Joseph Pulitzer and the Pulitzer Prizes

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Joseph Pulitzer and the Pulitzer Prizes
One mans contribution to the future of
journalism and photojournalism
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JOSEPH PULITZER, 18471911

• Joseph Pulitzer was born in Mako, Hungary on
  April 10, 1847, the son of a wealthy grain
  merchant of Magyar-Jewish origin and a German
  mother who was a devout Roman Catholic.
• At the age of seventeen, the 6'2" youth decided
  to become a soldier and tried in turn to enlist
  in the Austrian Army, Napoleon's Foreign Legion
  for duty in Mexico, and the British Army for
  service in India.

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JOSEPH PULITZER, cont.

• In Hamburg, Germany, he encountered a bounty
  recruiter for the U.S. Union Army and contracted
  to enlist as a substitute for a draftee, a
  procedure permitted under the Civil War draft
  system.
• Later, he worked his way to St. Louis. While
  doing odd jobs there, such as muleteer, baggage
  handler, and waiter, he immersed himself in the
  city's Mercantile Library, studying English and
  the law.

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Becoming a journalist

• His great career opportunity came in a unique
  manner in the library's chess room. Observing the
  game of two regulars, he wisely critiqued a move
  and the players, impressed, engaged Pulitzer in
  conversation. The players were editors of the
  leading German language daily, Westliche Post,
  and a job offer followed.

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Becoming a publisher

• At age 25, Pulitzer became a publisher and there
  followed a series of shrewd business deals from
  which he emerged in 1878 as the owner of the St.
  Louis Post-Dispatch, and a rising figure on the
  journalistic scene.

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A name in journalism

• Pulitzer was the most skillful of newspaper
  publishers, a passionate crusader against
  dishonest government, a fierce, hawk-like
  competitor who did not shrink from sensationalism
  in circulation struggles, and a visionary who
  richly endowed his profession.
• His innovative New York World and St. Louis
  Post-Dispatch reshaped newspaper journalism.
  Pulitzer was the first to call for the training
  of journalists at the university level in a
  school of journalism.

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Pulitzers dying wishes

• In writing his 1904 will, which made provision
  for the establishment of the Pulitzer Prizes as
  an incentive to excellence, Pulitzer specified
  solely four awards in journalism, four in letters
  and drama, one for education, and four traveling
  scholarships.
• But, sensitive to the dynamic progression of his
  society Pulitzer made provision for broad changes
  in the system of awards.

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Adaptation of the awards

• Since the inception of the prizes in 1917, the
  board, later renamed the Pulitzer Prize Board,
  has increased the number of awards to 21 and
  introduced poetry, music, and photography as
  subjects, while adhering to the spirit of the
  founder's will and its intent.
• In his will Pulitzer bestowed an endowment on
  Columbia of 2,000,000 for the establishment of a
  School of Journalism, one-fourth of which was to
  be "applied to prizes or scholarships for the
  encouragement of public, service, public morals,
  American literature, and the advancement of
  education."

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Journalism Awards

• There are 14 journalism awards given for
  different types of journalistic categories
• Currently, 2 of the 14 awards are for
  photography.
• One for breaking-news photography
• One for feature photography

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Pulitzer Prize Project

• Your assignment is to research one photographer
  that won a Pulitzer Prize.
• For this assignment you will give biographical
  information for the photographer, tell the story
  of the winning photo(s), and also describe the
  photographers journey to get the photos.
• Please watch the next slides for photographer
  options. Write down the names of two or three you
  would like to research. After the slides, we will
  request photographers.

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Joe Rosenthal- The Iwo Jima Flag
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Arnold Hardy- Winecoff Hotel Fire
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Horst Faas- Vietnam Photo Coverage
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Eddie Adams- Saigon Execution
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Nick Ut- The Napalm Girl of Trangbang
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Sal Veder- Home is the Hero
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Stanley Forman- Boston Fire Balcony
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Tom Kelly- Horror in a small town
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Ron Edmonds- Assassination Attempt on President
Reagan
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David Turnley- A World of pictures
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John Kaplan- 21
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Kevin Carter- The vulture and the baby
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Charles Porter- OKC Bombing
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Stephanie Welsh- African Rite of Passage
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Martha Rial- Trek of Tears
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Alan Diaz- The Taking of Elian
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Deanne Fitzmaurice- Putting him back together
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Todd Heisler- A Final Salute
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Oded Balilty- Lone Jewish Woman
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Renée C. Byer- A Mothers Journey
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Preston Gannaway
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Steven G. Smith The Rocky Mountain News
Photography Staff
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Adrees Latif
Adrees Latif
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David Leeson and Cheryl Diaz Meyer
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George Kochaniec Jr. Denver Rocky Mountain News
Photo Staff
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Ruth Fremson The New York Times Staff
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Irwin Thompson The Dallas Morning News Staff
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Carolyn Cole
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Pulitzer Journalist Project Due at end of class
Wednesday April 21. Present in class on
Thursday/Friday April 22 and 23. .

• Select one Pulitzer-prize-winning photojournalist
  from Pulitzer.org. You will research the
  photojournalist.
• Use a minimum of 3 sources.
• Guidelines
• Include at least 10 slides.
• Include biographical information on photographer.
• Include information about his/her career in
  photojournalism.
• Include at least 5 photos.
• Include the type of prize the photographer won
  (there are different photo categories) and the
  actual photos that won.
• Include information about the situation in which
  the photographer shot the photo. (whats the
  story?)
• Include photographers other notable
  accomplishments.