Pulitzer Winners Feted With Reception and Discussion Tonight

The NPC's Professional Development Committee recognizes this year's Pulitzer Prize in journalism winners with a reception and panel discussion on Monday, Sept. 23 at 5:30 p.m. in the NPC's Zenger Room.

The National Press Club reception with light hors d’oeuvres is scheduled to be followed by a panel discussion starting at 6:30 p.m. in the NPC's Conference Rooms featuring some of the winners talking about “How I got the Story” and other aspects of producing prize-worthy journalism in today’s reality of budget cuts, layoffs and competition from so many sources of information competing for the public’s attention and interest.

Tickets are $5 for Press Club members and $10 for the public for the event sponsored by the club's Professional Development Committee. Registration is required here.

The question and answer session following the discussion is being designed for journalists to engage the panelists in delving deeper into the nuts and bolts of the work that goes into producing material that grabs a contest judge’s attention.

The changing news-delivery landscape makes getting a story that no one else picks up on perhaps harder but provides many new sources to layer onto the research that goes into producing award-winning journalism.

Elizabeth McGowan, a Club member and D.C. resident, plans to talk about reporting a national story about “flawed regulation of the nation’s oil pipelines,” as the Pulitzer citation noted, with a team at InsideClimate News, an online-only publication.

The team from the Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Sun Sentinel that won for Public Service in Journalism, plans to discuss about using, as its Pulitzer citation points out, “its journalistic resources, including stories, editorials, cartoons, photographs, graphics, videos, databases, multimedia,” in presenting the results of its investigation of off-duty police officers who recklessly speed and endanger the lives of citizens, work that led to disciplinary action.

Members and the public are invited to come with kudos to offer the winners during the reception and questions that will contribute to a great discussion about the pursuit of journalism that challenges Americans to think about what is going on in life around them and has a positive effect on our democratic lifestyle.