public Service is an annual award honoring newspaper journalism that serves the public interest, often through sustained reporting or investigation.

The New York Times Pentagon Papers: A classified U.S. Defense Department history of the Vietnam War leaked to the press in 1971. The New York Times shared the 1972 award for publishing this history despite government efforts to stop it.
Pulitzer Prize: A set of annual awards recognizing achievements in journalism, literature, music, and drama. The Public Service award is one category within the Pulitzer Prizes.
Joseph Pulitzer: A Hungarian-born American newspaper publisher who endowed the Pulitzer Prizes through his will. His bequest established the awards and helped define journalism’s public responsibilities.
Investigative journalism: Journalism that uncovers information of public importance through original research and reporting. Many Public Service winners use investigation to reveal concealed institutional failures.
Watergate scandal: A U.S. political scandal arising from the 1972 break-in at Democratic Party headquarters and its cover-up. The Washington Post’s reporting on Watergate earned the 1973 Public Service Pulitzer.
Pulitzer Prize Board: The body that administers the Pulitzer Prizes and makes final award decisions. The Board selects the Public Service winner after considering the category jury’s recommendation.
Pulitzer Prize history: The development of the Pulitzer Prizes from their establishment in 1917 to the present. The Public Service category has been part of the awards since their first year.
Freedom of the press: The right of media to publish information and opinions without government censorship or undue restraint. Award-winning disclosures have sometimes tested this freedom against official efforts to restrict publication.
The Philadelphia Inquirer MOVE series: A 1970s reporting series examining the radical group MOVE and its conflicts with Philadelphia authorities. The Philadelphia Inquirer received the 1978 award for its reporting on MOVE.
Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting: An annual Pulitzer category honoring investigative reporting by an individual or team. Unlike this award’s newspaper-wide public-service focus, it recognizes investigative work in any eligible medium.

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