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Attention Markos: The Ukraine Updates Deserve a Pulitzer Nomination. Who Can Make That Happen? You. [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2023-06-05

I’ve said in many of the Ukraine updates that the entire team here at Daily Kos deserves a Pulitzer award for their work. Not just the people writing the updates themselves, but the whole team at the website: from the creation and ongoing curation of the Ukraine Updates section to the attraction of new on the ground sources to other employees stepping up to fill in when the main writers are away, the whole website’s staff has really stepped up to provide the top war coverage on Ukraine. That’s not even getting into the stellar work done by community diarists that has added immensely to the wealth of knowledge available here.



It is, quite frankly, some of the finest war coverage in modern day journalism, period. The increase in traffic from people outside the usual partisan audience of Daily Kos is proof of this. Every time I’ve said the team here deserves a Pulitzer, I’ve had people enthusiastically agree. Or rec the comment (which, as we all know, is exactly the same thing).



So, who’s a person gotta talk to around here about getting this place a Pulitzer?



Markos. Markos, you need to make this happen.

Perhaps I should explain.



I was researching how to make this happen last year, and the Pulitzer nomination process is a bit more involved than “send an email to ‘[email protected]’ and wait for the auto-reply”.

Ah, how convenient!

So, firstly, there are “23 different categories across journalism, books, drama, and music.”



Helpfully, there is a link below to take us directly to “Journalism.” Right, here we go.





Ah, how convenient! Again.

So, 15 categories within Journalism. Now, while all 15 are admirable indeed, typically when we’re talking about THE Pulitzer Prize as opposed to A Pulitzer Prize, we’re talking about the 1st prize listed on the Pulitzer website’s Plan of Award page:

In the Public Service category, the Pulitzer Prize Board recognizes the work of newspapers, magazines or eligible news sites; in all other categories, the work of individuals where possible. In all categories except Illustrated Reporting and Commentary and Photography, the Board seeks a high quality of writing and original reporting and, in all categories, journalistic excellence across all formats, in print or online or both. 1. For a distinguished example of meritorious public service by a newspaper, magazine or news site through the use of its journalistic resources, including the use of stories, editorials, cartoons, photographs, graphics, videos, databases, multimedia or interactive presentations or other visual material, a gold medal.

While Daily Kos might well be eligible for one of the other categories and their respective $15,000 prize, this is the one that really fits the Ukraine coverage here on Daily Kos as a whole: from interviews with verified experts and humble everypersons alike offering their firsthand knowledge (include Markos himself), to the use of maps both made in-house and acquired elsewhere, to the incredible task of drinking from the firehouse of OSINT and distilling it into easily comprehensible updates, to the deep dives into the Eastern European web via twitter, Telegram, and other resources, Daily Kos’ coverage has been a masterclass in how to cover a conflict in the modern era.



Compared to the coverage from the major networks and media outlets...well, there really is no comparison. In addition to the exceptional usage and utilization of everything the modern internet offers to acquire data and information, the interpretation of that has been equally stellar.



Despite the obvious (and openly disclosed) pro-Ukraine stance of the staff, the updates never degrade into propaganda, either pro-Ukraine or anti-Russia. Death and destruction are always condemned and a just and rapid peace considered the best outcome. No one is cheering the deaths, and the grim footage and photos shared or mentioned are used to maximum impact without being sensationalist or lurid. The plight of the individual mobik is treated with distinct difference to the actions of war criminals large and small or the Russian government itself, and the stories from the Ukrainian government are likewise given proper skepticism in the cold light of impartial examination. Even the most optimistic updates and takes are given with an equal measure of caution and realism, and the desire to get it right rather than get it first means that the coverage has never become a race for eyeballs.



In short, the entire process has been a perfect example of what all journalism should strive to be, on any topic, at all times. As for the coverage being a public service, the world has collectively united behind a single country in a way not seen since the aftermath of 9/11. The ongoing outrage at Putin’s actions has roared into a fire that has forged a new and more united NATO, breathing life into the Western world of Liberal Democracy at a crucial point in history. Daily Kos’ work to drive home the importance of the moment and to keep citizens informed not just of the stakes but the reality of what IS happening is indeed a public service.



The Founding Fathers knew an informed public was crucial to a healthy democracy, and a robust free press was crucial to keeping the public informed. Daily Kos’ work at keeping us informed on this global crisis is the sort of public service that would make Ben Franklin himself proud.



Well, I think so anyway.



Anyway, if you agree that the Ukraine coverage merits this particular award, there is specific criteria for the submission. It is spelled out in detail here.



The criteria are not too important, because this isn’t about educating Markos, or anyone really, about the minutiae of the process (I assume Markos has had enough time to browse the website at one point and familiarize himself with the general process (and if he didn’t before, he certainly could now)). Suffice to say that while anyone can submit a nomination, the actual process for something as big and involved as the Ukraine Updates is a LOT more work than, say, a single book or article.



It’s the sort of task that Markos, as the person at the helm of Daily Kos, is best positioned to spearhead and make happen. Who should nominate Daily Kos? Markos, naturally: it’s not just his website, but he also has the resources and staff to make it happen and make sure it’s done properly (also, it’s easier than crowdfunding the $75 entry fee). So, why the public article instead of a simple DM? Well, it turns out there’s a twist.



While most of the rules and FAQs for nomination are technical ones (how to submit links for different pages, how to credit sources/involved staff outside the organization, etc.), there is one very important one that we, the readers and community here at Daily Kos, need to be aware of:





I have highlighted the relevant text

Text for those who prefer/need it, emphasis mine:

Text for those who prefer/need it:



Is an entry’s public impact important?



Yes, the Board will weigh public impact, among other factors, and an entry may include material that demonstrates evidence of impact, such as the spurring of legislative action or prosecution of lawbreakers. The Board is also interested in reader engagement as a gauge of impact.

Did the Ukraine coverage here lead to public impact? Well, obviously, we’ll never know how much Daily Kos is to credit for people supporting Ukraine, or for Biden’s strong support for them, or the specifics of the various aid packages sent to them, or anything like that. We can’t draw a direct line from the coverage here to tangible impacts out there.



But, what we can do is demonstrate “reader engagement as a gauge of impact”.



This diary is a call to you, readers, to post your story about why the Ukraine Updates are deserving of a prize. This is especially for anyone who might not otherwise be a reader here but came for the Ukraine coverage, and stayed for it. Did that coverage draw you here? Did you find something that you felt was important to read you couldn’t find anywhere else?



Tell us your story. If you don’t have an account, please consider making one and posting here, even if it’s just to say “I made an account I’ll never use again to say this place made me a reader of the Ukraine Updates, they deserve an award for them”.



Tell people you know who you’ve shared these with that if we want Daily Kos to win an award, we need to show reader engagement as a gauge of impact. Start a hashtag, repost the updates to your friends and families (and, crucially, link directly to and credit Daily Kos when you do). We need to make some noise so that The Board will listen.



That way, when the nominations window process begins again at the end of the this year, Markos can have a very visible demonstration of reader engagement as a gauge of impact. Maybe he can even use the link to this diary to show them what we mean.



So, when I said “Who can make that happen? You.” I wasn’t talking just to Markos. Let’s make it happen.

[END]
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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/6/5/2173414/-Attention-Markos-The-Ukraine-Updates-Deserve-a-Pulitzer-Nomination-Who-Can-Make-That-Happen-You

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