Home > 2004 Pulitzer Prize

The Los Angeles Times won five journalism awards, the most that the newspaper has ever won in a single year and second only to the New York Times in 2002 for the most won in a year by any paper.

The presentations took place at a luncheon at Columbia University in May. They were the 88th presentation of the prizes.

1 Journalism awards

• beat reporting: Daniel Golden , Wall Street Journal, for his compelling and meticulously documented stories on admission preferences given to the children of alumni and donors at American universities.
• breaking news reporting: Staff of the Los Angeles Times, for its compelling and comprehensive coverage of the massive wildfires that imperiled a populated region of southern California.
• breaking news photography: David Leeson and Cheryl Diaz Meyer , Dallas Morning News, for their eloquent photographs depicting both the violence and poignancy of the war with Iraq.
• commentary: Leonard Pitts Jr. , Miami Herald, for his fresh, vibrant columns that spoke, with both passion and compassion, to ordinary people on often divisive issues.
• criticismThe Pulitzer Prize for Criticism has been presented since 1970 to a newspaper writer who has demonstrated 'distinguished criticism'. Recipients of the award are chosen by an independent board and officially administered by Columbia University. 1970 Ada Lo: Dan NeilDan Neil is an Automobile Columnist for the Los Angeles Times noted for his for his one-of-a-kind reviews of automobiles, which blend technical expertise with offbeat humor and astute cultural observations. Neil won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 200, Los Angeles Times, for his one-of-a-kind reviews of automobiles, blending technical expertise with offbeat humor and astute cultural observations.
• editorial cartooningThe Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning has been awarded since 1922 for a distinguished cartoon or portfolio of cartoons published during the year, characterized by originality, editorial effectiveness, quality of drawing, and pictorial effect. 1922 R: Matt Davies , Journal News , for his piercing cartoons on an array of topics, drawn with a fresh, original style.
• editorial writingThe Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing has been awarded since 1917 for distinguished editorial writing, the test of excellence being clearness of style, moral purpose, sound reasoning, and power to influence public opinion in what the writer conceives t: William Stall , Los Angeles Times, for his incisive editorials that analyzed CaliforniaCalifornia is a state located in the western United States, bordering the Pacific Ocean. The most populous and third largest state in the U. California is both physically and demographically diverse. The state's official nickname is "The Golden State", wh's troubled state government, prescribed remedies and served as a model for addressing complex state issues.
• explanatory reporting: Kevin Helliker and Thomas M. Burton , Wall Street Journal, for their groundbreaking examination of aneurysms, an often overlooked medical condition that kills thousands of Americans each year.
• feature photography: Carolyn Cole, Los Angeles Times, for her cohesive, behind-the-scenes look at the effects of civil war in Liberia, with special attention to innocent citizens caught in the conflict.
• feature writing: not awarded
• international reporting: Anthony Shadid , Washington Post, for his extraordinary ability to capture, at personal peril, the voices and emotions of Iraqis as their country was invaded, their leader toppled and their way of life upended.
• investigative reporting: Michael D. Sallah , Mitch Weiss and Joe Mahr of The Blade , for their powerful series on atrocities by Tiger Force, an elite U.S. Army platoon, during the Vietnam War.
• national reporting: Staff of the Los Angeles Times, for its engrossing examination of the tactics that have made Wal-Mart the largest company in the world with cascading effects across American towns and developing countries.
• public service: New York Times, for the work of David Barstow and Lowell Bergman that relentlessly examined death and injury among American workers and exposed employers who break basic safety rules. (This was moved by the board from the Investigative Reporting category, where it was also entered.)