Several IRE members recognized in 2013 Pulitzer Prizes

Fourteen members of Investigative Reporters and Editors were among journalists recognized in the 2013 Pulitzer Prizes on Monday.

Members Sally Kestin and John Maines were part of a Sun Sentinel team that won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service, for its "well documented investigation of off-duty police officers who recklessly speed and endanger the lives of citizens, leading to disciplinary action and other steps to curtail a deadly hazard." Read their IRE Journal entry about the story here.

David Barstow of The New York Times and Alejandra Xanic von Bertrab won the Investigative Reporting category for "their reports on how Wal-Mart used widespread bribery to dominate the market in Mexico, resulting in changes in company practices."

David Barboza of The New York Times won for International Reporting, for "his striking exposure of corruption at high levels of the Chinese government, including billions in secret wealth owned by relatives of the prime minister, well documented work published in the face of heavy pressure from the Chinese officials."

Lisa Song and colleagues at InsideClimate News won for National Reporting, for "their rigorous reports on flawed regulation of the nation’s oil pipelines, focusing on potential ecological dangers posed by diluted bitumen (or "dilbit"), a controversial form of oil." Read her article for IRE's UPlink about the reporting.

Members Brad Schrade and Glenn Howatt and colleague Jeremy Olson won the Local Reporting category for "their powerful reports on the spike in infant deaths at poorly regulated day-care homes, resulting in legislative action to strengthen rules."

Several IRE members were among Pulitzer Prize finalists as well. Ryan Gabrielson and the California Watch team were finalists for the prize in Public Service for reporting that exposed how state police failed to protect patients in developmentally disabled homes.

Amanda Kost was among Denver Post staffers who were finalists for Breaking News, for coverage of wildfires, and Dave Altimari was among staff of the Hartford Courant, which was also a finalist in Breaking News for coverage of the shooting massacre in Newtown.

Alexandra Zayas of the Tampa Bay Times was a finalist for Investigative Reporting, for reporting on unlicensed religious group homes.

Todd Wallack and colleagues at The Boston Globe were finalists for National Reporting for their coverage tracing the source and regulation of a fungal meningitis outbreak.

Ames Alexander of The Charlotte Observer and Joseph Neff and David Raynor of  The News and Observer were finalists for a joint investigation into hospital profits.