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What is Pulitzer Prize?
The Pulitzer Prize is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and music composition within the United States. The award was established in 1917 after the will of Joseph Pulitzer, an American newspaper publisher, made provisions for its establishment. The award is administered by the Columbia University in the United States. Prizes are awarded yearly in 21 categories and in 20 of them, the winner receives a certificate and cash prize of $15,000. In the public service category, the winner is awarded a gold medal.
Who was Joseph Pulitzer?
Hungarian-born Pulitzer was a skillful news publisher. He was a passionate crusader against dishonest governments and known for resorting to sensationalism. New York World and St Louis Post-Dispatch, both started by Pulitzer, reshaped how journalism was done during his time.
Pulitzer donated his money to Columbia University to start a journalism school and establish the award. In his will, he specified “four awards in journalism, four in letters and drama, one in education, and four travelling scholarships." Pulitzer died on October 29, 1911.
The first Pulitzer Prize was awarded on June 4, 1917. It is now announced in the month of April.
Prize entry
Not every work in the media is automatically considered for the Pulitzer Prize. There is an entry fee of $75 for each category. The entries must be specific and fit in the specific prize categories.
The Pulitzer Prize Board selects 102 jurors to serve on 20 different juries for the 21 categories. There are five members on most juries, except for those for Investigative Reporting, Public Service, Explanatory Reporting, Feature Writing, and Commentary categories, where there are seven members.
The official announcement of the prizes states that the awards are made by the president of the Columbia University on the recommendations of the Pulitzer Prize Board.