Afghanistan Peace Campaign
The New York Times wins a Pulitzer Prize for its report on the U.S. defeat and failures in Afghanistan.
The winners of the prestigious 2025 Pulitzer Prizes have been announced on Monday, May 5th, with two awards given to reports from The New York Times and The New Yorker on the failures of the U.S. military in Afghanistan and Iraq. According to the Pulitzer jury, The New York Times excellently demonstrated how the U.S. support for local militias led to the displacement of the Afghan people and laid the seeds for the eventual Taliban takeover.
One of the militia commanders, who had the backing of U.S. forces, was reported to have been involved in the disappearance of civilians. These investigative reports shed light on the controversial role of the U.S. military in Afghanistan, revealing the complex relationships between American forces and local militias.
The New York Times also received three other awards for outstanding foreign reporting on Sudan’s civil war, best photo of the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania, and a joint report on the deadly drug crisis in the U.S. The report on the opioid epidemic brought attention to the devastating impact of fentanyl and the challenges in combating this crisis.
Reuters was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting for its series on the global trade in chemicals used to manufacture fentanyl. The Reuters team, with a budget of only $3,600, successfully purchased the necessary chemicals to show how cheap and easily accessible these substances are. This report highlighted the difficulty U.S. authorities face in controlling this dangerous trade.
Other major winners included The Wall Street Journal, which won the National Reporting award for its coverage of political changes surrounding Elon Musk, and The Washington Post, which received the Breaking News award for its coverage of the failed assassination attempt on Trump during his campaign in Pennsylvania.
Anne Telnes, a former cartoonist for The Washington Post, was recognized for her insightful visual commentary. She had resigned from the paper earlier in January after the publication withheld her cartoon about Jeff Bezos, the owner of The Washington Post. The jury praised her courage and critical perspective.
Among other notable publications, The New Yorker received three awards for Best Commentary on Gaza, Best Visual Report, and Best Podcast. Meanwhile, ProPublica was awarded the Public Service Prize for its report on the nationwide impact of abortion bans in the U.S.
The Pulitzer Prizes, established in 1917, continue to honor exceptional work in journalism and literature. This year, 15 Pulitzer Prizes were awarded across various fields of journalism, and eight prizes were given in the arts, including music, theater, and fiction.
Each winner receives a cash prize of $15,000, with the awards presented annually by Columbia University in New York.
The 2025 Pulitzer Prizes highlight the critical role of investigative journalism in uncovering pressing global issues, from the U.S. military’s actions in Afghanistan to the ongoing opioid crisis. The recognition of such important work underscores the continued relevance of the Pulitzer Prizes in honoring journalism that has a lasting impact on society.