The Times and Sun-Herald share Pulitzer Award

Washington, Apr 18: News coverage of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath in the United States' Gulf Coast has earned two newspapers from the storm-ravaged region this year's Pulitzer Prizes, the country's top journalism awards.

The Times-Picayune of New Orleans and the Sun-Herald of Biloxi, Mississippi, shared the Pulitzer for public service reporting for their Hurricane Katrina coverage in the awards announced yesterday.

The Pulitzer prizes, established in the early 20th century by a will of Joseph Pulitzer, a leading publisher of the day, honour achievement in journalism and the arts.

The Times-Picayune also won an award for breaking news reporting on the storm. The offices and circulation areas of both the papers were damaged by the storm, which hit their communities on August 29 last year.

The Sun-Herald never missed an edition despite the devastation.

The Times-Picayune published only online editions in the immediate aftermath of the storm, but resumed normal publication of print editions on September 2.

The Washington Post won four Pulitzers, including prizes for investigative, explanatory and beat reporting, as well as criticism.

The New York Times took prizes in international reporting and commentary and shared the prize in national reporting with The San Diego Union Tribune and Copley News Service.

Pulitzers for feature writing and photography has been awarded to The Rocky Mountain News of Denver, Colorado.

This was the 90th year the prizes were presented by the Columbia University in New York, which administered the awards, based on recommendations from a special board.

UNI