THE PURLOINED PULITZER

                                             

    
                                                 By Florida Bill 
                      The Pulitzer Prize is the the most prestigious award in all of journalism. The award carries the name of Joseph Pulitzer, Publisher of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper who was a fierce believer in newspapers and their role as a watchdog in a free democracy in the greatest country in the world.
                      The late and great Col. Robert R. McCormick, the  conservative bulldog editor of the Chicago Tribune, repeated the Joseph Pulitzer sentiments when he said, that a " newspaper is that check upon government which no constitution can ever provide."
                      Since 1917, Pulitzer prizes have been awarded to newspaper  journalists who worked and fought  for stories which exposed miscreants in government and often brought liars and pretenders to their knees.
                      In April of 2019, a prize went jointly to the Washington Post and the New York Times for 10 articles apiece on "Trump-Russia developments throughout most of 2017, the chaotic first year of Donald Trump's presidency." 
                      It was the biggest disgrace in the history of the 103-year-old Pulitzer awards, and the winners were announced a few weeks after a multi million dollar investigation which had concluded that there was no "collusion" by President Trump or anyone in his administration with Russia in an attempt to influence the results of the 2016 presidential election. 
                      Allegations of "collusion" were all smoke and mirrors fostered by The Post and the Times in countless stories, followed by virtually every corner of the Democrat-tethered media. It was a sad day in journalism which will live in history books. 
                      The papers knew that their attack on the President was without any evidence, but the "journalists" coaxed on by editors, were so overcome with ill will and pure hatred for President Trump that truth was unimportant so long as the president could be taken down, removed from office,  and consigned forever as a seditious charlatan.  They lost big time, and the embattled President has emerged stronger that he was when elected. 
                    The Pulitzer board found that the Post and the Times had earned the awards for work that was--
                     "deeply sourced, relentlessly reported coverage in the public interest that dramatically furthered the nation's understanding of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and its connections to the Trump campaign, the president-elect's transition team and his eventual administration."                   
                           Unscrupulous reporting by the named recipients led to a major investigation by a special counsel put in place by Congress.  The investigation went on for 675 days at a cost of $33 million. Some 500 witnesses were interviewed and 2,800 subpoenas were sent out.  Looking for evidence of seditious conduct by President Trump and his supporters  were 40 FBI agents and 19 lawyers.  In the end, special counsel Robert Mueller reported that the President did not conspire or "collude" in any way with members of the Russian government.  
                           Countless stories alleging collusion, pushed by the Post and the Times were a "fake," as President Trump has said, and the big majority of them were attributed to unnamed "sources."  It was a total and complete "hoax." 
                           The President has requested an apology from the Board of the Pulitzer which has sullied the name of a great journalistic award.  The cash given to the individual recipients is reported to be $15,000.  Whatever it is, the money should be returned and the dishonest journalists ought to be fired for their misconduct and a conspiracy designed to rid the White House of the nation's 45th president. 
                           An arrogant Dana Canedy, Pulitzer administrator,  has declined to apologize for the phony pulitzer awards and in anticipation of handing out the awards to the Post and the Times and 19 other recipients characterized the criticism of the Pulitzers to the nation's two leading newspapers as "fake marketing."  She added:
                          "We stand behind the Pulitzer selection process, which has endured for 103 years. And the winning work speaks for itself," she said. "Beyond that, this simply doesn’t deserve comment. 
                      The awards in 21 categories were presented on April 15, 2019, by Canedy, to winners.  In presenting the awards she paid no attention to the dishonesty used in capturing the awards and said:
                       "The journalism categories yet again uphold the highest purpose of a free and independent press, even in these most trying of times" and "these courageous inspiring and committed journalists and their organizations are  undaunted in their mission in support of the Fourth Estate. 
                        "It is a mandate that has been under a seemingly relentless assault of late, but that remains central to a healthy democracy." 
                         THe dishonest reporting by the Post and Times reporters, sanctioned by their editors, provides a  taste of political and corrupt journalism.  The behavior of the Pulitzer board, with Ms. Canedy as administrator, endorses this type of journalism and leaves a mark of disgrace which will long endure.  


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