Pulitzers honor Franklin, coverage of shootings

The Pulitzer Prizes announced on Monday recognized breaking news coverage of mass shootings, investigative reporting on President Donald Trump’s finances, and the special contributions of the “Queen of Soul.” Aretha Franklin, who died in August of last year from pancreatic cancer, received a posthumous special citation from the Pulitzer board “for her indelible contribution to American music and culture.” Franklin is the first woman to receive the honorary Pulitzer.

The South Florida Sun Sentinel received an award for its breaking news coverage of the Feb. 14, 2018, mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette won for reporting on the shooting at the Tree of Life Congregation synagogue on Oct. 27, 2018. And Maryland’s Capital Gazette won a special citation for its courage following a June 28, 2018, shooting that killed five employees in its own newsroom. The Pulitzer board gave the Capital Gazette a $100,000 dollar grant to further its journalism work.

The Associated Press won in the international reporting category for shedding light on the humanitarian horrors of Yemen’s civil war, while The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal were honored for delving into President Trump’s finances and hush-money scandals involving alleged mistresses.