Let’s be honest: Most investigative reporting doesn’t get widely read because it’s dense, inaccessible and not very compelling. It lands with a thud and isn’t heard from again. That’s why I was rooting for a couple of guys this time around for Pulitzers whose work was doggedly reported, widely read, and forced the powers that be to react.
Matt Apuzzo and his AP colleagues peeled back the many layers of the NYPD’s “clandestine spying program that monitored daily life in Muslim communities, resulting in congressional calls for a federal investigation, and a debate over the proper role of domestic intelligence gathering,” as the Pulitzer committee put it. For that, they shared the investigative reporting Pulitzer announced on Monday. You can see the highlights of their series of stories here. Top notch stuff.
Former TPMer Spencer Ackerman didn’t snag a Pulitzer for his work at Wired uncovering how elements of the FBI’s counterterrorism training program were perverted into something approaching an anti-Muslim screed. But whatever. It was fine work, and he’s sporting a National Magazine Award for it. The centerpiece story of Wired‘s coverage is here.
I’m not much into the navel-gazing journalism awards scene, but these guys deserve every honor coming their way.
