What’s it like to win a Pulitzer? Cronkite faculty explain

Faculty at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication have earned dozens of Pulitzer Prizes across their illustrious careers. But what's it like to win the coveted prize?

"It was always exhilarating," said Weil Family Professor Leonard Downie Jr.

Downie tallied up 25 Pulitzers in his nearly two decades as executive editor of The Washington Post—that's more than any other newspaper under a single executive editor.

On the day the prizes were publicly announced, Downie said the newsroom would be crowded with staff. After any Post winners were named, the entire newsroom showered them with applause and cheer.

"The important thing was, it was for the newspaper, more than (for) me," Downie said. "For the reporters involved, for the photographers involved, and the newspaper as a whole."

In 2008, his final year at The Post, he led the paper to six—yes, six—Pulitzers. On the day they were announced, he brought his wife into the newsroom to experience The Post's Pulitzer tradition alongside him.

One of Downie's favorite Pulitzers was in 2006 for beat reporting; journalist Dana Priest won it for her reporting on "black site" prisons.

Downie said that Priest was the only reporter investigating the topic. The story led them to the CIA Headquarters and the White House, where the head of the CIA and President George W. Bush tried to talk them out of publishing.

"I love journalism that matters, journalism that makes a difference, journalism that inspires people, journalism that makes people do good things," Downie said. "That's what matters as much as the prize; the prizes are simply recognition of that."

Though Downie is Cronkite's most decorated Pulitzer Prize winner, he isn't the most recent. That'd be Angela Hill, the Ida B. Wells Professor in Journalism, who, before coming to Cronkite, worked at The Washington Post as senior video producer.

Hill received her Pulitzer in May 2024 after a seven-month journey working on "American Icon." She, along with over 60 other journalists, collaborated to tell the story of the AR-15 and its rise in popularity and impact.

As a senior video producer, Hill's job was to bring the story to life visually. She worked closely with a video journalist and a team of photographers and graphic designers.

More than a year after the story ran, Hill's parents were in town for a visit when she received a text from her former executive producer.

"I recall saying out loud in disbelief, "'I think I just won a Pulitzer.'" Hill said. "And my mom was like, "'You just won a Pulitzer?' We're all like, "'What?'"

Hill had to read the text multiple times to help her process. When she received her award in the mail, it still had that wow factor.

She said the recognition underscored the power of journalism. Every word typed, photo taken and video recorded had an impact. So, too, did a collaboration that included people with a wide range of experiences and perspectives on the AR-15. Through it all, Hill said listening was central to the project's success.

"Listening can go a long way," Hill said. "You might just learn something, or might just be able to have the opportunity to get someone else's perspective."