The Pulitzer Prizes are considered the most prestigious awards in American journalism and recognize work in 15 journalism categories.
POLITICO was the first to report on a draft Supreme Court opinion that would completely overturn the 1973 decision that guaranteed federal constitutional protections for abortion rights. Chief Justice John Roberts called the unauthorized release of the draft opinion “a singular and flagrant breach” of the court’s confidence.
No draft decision in the court’s modern history has been made public while a case was still pending.
In January, the Supreme Court released the results of an internal investigation and said it could not determine who disclosed the draft opinion to POLITICO.
Access to abortion has rocketed to the center of the national political scene since last year. The turnaround of Roe against Wade stretched across the country, where abortion bans were instituted in several states. In many parts of the country, the battle over access to abortion is still ongoing, while other states are taking steps to expand access to abortion since the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision.
The coverage spawned a series of follow-up stories, including the religious right’s attempts to influence the court, Roberts’ declining control of the court, judges not disclosing husbands’ work due to potential conflicts of interest, and more.
POLITICO received this year’s George Polk Award for National Reporting for publishing the draft opinion. Traditionally focused on research and entrepreneurial work, the Polk Awards are among the most prestigious awards in the industry and are often the first to highlight exceptional work in the United States and around the world.
POLITICO was also the winner of the 2023 Toner Prize for Excellence in National Political Reporting and the Katharine Graham Award for Courage and Accountability from the White House Correspondents’ Association for her reporting on the draft opinion.
from POLITICO Matt Wuerker won the news organization’s first Pulitzer in 2012 in editorial cartoons for its “consistently fresh, funny cartoons, especially memorable for mocking the partisan conflict that engulfed Washington.”
The Associated Press won the Public Service Award for the work of Mstyslav Chernov, Evgeniy Maloletka, Vasilisa Stepanenko and Lori Hinnant documenting the Russian siege of Mariupol.
In opening remarks, Neil Brown, co-chair of the Pulitzer Prize Board, paid tribute to Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, stating that the board, along with other organizations, is demanding Gershkovich’s release.
The full list of 2023 Pulitzer Prize winners can be found here.