The 2009 Pulitzer Prize winners in journalism were announced earlier this week and a pair of stories concerning Haiti and immigration was recognized.Despite begin laid off in January as part of staff cuts, former East Valley Tribune reporter Paul Giblin won a Pulitzer along with Ryan Gabrielson for covering controversial Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Both reporters were praised for examining the pitfalls of Arpaio employing the much-derided 287(g) program which deputizes local police to serve as immigration agents:
In a five-part series titled ‘Reasonable Doubt,' Gabrielson and former Tribune reporter Paul Giblin examined how Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio focused on combating illegal immigration to the detriment of police protection, resulting in slow emergency response times and lax criminal enforcement.Miami Herald photographer Patrick Farrell received a Pulitzer for Breaking News photography for his images of storm-ravaged Haiti. “It is exceptional documentary photography with a purpose” said Luis Rios- the Herald's director of photography. The above image proves Rios’ assertion.
The Pulitzer Prize committee praised Gabrielson and Giblin for "their adroit use of limited resources to reveal, in print and online, how a popular sheriff's focus on immigration enforcement endangered investigation of violent crime and other aspects of public safety."
Image- CBS4.com
Online Sources- CBS4.com, miamiherald.com, The Latin Americanist, TheMonitor.com
