Trump Dominates Pulitzer Prizes: Wins in Four Categories Including Assassination Attempt Coverage

Pulitzer Committee Selects Breaking News Reporting and Photography Winners
Journalists Honored for Coverage of Trump Assassination Attempt
Cartoon, Illustration, and National Reporting Categories Also Involve Trump

This year's Pulitzer Prize, considered the highest honor in American journalism, was awarded to a large number of journalists who reported on former U.S. President Donald Trump. On the 5th (local time), Yonhap News reported, "The Pulitzer Prize Selection Committee selected The Washington Post (WP) reporting team, who covered the assassination attempt on President Trump on July 13 last year, as the winner of the 109th Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting." The committee also selected Doug Mills of The New York Times (NYT), who covered the same incident, as the winner in the Breaking News Photography category."

In July of last year, Doug Miller, a New York Times reporter who captured the moment when then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was shot, won the Pulitzer Prize. The bullet trajectory can be seen passing to the right of President Trump. Pulitzer Prize Selection Committee

In other words, coverage of the Trump assassination attempt swept both major breaking news categories. The committee praised WP for "delivering urgent and insightful reporting by utilizing traditional police reporting and audiovisual techniques, offering detailed storytelling and sharp analysis." Regarding Mills, the committee stated, "He managed to capture the bullet slicing through the air while then-candidate Trump was speaking."

In Mills's photograph published in the NYT, the trajectory of the bullet flying directly behind President Trump is clearly visible. Mills reportedly continued shooting without pause even as gunshots rang out multiple times at the scene, capturing the moment at a speed of 1/8000th of a second with a Sony digital camera capable of shooting up to 30 frames per second in continuous mode.

A draft version of a satirical cartoon about Big Tech posted by cartoonist Ann Telnaes on the online platform Substack. Substack

The winner in the Cartoon and Illustration category was also a figure related to President Trump. Ann Telnaes, a former cartoonist for WP, drew a satirical cartoon depicting Big Tech moguls, including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, offering bundles of cash to President Trump. However, after the cartoon was rejected for publication, she resigned, drawing significant attention. The Pulitzer committee explained its decision to honor Telnaes by stating, "She skillfully and creatively criticized powerful individuals and institutions and showed the courage to leave an organization where she had worked for 17 years."

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reporting team, selected as the winner in the National Reporting category, covered the evolving political orientation of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who has emerged as one of President Trump's closest allies, as well as allegations of drug abuse and private conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In the Public Service category, considered the most prestigious among the Pulitzer Prizes, the investigative media outlet ProPublica was awarded. The outlet tracked and reported on cases of mothers who died due to delayed responses by doctors in states with strict abortion laws. This marks the second consecutive year ProPublica has won the award, following last year's recognition for exposing ethical issues involving a U.S. Supreme Court justice.

The NYT also won in four categories, including the Explanatory Reporting category for its coverage of how U.S.-backed militias in Afghanistan massacred civilians, which led to increased support for the Taliban, earning the distinction of receiving the most awards among news organizations this year.

Named after American journalist Joseph Pulitzer and established in 1917, the Pulitzer Prize annually recognizes winners in various journalism and arts categories. The winner in the Public Service category receives a gold medal, while the other winners each receive $15,000 (approximately 20.77 million won).