Pulitzer Prize administrator issues statement to the press (06/29/03)

Pulitzer Prize administrator issues statement to the press

The statement below regarding the Walter Duranty issue was issued by the administrator of The Pulitzer Prizes on June 10. It was transmitted to The Ukrainian Weekly on June 17 in response to this newspaper's repeated attempts to seek clarification and additional information regarding the review process undertaken by The Pulitzer Prize Board.

Complaints about the 1932 Pulitzer Prize to Walter Duranty have arisen from time to time. In 1990 the board gave extensive consideration to requests for revocation of the prize to Mr. Duranty - which would have been unprecedented - and decided unanimously against withdrawing a prize awarded in a different era and under different circumstances.

So, to date, the board has not seen fit to reverse a decision made more than 70 years ago. However, the board is aware of the most recent complaints and, like any significant complaint, we take them seriously. They are under review by a board subcommittee, and all aspects and ramifications will be considered.

Most of the complaints refer to coverage of the Ukrainian famine in 1932-1933. As a matter of clarity, it is worth noting that the 1932 award was for an explicit set of stories in 1931, which is before the famine of 1932-1933 hit with full force. It is also true that a prize in a particular Pulitzer category is not meant to say anything about a winner's body of work over time.

Sig Gissler
Administrator
The Pulitzer Prizes

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