Monday, April 16, 2012

Three Gannett newspapers are Pulitzer finalists

They are The Arizona Republic, USA Today and the Burlington Free Press in Vermont, according to this afternoon's announcement about journalism's highest honor.

The categories where GCI's papers were finalists:

Breaking news 
The Arizona Republic Staff in Phoenix, for its comprehensive coverage of the mass shooting that killed six and wounded 13, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, an exemplary use of journalistic tools, from Twitter to video to written reports and features, to tell an unfolding story. (Winner: Alabama's Tuscaloosa News staff.)

Explanatory reporting
Tom Frank of USA Today for his sharply focused exploration of inflated pensions for state and local employees, enhancing stories with graphic material to show how state legislators pump up retirement benefits in creative but unconscionable ways. (Winner: David Kocieniewski of The New York Times.)

Editorial writing 
Aki Soga and Michael Townsend, of the Burlington Free Press, for their campaign that resulted in the state’s first reform of open government laws in 35 years, reducing legal obstacles that helped shroud the work of government officials. (No award was given in this category.)

15 comments:

  1. Close only counts in hand grenades and horseshoes.
    They finalists still are LOSERS!

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  2. All we read about here is how the quality of journalism at Gannett stinks. Sorry haters but this is great news. Congrats to all the finalists! Your friends, colleagues and families are mighty proud of you!

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  3. Nothing but love. You all are the greatest. Congratulations

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  4. There's good work here. Better p.r for Gannett than shitty earnings or canning a new hire for exhibiting more creative self promotional skills than our CMO.

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  5. Close also counts in atom bombs and women!

    -Pulitzer Finalist
    (But not for Gannett)

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  6. Bit harsh to be criticising them for "only" being a finalist for a Pulitzer. Well done to those involved for coming so close.

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  7. Congrats. Nice to see.

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  8. Congrats to all the finalists and to the thousands of Gannett journalists who work hard each day to inform the public. That's what truly matters.

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  9. 10:50, while I agree that the finalists should be praised, it's rather sad that, out of 90+ papers, only three of them were finalists.

    The New York Times won two Pulitzers, and they're just one paper. The Harrisburg Patriot-News won a Pulitzer. Yet, not one Gannett paper won.

    Maybe if Gannett worried more about doing great journalism and a little less time worrying about mainstreaming and passion topics, they'd win a few Pulitzers.

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  10. Pulitzers are elitist. Cater to peepul who reed gooder.

    Though if we somehow discovered one On The Road, readers of Corporate Women Weekly would know which of our brands earned it. All by herself.

    Most likely for the exceptional investigative reporting resulting in the uncovering of bit.ly.

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  11. Gannett only cares about one thing: making money.
    Profits over people.
    Profits over public good.
    And profits over prestige.

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  12. Congrats to the Republic on being a finalist on the Giffords shooting. What's interesting here is that the Arizona Daily Star, a Lee paper (and Gannett partner in Tucson) owns that territory. The news cutbacks at the Star over the last few years have been devastating.

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  13. This is fantastic news and well-deserved, but I can't help in imagining, in my opinion, that this happened despite the top brass at this company. If they concentrated on trying to do good work like this, the company would be much more respected. But instead, you have the model that has been gleefully adopted at many papers including Florida Today -- strange boosterish stories on how the local economy is fantastic (it sucks, see 60 Minutes) and lapdog journalism, instead of watchdog. Interesting to note that heavyweights like the Post, the Los Angeles Times and WSJ did not win but also were finalists. And McClatchy and Advance, if I am not incorrect, had only one finalist apiece.

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  14. Great news, and worth perhaps a million times more than whatever corporate is ladling out as awards these days -- the president's throne? Strange to see this is not on the Gannett website, this is better PR and better for the image of the company than any horizontal, vertical or passion topic.

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  15. Well folks the people running Gannett are strong arming the little people. 2 of the 19 papers of Gannwtt havw senr up trial signals to the readership telling them they will have to pay for internet access to the paper as well as home delivery----no other options---The rate increase was approx 30%---This is planned to happen to all 19 papers by the end of the year.... PEOPLE ARE SO MAD THEY ARE CANCELLING THE PAPER...The BIG BULLIES AT Gannett are testing this in small markets...I HOPE THE GANNETT TEAM FALLS ON IT'S FACE---You guys are acting like the present Fed Gov't---Hope the curret management at Gannett QUICKLEY JOIN THE UNEMPLOYMENT LINE.

    YOU BIG BULLIES

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