Pulitzer Prize Winners Announced.
April 14, 2014 12:42 PM Subscribe
The Washington Post and The Guardian won the Pulitzer Prize in public service for their reporting on the widespread domestic spying by the US National Security Agency.
A full list of the mentioned articles can be found here for the Washington Post, and here for the Guardian.
Edward Snowden, who supplied the journalists with the leaked information, today said: "Today's decision is a vindication for everyone who believes that the public has a role in government. We owe it to the efforts of the brave reporters and their colleagues who kept working in the face of extraordinary intimidation, including the forced destruction of journalistic materials, the inappropriate use of terrorism laws, and so many other means of pressure to get them to stop what the world now recognises was work of vital public importance."
Reporting and reactions:
NPR: Pulitzer Prizes Are Out: 'Washington Post,' 'The Guardian' Win For NSA Stories
WaPo: "A team of 28 Post journalists, led by reporter Barton Gellman, shared the public-service award with the British-based Guardian newspaper, which also reported extensively about the NSA’s secret programs. Both Gellman and Glenn Greenwald, then the Guardian’s lead reporter on the NSA pieces, based their articles on classified documents leaked by Edward Snowden, the former government contractor who has fled to exile in Russia, lending a controversial edge to this year’s awards."
The Guardian itself has an outline of how the two newspapers won journalism's top prize.
Reporting and reactions:
NPR: Pulitzer Prizes Are Out: 'Washington Post,' 'The Guardian' Win For NSA Stories
WaPo: "A team of 28 Post journalists, led by reporter Barton Gellman, shared the public-service award with the British-based Guardian newspaper, which also reported extensively about the NSA’s secret programs. Both Gellman and Glenn Greenwald, then the Guardian’s lead reporter on the NSA pieces, based their articles on classified documents leaked by Edward Snowden, the former government contractor who has fled to exile in Russia, lending a controversial edge to this year’s awards."
The Guardian itself has an outline of how the two newspapers won journalism's top prize.
Notably, the NYT didn't win any awards for stories this year (they did win two photo awards).
posted by Rangeboy at 12:48 PM on April 14, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Rangeboy at 12:48 PM on April 14, 2014 [2 favorites]
Very appropriate award to the Boston Globe for their coverage last April over the marathon bombings.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 12:56 PM on April 14, 2014
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 12:56 PM on April 14, 2014
How come snowden has to run from the government, when the reporters get to win awards? Shouldn't the reporters be in trouble as well, for accessing classified information?
posted by rebent at 12:58 PM on April 14, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by rebent at 12:58 PM on April 14, 2014 [4 favorites]
Related - a piece of art, probably by Banksy, that's appeared a few miles from GCHQ, the main centre of things surveillance in the UK.
posted by Wordshore at 12:59 PM on April 14, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Wordshore at 12:59 PM on April 14, 2014 [2 favorites]
Shouldn't the reporters be in trouble as well, for accessing classified information?
The reporters didn't sign anything saying "I will not give out classified information to non-cleared persons and if I do I will totally go to prison."
posted by Etrigan at 1:03 PM on April 14, 2014 [5 favorites]
The reporters didn't sign anything saying "I will not give out classified information to non-cleared persons and if I do I will totally go to prison."
posted by Etrigan at 1:03 PM on April 14, 2014 [5 favorites]
"This Award Is for Snowden": Greenwald, Poitras Accept Polk Honor for Exposing NSA Surveillance
posted by homunculus at 1:05 PM on April 14, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by homunculus at 1:05 PM on April 14, 2014 [3 favorites]
Meanwhile, Fox News is presumably reporting right now that the Pulitzer committee is a known terrorist cell.
posted by mhoye at 1:05 PM on April 14, 2014 [12 favorites]
posted by mhoye at 1:05 PM on April 14, 2014 [12 favorites]
Very interesting timing.
The Pulitzers had to have been decided quite a while before this announcement. And if Poitras and Greenwald had been arrested as they went to accept the Polk, this announcement would have come out right as they were still in detention...
Congratulations to all these reporters - we need more actual reporters today.
posted by lupus_yonderboy at 1:19 PM on April 14, 2014 [2 favorites]
The Pulitzers had to have been decided quite a while before this announcement. And if Poitras and Greenwald had been arrested as they went to accept the Polk, this announcement would have come out right as they were still in detention...
Congratulations to all these reporters - we need more actual reporters today.
posted by lupus_yonderboy at 1:19 PM on April 14, 2014 [2 favorites]
Related - a piece of art, probably by Banksy, that's appeared a few miles from GCHQ, the main centre of things surveillance in the UK.
Is it me or does that one fellow kneeling look like Assange? Anyway, well-earned kudos for the WaPo and Grauniad! Hopefully, Snowden will one day soon get the full pardon he deserves and be able to come home.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 1:56 PM on April 14, 2014
Is it me or does that one fellow kneeling look like Assange? Anyway, well-earned kudos for the WaPo and Grauniad! Hopefully, Snowden will one day soon get the full pardon he deserves and be able to come home.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 1:56 PM on April 14, 2014
We need an Anti-Puilitzer prize, kind of like the Razzies, but for terrible journalism.
CNN would stand a good chance of sweeping these awards.
posted by schmod at 1:58 PM on April 14, 2014
CNN would stand a good chance of sweeping these awards.
posted by schmod at 1:58 PM on April 14, 2014
Yes, but they would miss the point in their cargo-cult like approach to "trending" news and would be really, really excited by it.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 2:09 PM on April 14, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by robocop is bleeding at 2:09 PM on April 14, 2014 [2 favorites]
How come snowden has to run from the government, when the reporters get to win awards?
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press...Presumably even the justice department isn't stupid enough to think that printing factual reports in actual newspapers doesn't qualify as 'freedom of the press' and that that might be a fight they would eventually lose.
Much better to use other press to attack and try and discredit Snowden, Greenwald, Poitras et al as all traitors and enemies of the state rather than further prove the US to be a rogue state openly ignoring its own constitution in additional to international law by prosecuting actual journalists for journalism.
I still wasn't entirely convinced they weren't that stupid though until Greenwald didn't disappear after arriving at JFK.
posted by ArkhanJG at 3:48 PM on April 14, 2014 [4 favorites]
The Pulitzers had to have been decided quite a while before this announcement.
Which means it's probably pretty safe to say that the NSA already knew who was going to win.
posted by el io at 4:36 PM on April 14, 2014 [1 favorite]
Which means it's probably pretty safe to say that the NSA already knew who was going to win.
posted by el io at 4:36 PM on April 14, 2014 [1 favorite]
There's hope yet.
posted by wuwei at 5:03 PM on April 14, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by wuwei at 5:03 PM on April 14, 2014 [2 favorites]
Awards were given in 22 categories this year: the Boston Globe received the Pulitzer for breaking for "exhaustive and empathetic" coverage of the Boston marathon bombing. Journalists in the Globe newsroom held observed a period of silence on Monday in memory of the victims, a day before the one-year anniversary of the attack.
How about honoring those awarded with a decently worded sentence? Way to journalize, Guardian.
posted by the_royal_we at 5:27 PM on April 14, 2014
How about honoring those awarded with a decently worded sentence? Way to journalize, Guardian.
posted by the_royal_we at 5:27 PM on April 14, 2014
Presumably even the justice department isn't stupid enough to think that printing factual reports in actual newspapers doesn't qualify as 'freedom of the press' and that that might be a fight they would eventually lose.
They are flirting with the very edge there, ask alleged "criminal co-conspirator" James Rosen.
posted by Drinky Die at 6:09 PM on April 14, 2014 [2 favorites]
They are flirting with the very edge there, ask alleged "criminal co-conspirator" James Rosen.
posted by Drinky Die at 6:09 PM on April 14, 2014 [2 favorites]
How come snowden has to run from the government, when the reporters get to win awards? Shouldn't the reporters be in trouble as well, for accessing classified information?
Journalists have plenty to worry about with regards to prosecution, their physical safety, their privacy, and so on. This work is often taken for granted, and doing it well deserves recognition.
posted by Chutzler at 7:58 PM on April 14, 2014 [4 favorites]
Journalists have plenty to worry about with regards to prosecution, their physical safety, their privacy, and so on. This work is often taken for granted, and doing it well deserves recognition.
posted by Chutzler at 7:58 PM on April 14, 2014 [4 favorites]
schmod: I don't know, I'd think Fox would give them some damn stiff competition, alongside the Daily Mail.
posted by Canageek at 10:54 PM on April 14, 2014
posted by Canageek at 10:54 PM on April 14, 2014
Rep. Peter King sees Red over Pulitzers Honoring Snowden, Journalists covering NSA
posted by the man of twists and turns at 7:32 AM on April 15, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by the man of twists and turns at 7:32 AM on April 15, 2014 [1 favorite]
Nieman Storyboard: The 2014 Pulitzers: A gap year for features
posted by the man of twists and turns at 7:39 AM on April 15, 2014
posted by the man of twists and turns at 7:39 AM on April 15, 2014
How about honoring those awarded with a decently worded sentence? Way to journalize, Guardian.
I read it daily for about a year before unsubscribing and, I swear to god, one of their subeditors has farmed out their job to a Markov chain generator and no one's caught on yet.
Spelling's improved, at least. I've mentally renamed them from The Grauniad to The The Guardian The.
posted by forgetful snow at 11:40 AM on April 15, 2014 [1 favorite]
I read it daily for about a year before unsubscribing and, I swear to god, one of their subeditors has farmed out their job to a Markov chain generator and no one's caught on yet.
Spelling's improved, at least. I've mentally renamed them from The Grauniad to The The Guardian The.
posted by forgetful snow at 11:40 AM on April 15, 2014 [1 favorite]
Edward Snowden nominated for Nobel peace prize, but so is everybody else.
posted by jeffburdges at 4:12 PM on April 16, 2014
posted by jeffburdges at 4:12 PM on April 16, 2014
Snowden now jumping the shark
Sorry, Snowden: Putin Lied to You About His Surveillance State—And Made You a Pawn of It
Looks like he's really deserving the peace prize now, with all of that helping strike propaganda blows for Putin on TV as Vlad eats up other countries.
posted by Ironmouth at 11:03 AM on April 17, 2014
Sorry, Snowden: Putin Lied to You About His Surveillance State—And Made You a Pawn of It
Looks like he's really deserving the peace prize now, with all of that helping strike propaganda blows for Putin on TV as Vlad eats up other countries.
posted by Ironmouth at 11:03 AM on April 17, 2014
I'm fine with whatever Snowden needs to do to survive, his karma is clean. If Obama wasn't to fix all this, he can make Snowden the next director of the NSA, and pardon him.
In this case, there isn't anyone who'll believe Putin's denial anyways, so Snowden's question does zero harm. And certainly cannot impact Russia's incursion. Indirectly, Snowden's question might encourage America to clean up its act, but only if America's leaders have foresight, no immediate effects.
In fact, I suspect Putin's carefully worded denial should be read as saying "We do it the old fashioned way, so behave or we'll just arrest you for whatever we like." Ask a Russian ex-pat maybe.
posted by jeffburdges at 1:48 PM on April 17, 2014
In this case, there isn't anyone who'll believe Putin's denial anyways, so Snowden's question does zero harm. And certainly cannot impact Russia's incursion. Indirectly, Snowden's question might encourage America to clean up its act, but only if America's leaders have foresight, no immediate effects.
In fact, I suspect Putin's carefully worded denial should be read as saying "We do it the old fashioned way, so behave or we'll just arrest you for whatever we like." Ask a Russian ex-pat maybe.
posted by jeffburdges at 1:48 PM on April 17, 2014
Looks like he's really deserving the peace prize now, with all of that helping strike propaganda blows for Putin on TV as Vlad eats up other countries.
If Snowden is a propagandist for Putin, he's doing a bad job of it:
"Vladimir Putin must be called to account on surveillance just like Obama
I questioned the Russian president live on TV to get his answer on the record, not to whitewash him"
posted by MisantropicPainforest at 5:59 AM on April 18, 2014 [2 favorites]
If Snowden is a propagandist for Putin, he's doing a bad job of it:
"Vladimir Putin must be called to account on surveillance just like Obama
I questioned the Russian president live on TV to get his answer on the record, not to whitewash him"
posted by MisantropicPainforest at 5:59 AM on April 18, 2014 [2 favorites]
Snowden has shown before that he's not necessarily the most savvy operator. He might think he's not aiding in propaganda, but Putin now has a clip of himself responding positively to the biggest name in the privacy discussion today. That was a carefully rehearsed response that did exactly what Putin wanted it to.
posted by Etrigan at 6:44 AM on April 18, 2014
posted by Etrigan at 6:44 AM on April 18, 2014
Looks like he's really deserving the peace prize now, with all of that helping strike propaganda blows for Putin on TV as Vlad eats up other countries.
If Snowden is a propagandist for Putin, he's doing a bad job of it:
"Vladimir Putin must be called to account on surveillance just like Obama
I questioned the Russian president live on TV to get his answer on the record, not to whitewash him"
Why doesn't he write a bunch of stories with Glenn Greenwald about how Putin is lying about his surveillance capabilities? I'm sure Putin will understand.
posted by Ironmouth at 7:54 AM on April 18, 2014
If Snowden is a propagandist for Putin, he's doing a bad job of it:
"Vladimir Putin must be called to account on surveillance just like Obama
I questioned the Russian president live on TV to get his answer on the record, not to whitewash him"
Why doesn't he write a bunch of stories with Glenn Greenwald about how Putin is lying about his surveillance capabilities? I'm sure Putin will understand.
posted by Ironmouth at 7:54 AM on April 18, 2014
You mean like the op-ed I just linked to?
Also, you may not know this, but Snowden doesn't have a top secret security clearance in the Russian intelligence business.
posted by MisantropicPainforest at 8:00 AM on April 18, 2014 [2 favorites]
Also, you may not know this, but Snowden doesn't have a top secret security clearance in the Russian intelligence business.
posted by MisantropicPainforest at 8:00 AM on April 18, 2014 [2 favorites]
Americans are responsible for their own country's malfeasances. And Snowden has done more good there than almost any living American, basically only John Kiriakou and Manning did similar good. Russians are likewise responsible for Russia's evil deeds.
Snowden has shown great bravery by potentially risking his asylum to call out Putin's lie in the Guardian. Was he foolish not to understand that Putin's TV show set him up? Meh, who cares?
On the ground, this merely reminds Russian activists, journalists, etc. that the FSB might listen more widely than during Soviet times. It's potentially intimidation, but it's indirect publicity for Tor, OtR, ZRTP, etc. too.
Ya know, Russians were surprised to learn that NYC actually had crime problems when the cold war ended, most just assumed that'd been propaganda too, not exactly a trusting lot.
posted by jeffburdges at 10:59 AM on April 18, 2014
Snowden has shown great bravery by potentially risking his asylum to call out Putin's lie in the Guardian. Was he foolish not to understand that Putin's TV show set him up? Meh, who cares?
On the ground, this merely reminds Russian activists, journalists, etc. that the FSB might listen more widely than during Soviet times. It's potentially intimidation, but it's indirect publicity for Tor, OtR, ZRTP, etc. too.
Ya know, Russians were surprised to learn that NYC actually had crime problems when the cold war ended, most just assumed that'd been propaganda too, not exactly a trusting lot.
posted by jeffburdges at 10:59 AM on April 18, 2014
You mean like the op-ed I just linked to?
Also, you may not know this, but Snowden doesn't have a top secret security clearance in the Russian intelligence business.
An Op-Ed is not a reported story. Why doesn't Glenn and Snowden start asking for interviews or comment from senior FSB Officials? Why don't they write a real story? Because one of the big problems here (beyond nobody knowing the law in this area) is that there's been no comparative study of what other countries are doing, especially Germany, whose entire intelligence footprint is based on intercepts.
Also his own camp now saying its a mistake.
posted by Ironmouth at 12:31 PM on April 21, 2014
Also, you may not know this, but Snowden doesn't have a top secret security clearance in the Russian intelligence business.
An Op-Ed is not a reported story. Why doesn't Glenn and Snowden start asking for interviews or comment from senior FSB Officials? Why don't they write a real story? Because one of the big problems here (beyond nobody knowing the law in this area) is that there's been no comparative study of what other countries are doing, especially Germany, whose entire intelligence footprint is based on intercepts.
Also his own camp now saying its a mistake.
posted by Ironmouth at 12:31 PM on April 21, 2014
You're being a little slimy there. You don't think he deserves praise for what he did in the US, much less for anything he does or does not do in Russia. It's okay just to say that instead of being disingenuous and shifting the goalposts around on how much he must oppose the only man keeping him out of jail to get your approval.
posted by Drinky Die at 12:37 PM on April 21, 2014 [5 favorites]
posted by Drinky Die at 12:37 PM on April 21, 2014 [5 favorites]
Clapper bans US intelligence employees from 'unauthorised' media contact: Directive, signed by director of national intelligence, orders that contact with media must be authorised by officials
posted by homunculus at 5:28 PM on April 22, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by homunculus at 5:28 PM on April 22, 2014 [1 favorite]
State Dept launches 'Free the Press' campaign while DOJ asks Supreme Court to force NYT's James Risen to jail
posted by homunculus at 8:32 PM on April 26, 2014
posted by homunculus at 8:32 PM on April 26, 2014
Fact-checking Hillary Clinton's comments on Edward Snowden and the NSA
posted by homunculus at 5:59 PM on April 29, 2014
posted by homunculus at 5:59 PM on April 29, 2014
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posted by Alexandra Kitty at 12:47 PM on April 14, 2014