Palestinian photographer Saher Alghorra wins Pulitzer for Gaza coverage

Palestinian photographer Saher Alghorra secured the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news photography on Monday for his poignant documentation of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

"This is always a day of celebration in our communities, but perhaps never more so than today," Pulitzer Prizes Administrator Marjorie Miller said as she underscored the importance of independent journalism amid escalating political and economic obstacles.

Miller noted that the prizes continue to support the First Amendment even as "media access to the White House and Pentagon is restricted, free speech is challenged in the streets, and the president of the United States has filed lawsuits for billions of dollars for defamation and malice against multiple print and broadcast media."

BREAKING NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY: SAHER ALGHORRA

Alghorra, a contributor to the New York Times, won for a photography series that Miller described as "haunting" and "sensitive." The images illustrated the starvation and destruction in Gaza resulting from Israel's attacks since October 2023.

Finalists in the category included the photography staff of Reuters for their coverage of US immigration enforcement and staff of Los Angeles Times for images capturing the deadliest urban wildfires in the US state's history.

INVESTIGATIVE AND NATIONAL REPORTING

The New York Times staff received the investigative reporting prize for stories detailing how US President Trump "shattered constraints on conflicts of interest." The reporting exposed how the US president allegedly utilized his position to enrich his family and associates.

Reuters won in the national reporting category for documenting how the US president allegedly employed government influence to expand executive authority and "exact vengeance on his foes." Meanwhile, the news agency's Jeff Horwitz and Engen Tham won the beat reporting prize for revealing US technology giant Meta's role in exposing children and other users to "scams and AI manipulation."

SPECIAL CITATION: JULIE K. BROWN

The board awarded a special citation to Julie K. Brown of the Miami Herald. Brown was honored for her persistent reporting that uncovered Jeffrey Epstein's "systematic abuse of young women" and the legal structures that enabled his actions.

In the public service category, the Washington Post won for exposing the administration's "chaotic overhaul" of federal agencies and its human consequences. Finalist in this category included Wall Street Journal reporters Khadija Safdar and Joe Palazzolo for revelatory stories that provoked the release of Epstein files.

INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL REPORTING

The Associated Press received the international reporting prize for a global investigation into mass surveillance tools developed in Silicon Valley, "advanced in China" and utilized by US Border Patrol "for secret new uses."

In the local reporting category, the Chicago Tribune won for its coverage of a "militarized immigration sweep," while the Connecticut Mirror was recognized for exposing predatory towing laws.

The Minnesota Star Tribune won the breaking news award for its coverage of a shooting at a Catholic school.

In explanatory reporting, the San Francisco Chronicle was honored for exposing how insurance companies used algorithms to undervalue homes destroyed by wildfires.

The Dallas Morning News' Mark Lamster received the criticism prize for his architecture columns, and Aaron Parsley of Texas Monthly won in feature writing for his account of surviving historic floods.

Jahi Chikwendiu of the Washington Post earned the feature photography award for a photo essay on a family facing terminal cancer.

The staff of Pablo Torre Finds Out took the audio reporting prize for investigating financial maneuvers by the Los Angeles Clippers, while the Bloomberg team won for illustrated reporting on the growing challenges of surveillance and digital scams in India.

The New York Times' Masha Gessen won the opinion writing prize for a collection of essays that utilized history and personal experience to explore themes of oppression and rising authoritarian regimes.

Established in 1917, the prestigious awards recognize outstanding public service in American journalism.