The Boston Globe wins Pulitzer Prize for public service

NEW YORK (AP) _ The Boston Globe won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for public service Monday for ``courageous comprehensive coverage'' in its disclosures of sexual abuse by priests in the Roman Catholic

Monday, April 7th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

NEW YORK (AP) _ The Boston Globe won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for public service Monday for ``courageous comprehensive coverage'' in its disclosures of sexual abuse by priests in the Roman Catholic church.

The Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post each won three of journalism's most prestigious awards.

For breaking news, the staff of The Eagle-Tribune of Lawrence, Mass., won for stories on the accidental drownings of four boys in the Merrimack River. It was the 60,000-circulation newspaper's second Pulitzer; it also won in 1988.

Clifford J. Levy of The New York Times won the investigative reporting prize for a series on the abuse of mentally ill adults in New York State-regulated homes.

The Wall Street Journal staff won for explanatory reporting for a series of stories on corporate scandals in America. The judges called the work ``clear, concise and comprehensive stories'' that brought to light ``the roots, significance and impact of corporate scandals in America.''

Health reporter Diana K. Sugg of The (Baltimore) Sun won for beat reporting for ``stories that illuminated complex medical issues through the lives of people.''

Cornelia Grumman of the Chicago Tribune won the editorial prize for editorials against the death penalty.

The editorial cartooning award went to David Horsey of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer for work ``executed with a distinctive style and sense of humor.'' Horsey also won in 1999.

The photography staff of the Rocky Mountain News of Denver won the breaking news photography award for coverage of Colorado's forest fires.

Alan Miller and Kevin Sack of the Los Angeles Times won the national reporting award for their examination of a military aircraft, the Harrier, linked to the deaths of 45 pilots.

The feature writing Pulitzer was awarded to the Times' Sonia Nazario for a story about a Honduran boy's search for his mother, who had migrated to the United States. The judges called it a ``touching, exhaustively reported story.'' The feature photography prize went to Don Bartletti of the Times for his portrayal of undocumented Central American youths traveling north to the United States.

The international reporting award went to The Washington Post's Kevin Sullivan and Mary Jordan, a married couple, for stories on Mexico's criminal justice system.

Colbert I. King of the Post won for commentary for his columns ``that speak to people in power with veracity and wisdom.''

The Post's Stephen Hunter won the criticism Pulitzer for his ``authoritative film criticism that is both intellectually rewarding and a pleasure to read.''

In awarding the public service prize, the Pulitzer board cited the Globe's ``courageous comprehensive coverage of sexual abuse by priests, an effort that pierced secrecy, stirred local national and international reaction and produced changes in the Roman Catholic Church.''

The Pulitzer Prizes are awarded by Columbia University on recommendations of an 18-member board, which considers nominations from jurors in each category. Each prize is worth $7,500, except for public service, in which a paper receives a gold medal.