The Pulitzer Prize Board announced that The Associated Press won the international reporting prize for an investigation into government surveillance in China and the role of U.S. tech firms, while The Washington Post won the public service award for its coverage of the Trump administration's changes to federal agencies.
The AP's investigation, which the Board said involved three years of work, thousands of documents, and many interviews, found that U.S. tech companies helped build China's surveillance system and, in some cases, used their surveillance capabilities as a selling point. According to the AP, the U.S. government allowed tech companies to avoid regulations that barred China from accessing advanced computer chips. The AP also reported that U.S. Border Patrol operated a secret intelligence program that tracked drivers' travel patterns through license plate data. The news organization said its journalists experienced harassment and behind-the-scenes pressure aimed at blocking publication. Julie Pace, AP Senior Vice President and Executive Editor, described the reporting as complex and difficult work done by journalists across several continents and noted it as sweeping and deeply impactful.
The New York Times won three Pulitzer Prizes and Reuters won two, the Board announced. The Times won the investigative reporting award for its coverage of how former President Trump broke conflict of interest rules to enrich his family and allies, while Reuters received a prize for its reporting on Trump's use of the presidency to expand executive power and punish opponents.