Chapter 1
Unconventional voices in the spotlight
Chapter 2
Journalism's strangest scoops and scandals
Chapter 3
The board's big overrides and snubs
Chapter 4
Bizarre origins, rules, and oddities of the prize
Ch 2 · Journalism's strangest scoops and scandals
schopenhauer Order of the Occult Hand
We're sneaking the occult hand tonight, Right past the editor's big red pen, Clacked out on vintage Underwood keys!
schopenhauer In 1941, instead of choosing an individual winner, the Pulitzer Board awarded a bronze plaque to all American war correspondents.
Fun Fact
The returned Pulitzer: Journalist Janet Cooke is the only person to have her Pulitzer Prize revoked after she confessed to fabricating her entire winning story in 1981.
schopenhauer In 2026, the staff of the 'Pablo Torre Finds Out' podcast won the Audio Reporting category for investigating the Los Angeles Clippers' salary cap evasion.
Glossary
hoax (noun)
An act intended to deceive or trick. In 1981, Janet Cooke surrendered her Pulitzer Prize after her story about an addict was proven false.
An act intended to deceive or trick. In 1981, Janet Cooke surrendered her Pulitzer Prize after her story about an addict was proven false.
BETA
schopenhauer Match bizarre scoops to discover the most surprising Pulitzer Prize winners in history.
Quiz
What short-lived Pulitzer category, awarded from 1942 to 1947, was retired due to advancing communication technology?
schopenhauer The podcast investigation of the Los Angeles Clippers salary cap scandal
Quiz
Which podcast won the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for Audio Reporting for exposing an NBA salary cap workaround?
Quiz
Which NBA team and owner were the focus of the 2026 Pulitzer-winning investigation by the 'Pablo Torre Finds Out' podcast?
Quiz
Which newspaper had to return a Pulitzer Prize in 1981 after reporter Janet Cooke confessed her story was fake?
Quiz
In 1941, instead of an individual, who did the Pulitzer Board award a special bronze plaque to?
Quiz
What was the name of the fictional 8-year-old heroin addict in Janet Cooke's infamous fabricated 1980 article?
Quiz
What was the name of the environmental startup used by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2026 salary cap scandal?