Cronkite School students recognized as Pulitzer finalists

The 2025 Pulitzer Prizes recognized students from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication for exceptional reporting, naming the "Lethal Restraint" reporting collaboration a finalist for the Pulitzer for Investigative Reporting.

"Lethal Restraint" was produced by journalists from The Associated Press global investigations unit, FRONTLINE and the Howard Centers at Arizona State University and the University of Maryland. 

Every day, police across the country use physical restraints, Tasers, takedowns and other tactics in encounters that are not designed to be fatal. But sometimes, "less-lethal force" still ends in deaths not formally tallied by the federal government. "Lethal Restraint" documents 1,036 non-shooting deaths involving law enforcement from 2012 through 2021, and includes an unprecedented interactive story and database of these cases.

"Being named a Pulitzer Prize finalist is a profound recognition of the power of investigative journalism, the doggedness of our students and the incredible dedication of our faculty," said Dean Battinto L. Batts, Jr. "This project not only sheds light on a critical issue of national importance, but also exemplifies the kind of impact our students make when given the opportunity and mentorship to pursue the truth — and underscores why we must continue to invest in it."

As part of the "Lethal Restraint" collaboration, Cronkite School students were responsible for unearthing incidents of lethal police restraint for the entire state of Nevada. They combed through court records and submitted public information requests to state and local law enforcement agencies, medical examiners and prosecutors. The students also reviewed police body-camera footage and spoke with attorneys, advocates, lawmakers, policing experts, toxicologists and other public health scientists, as well as the surviving families. 

In all, 24 Cronkite students contributed to reporting, data collection and analysis.

This is the second time Cronkite students have collaborated on Pulitzer-recognized work: Cronkite students played an important role in "The Wall," a 2017 USA Today Network project capturing every foot of the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border, which won the Pulitzer Prize in Explanatory Reporting.

ASU's Howard Center for Investigative Journalism is a groundbreaking, hands-on learning experience supported by the Scripps Howard Foundation. In the Howard Center, graduate and capstone-level undergraduate students learn how to produce deeply researched watchdog journalism, often in partnership with prominent national newsrooms.

Cronkite School "Lethal Restraint" team

REPORTERS

Jessica Alvarado Gamez, Taylor Bayly, Arlyssa Becenti, Jonmaesha Beltran, James Brown Jr., Tirzah Christopher, Nathan Collins, Grace Copperthite, Reagan Ryan Creamer, Tyler Dedrick, Katie Donnelly, Sam Ellefson, Mikey Galo, Rachel Konieczny, Brooke Manning, Shahid Meighan, Wyatt Myskow, Caralin Nunes, Lisa Patel, Juliette Rihl, Elena Santa Cruz, Taylor Stevens, Zachary Van Arsdale, Isza Amponin Zerrudo

ASSISTANT PROJECT EDITOR

Taylor Stevens

PROJECT EDITORS

Professor of Practice Maud Beelman, Professor of Practice Lauren Mucciolo, Knight Chair in Data Journalism Sarah Cohen