Tiny, family-run newspaper wins Pulitzer for taking on big business
April 11, 2017 6:31 AM Subscribe
Print journalism is alive and well in Storm Lake, Iowa. Check out The Storm Lake Times! The LA Times gives some back-story.
It is people like this that I point to when someone asks why I live here.
posted by Big Al 8000 at 7:19 AM on April 11, 2017 [8 favorites]
posted by Big Al 8000 at 7:19 AM on April 11, 2017 [8 favorites]
I was totally going to post about this! Today's editorial is an intriguing proposal to solve Iowa's healthcare woes. And I really love that the news section today is all typical small-town news, and also by the way we won a Pulitzer Prize yesterday.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 7:20 AM on April 11, 2017 [9 favorites]
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 7:20 AM on April 11, 2017 [9 favorites]
This is amazing. I feel like I need to drive up to Storm Lake to personally thank Art Cullen, I had no idea about his editorials.
For some background, Storm Lake is always treated like an example of something gone wrong by rabid King supporters here. It's great that the Pulitzer attention is shining such a light on the people who love and defend the diversity of Storm Lake.
posted by jason_steakums at 7:22 AM on April 11, 2017 [7 favorites]
For some background, Storm Lake is always treated like an example of something gone wrong by rabid King supporters here. It's great that the Pulitzer attention is shining such a light on the people who love and defend the diversity of Storm Lake.
posted by jason_steakums at 7:22 AM on April 11, 2017 [7 favorites]
Huh. Storm Lake was an overnight town for RAGBRAI year before last; I slept in the gymnasium of Buena Vista University (which sounds as if it should be in California; it is a small but lovely campus on the lake shore). Had no idea it was an island of liberality.
posted by Halloween Jack at 7:52 AM on April 11, 2017 [4 favorites]
posted by Halloween Jack at 7:52 AM on April 11, 2017 [4 favorites]
I have a new flowchart for if I'm interested in your journalism
Would your response to winning a Pulitzer some version of "Holy shit!"? --Yes> Will read
|
--No---> Will consider after I read the "Holy shit!" winners
posted by MCMikeNamara at 8:44 AM on April 11, 2017 [4 favorites]
Would your response to winning a Pulitzer some version of "Holy shit!"? --Yes> Will read
|
--No---> Will consider after I read the "Holy shit!" winners
posted by MCMikeNamara at 8:44 AM on April 11, 2017 [4 favorites]
Not to derail, but the Pulitzer committee also recognized another reporter who has been doing great work for a long time in relative obscurity. Eric Eyre has been winning awards for his investigations in West Virginia for a long time and it's great to see him finally recognized on journalism's big stage.
Here's a piece on him receiving the news, which says all you need to know about him. (I met him maybe 15 years ago at IRE and it totally rings true.)
And here's a link to day one of his investigation, which is terrific and horrifying.
If the Pulitzers have any real value, it's as a reminder that there are good people committed to doing important work in communities a long ways from the spotlights.
posted by martin q blank at 8:47 AM on April 11, 2017 [21 favorites]
Here's a piece on him receiving the news, which says all you need to know about him. (I met him maybe 15 years ago at IRE and it totally rings true.)
And here's a link to day one of his investigation, which is terrific and horrifying.
If the Pulitzers have any real value, it's as a reminder that there are good people committed to doing important work in communities a long ways from the spotlights.
posted by martin q blank at 8:47 AM on April 11, 2017 [21 favorites]
This is great. I also enjoy the Progressive Populist, put out by the same folks.
posted by HumanComplex at 9:26 AM on April 11, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by HumanComplex at 9:26 AM on April 11, 2017 [2 favorites]
Waiting on Steve King's profanity-filled commentary on this. With luck, it'll give him that brain hemorrhage he's needed.
posted by mephron at 9:53 AM on April 11, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by mephron at 9:53 AM on April 11, 2017 [2 favorites]
I'm worried that Steve King's response will be to ask Trump to have ICE give Storm Lake special attention.
posted by jason_steakums at 10:08 AM on April 11, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by jason_steakums at 10:08 AM on April 11, 2017 [2 favorites]
Not to derail, but the Pulitzer committee also recognized another reporter who has been doing great work for a long time in relative obscurity. Eric Eyre has been winning awards for his investigations in West Virginia for a long time and it's great to see him finally recognized on journalism's big stage.
I don't know if they had if up before, but the Charleston Gazette-Mail banner says 'a Pulitzer Prize Winning Newspaper.' :)
Both of these people sound awesome, especially Art Cullen who also gives a plug for a small, local organization needing money as well. As does his 24 year son, who ran around gathering information for his writing.
posted by lesbiassparrow at 10:10 AM on April 11, 2017 [1 favorite]
I don't know if they had if up before, but the Charleston Gazette-Mail banner says 'a Pulitzer Prize Winning Newspaper.' :)
Both of these people sound awesome, especially Art Cullen who also gives a plug for a small, local organization needing money as well. As does his 24 year son, who ran around gathering information for his writing.
posted by lesbiassparrow at 10:10 AM on April 11, 2017 [1 favorite]
I don't know if they had if up before, but the Charleston Gazette-Mail banner says 'a Pulitzer Prize Winning Newspaper.' :)
Good for them. We won the Pulitzer when I was at an Ohio newspaper and it was awfully nice to see that on the front page, esp. since I had a small part in it.
I haven't looked at Charleston's website since the series first ran, and can't remember, but they could have made the claim previously: "Eyre is technically the Gazette-Mail's first Pulitzer winner. The Charleston Gazette, where he's worked for 18 years, merged with the Charleston Daily Mail in 2015. The Daily Mail won its only Pulitzer Prize, for editorial writing, in 1975."
posted by martin q blank at 10:55 AM on April 11, 2017
Good for them. We won the Pulitzer when I was at an Ohio newspaper and it was awfully nice to see that on the front page, esp. since I had a small part in it.
I haven't looked at Charleston's website since the series first ran, and can't remember, but they could have made the claim previously: "Eyre is technically the Gazette-Mail's first Pulitzer winner. The Charleston Gazette, where he's worked for 18 years, merged with the Charleston Daily Mail in 2015. The Daily Mail won its only Pulitzer Prize, for editorial writing, in 1975."
posted by martin q blank at 10:55 AM on April 11, 2017
Any news organization may submit work for consideration by the Pulitzer committee.
See: http://www.pulitzer.org/page/how-enter
posted by jrchaplin at 1:22 PM on April 11, 2017 [1 favorite]
See: http://www.pulitzer.org/page/how-enter
posted by jrchaplin at 1:22 PM on April 11, 2017 [1 favorite]
If there was ever a time that local news organizations needed some prodding to start doing "Pulitzer-bait" reporting, that time is now.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 1:26 PM on April 11, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by MCMikeNamara at 1:26 PM on April 11, 2017 [3 favorites]
I have a new flowchart for if I'm interested in your journalism
Would your response to winning a Pulitzer some version of "Holy shit!"? --Yes> Will read
|
--No---> Will consider after I read the "Holy shit!" winners
posted by MCMikeNamara
From martin q blank's link above:
When his phone rang a few minutes after 3 p.m., it was Andrew Brown, a former co-worker. Eyre thought, well, maybe they were finalists.
"He said, 'no, you actually won,'" Eyre said. "And I was like, 'no shit.' It still hasn't sunk in."
SEE!
posted by MCMikeNamara at 1:32 PM on April 11, 2017 [3 favorites]
Would your response to winning a Pulitzer some version of "Holy shit!"? --Yes> Will read
|
--No---> Will consider after I read the "Holy shit!" winners
posted by MCMikeNamara
From martin q blank's link above:
When his phone rang a few minutes after 3 p.m., it was Andrew Brown, a former co-worker. Eyre thought, well, maybe they were finalists.
"He said, 'no, you actually won,'" Eyre said. "And I was like, 'no shit.' It still hasn't sunk in."
SEE!
posted by MCMikeNamara at 1:32 PM on April 11, 2017 [3 favorites]
Good for them. We won the Pulitzer when I was at an Ohio newspaper and it was awfully nice to see that on the front page, esp. since I had a small part in it.
Oh, I agree. It must be a great moment for any editor or publisher to ask that it be added to the masthead; even more so if you are a small paper.
Still a pity about Noonan, though. That one blows my mind and not in a good way.
posted by lesbiassparrow at 4:29 PM on April 11, 2017 [2 favorites]
Oh, I agree. It must be a great moment for any editor or publisher to ask that it be added to the masthead; even more so if you are a small paper.
Still a pity about Noonan, though. That one blows my mind and not in a good way.
posted by lesbiassparrow at 4:29 PM on April 11, 2017 [2 favorites]
Pretty stunning that a town that size can support a paper like that.
I moved to Asheville in 2004 and found the local paper disturbing. The arts weekly was disturbing in a different way because they were doing some serious investigative journalism. But all of those reporters are gone. Now it's all fluffy stuff about where to eat, movies, barely disguised ad-articles.
posted by Mr. Yuck at 6:19 PM on April 11, 2017
I moved to Asheville in 2004 and found the local paper disturbing. The arts weekly was disturbing in a different way because they were doing some serious investigative journalism. But all of those reporters are gone. Now it's all fluffy stuff about where to eat, movies, barely disguised ad-articles.
posted by Mr. Yuck at 6:19 PM on April 11, 2017
Update on what Cullen intends to do with the prize money: throw a big party, and then divide the rest of it between the Iowa Freedom of Information Council and Catholic Charities for refugee resettlement in Storm Lake. Also, the paper has $4,000 in new subscription revenue, which has to be a boost for a paper with a circulation of 3000.
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 5:44 PM on April 13, 2017
posted by ArbitraryAndCapricious at 5:44 PM on April 13, 2017
« Older Lucknow celebrates its first ever queer pride... | Cuckoo Blocks: Berlin Plattenbau goes Cuckoo Clock Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
Between this award and David Farenthold's, it seems the Pulitzer committee is trying to remind journalists of what their profession should be. Which makes Peggy Noonan's award all the more inexplicable.
posted by Gelatin at 7:04 AM on April 11, 2017 [17 favorites]