The Washington Post and the U.S. edition of the Guardian have won the top award in journalism — the Pulitzer Prize. They will share the Public Service award for their series of stories on NSA surveillance, as revealed by Edward Snowden, an NSA contractor who gave the top-secret information to the news organizations. The Pulitzer committee said the journalism was “marked by authoritative and insightful reports that helped the public understand how the disclosures fit into the larger framework of national security.”
Barton Gellman led the Post’s coverage, while Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras and Ewen MacAskill led the Guardian’s coverage.
Greenwald became the public face of the reporting, appearing on two Sunday shows last June 9 just hours before the Guardian posted a video interview with Snowden detailing NSA tactics. As an international chase began for Snowden — he eventually made it to Moscow, where he remains — Greenwald kept up his U.S. TV news appearances, often from Rio de Janeiro where he lives, including on “Meet the Press” where journalism itself, became the topic of debate. Greenwald and Poitras returned to the U.S. last Friday, to accept a Polk Award, also for their Snowden reporting.