The Pulitzer Centennial
The effects of power may be obvious—high office, laws, riches, regulations, even life and death—but power itself is only an idea, one that journalists have long struggled to describe. For a century, Pulitzer-winning works—some of the best journalism ever produced—have readily confronted the powerful, and constantly held power to account. As the Pulitzer Prize celebrates its centennial year, Nieman Reports takes a look at a century of Pulitzer journalism speaking truth to power, setting the tone for another 100 years of remarkable work. Our Summer 2016 issue also highlights forgotten Prize-winning works worth remembering, an examination of competing news outfits teaming up to do watchdog stories—including many that have won the Pulitzer, and the business reporting at the core of much Pulitzer journalism.
Lambert and Turner’s stories about efforts on the part of union and underworld figures to wrest control from municipal officials in Portland, Oregon helped spur investigations into organized crime in cities across the country.
Seattle gambling figures closely associated with certain top officials of the teamsters union have been trying for the past 18 months to take over law enforcement policies in Portland in order to establish illegal enterprises here, an investigation by The Oregonian has established.
The police and other officials stopped them. Peculiarly, the local underworld also fought them and was instrumental in halting their plans, at least temporarily.
The plotters’ attempt to “set up the town” to control the rackets has failed, largely because of their inability to trust one another and because of police determination that no mob was to move into Portland.
They dabbled in attempts to deal in certain illegal enterprises and they might have become more deeply involved had they not become embroiled in a bitter fight among themselves. The plotters began spying on each other, checking on one another’s activities.
[sidebar style="full"]© 1957 Oregonian Publishing Co. Reprinted with permission.[/sidebar]
Seattle gambling figures closely associated with certain top officials of the teamsters union have been trying for the past 18 months to take over law enforcement policies in Portland in order to establish illegal enterprises here, an investigation by The Oregonian has established.
The police and other officials stopped them. Peculiarly, the local underworld also fought them and was instrumental in halting their plans, at least temporarily.
The plotters’ attempt to “set up the town” to control the rackets has failed, largely because of their inability to trust one another and because of police determination that no mob was to move into Portland.
They dabbled in attempts to deal in certain illegal enterprises and they might have become more deeply involved had they not become embroiled in a bitter fight among themselves. The plotters began spying on each other, checking on one another’s activities.
[sidebar style="full"]© 1957 Oregonian Publishing Co. Reprinted with permission.[/sidebar]
