The Pulitzer Prizes and Journalism's Impact at UNT

The Pulitzer Prize is one of the most prestigious awards a journalist can earn. The award distinguishes someone as an excellent writer and reporter. The Mayborn School of Journalism at the University of North Texas is one of the best journalism programs in Texas. The journalism school has seen some amazing journalists – photojournalists, broadcast journalists and even social media managers. On September 29, the Mayborn hosted an event to bring back some of these journalists, but not just any Mayborn alums – those who have either been named a finalist for the Pulitzer or people who have actually won the award. The event brought together UNT journalism students, faculty and alumni who all have a passion for the field of journalism.

In order for a country to be considered a true democracy, journalism must be able to function in its truest form. According to the Society of Professional Journalists, one of the highest tenets of journalism is to “Seek Truth and Report It.” The preamble to the SPJ Code of Ethics says that “Members of the Society of Professional Journalists believe that public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy.” If the first and foremost responsibility of journalists is to report the truth, then those who call themselves journalists can use what they do to tell the stories of real people and tell those stories truthfully and transparently. When a journalist is working on a story that deals with issues like race or gender or sexuality, that journalist has an obligation to the public to tell that story as truthfully as possible. If the story is told right, it can have a major impact on the community in which the story takes place, or even the nation as a whole. When journalists write about high-profile cases or stories that deal with controversial issues, they have an opportunity to shed light on the human issues involved in the story. Whether this is a case of sexual assault or a race-related hate crime, journalists can use their journalistic integrity to report the truth in an unbiased manner.

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