ProPublica noted first for online journalism

U.S. investigative news organization ProPublica noted first for online journalism yesterday, winning the Pulitzer Prize for Web-only series.

The independent, nonprofit news outlet has won a prestigious award in the category of national reporting for exposing questionable practices on Wall Street ahead of the recent financial crisis, with judges praising reporters Jesse Eisinger and Jake Bernstein for "using digital tools to help explain the complex subject to lay readers .

This is not the first Pulitzer Prize ProPublica's, reporter Sheri Fink has won in the Investigative Reporting category last year for a lethal choice for the "Memorial" on euthanasia in New Orleans hospital as a result of Hurricane Katrina.

But unlike the series, which was published in the New York Times, the decision said yesterday that the series that does not occur in print.

"We are pleased to ProPublica of this award, and honored," says ProPublica editor Paul Steiger in the main report for the second victory.

"These awards are important for our employees, especially because they all reflect the opinions of our colleagues in the field of journalism. But they're not why we are in business.

"Instead, as I indicated above, ProPublica was created to promote reform based on journalistic means - and do it, reporting and writing stories with" moral force "that is, stories about abuse of power or the inability to maintain public confidence. It is our mission and the award today encourages us to continue it with increased vigor. "

ProPublica cooperated in the investigation with the Planet Money National Public Radio and This American Life program, and while the radio reporting is not eligible for awards, Steiger paid tribute to their contribution.

The prize should be several high-profile awards for non-profit this year, including: two George Polk Awards; American Society of News Editors Batten Medal, two Investigative Reporters and Editors Award and two awards from the Society for News Design.

Other Pulitzer Prize winners include New York Times, which won two awards. Clifford J. Levy and Ellen Barry, has been recognized in international reporting category for "their persistent reports that put a human face on a broken system of justice in Russia, and David Leonhardt in the commentary category for his "graceful penetration of complex economic problems of America."

Los Angeles Times also took two awards, the public service award for exposing corruption in a small city in California Bell, and the prize functions of Photography, which went to Barbara Davidson, Los Angeles Times for coverage of the innocent victims caught in the middle of gang violence.

For the first time in the 95-year history of the prize, the prize was not awarded this year in the category of Breaking News. According to the prize administrator Sig Gissler, violation of awards given to local news stories and admits that "the speed and accuracy of the initial coverage.