Gannett Wins Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting and Honored as Finalist in Breaking News and Public Service Reporting

Today, The Indianapolis Star, part of Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) won a 2021 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting alongside partners at The Marshall Project, AL.com, and the Invisible Institute for a year-long investigation that found police dogs attack people suspected of petty crimes, bystanders and even officers, leaving many with life-altering injuries.

The Louisville Courier Journal was a Pulitzer finalist in two categories, Breaking News and Public Service, for its coverage and relentless investigation into the March 13, 2020, fatal police shooting of unarmed 26-year-old Breonna Taylor and the 180 days of protest and unrest it spurred. The Courier Journal has written more than 950 Breonna Taylor stories since she died.

This marks five Pulitzer Prize winners and four finalists awarded to Gannett journalists in the last four years. With this, Gannett has been honored with 96 Pulitzer Prizes in total.

“The entire Gannett family recognizes the unrelenting work of our colleagues, and this distinction is incredibly well-deserved,” said Gannett Chief Executive Officer Mike Reed. “In all the communities we serve, the teams of talented, passionate journalists like those in Indianapolis and Louisville bring greater understanding to the stories of our time.”

“The once-in-a-generation storylines of 2020 served as a powerful underscore for the importance of local journalism, to help citizens through intense challenge, to seek truth and champion accountability from our leaders. Within days of publishing the IndyStar’s investigation on the gruesome injuries caused by police K-9 units, the Indianapolis police department announced changes on how it would use police dogs,” said Maribel Perez Wadsworth, President of the USA TODAY NETWORK and Publisher of USA TODAY. “Similarly, much of what we now know about the night Breonna Taylor was fatally shot by police is because of the Louisville Courier Journal’s relentless reporting, determination and demands for transparency. The entire team and the USA TODAY Network are proud and humbled to have been honored for this work today.”

The Indianapolis Star – National Reporting Pulitzer Prize

Gruesome or shocking bites often receive local attention and lead to lawsuits, but no one was putting the pieces together on a national scale. This project identified and tracked individual cases, mostly based on court records, eventually building a nationwide database of more than 150 severe incidents. As a result, the series is the most comprehensive and sweeping look at police dog bites that has been published to date. Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department said it intends to change when and how it uses police dogs.