A photographer and photo editor at The New York Times for 31 years, freelance journalist Jose R. Lopez has shot presidents, Super Bowls and the end of the Bosnian War. He also contributed to The Times's 2002 Breaking News and Feature Photography Prize-winning staff entries on the September 11 attacks and the war in Afghanistan.
As has become customary in recent cycles, Lopez covered the most thrilling stages of this year's Pulitzer Prize process, including the first in-person Journalism juror meetings since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and portions of the Pulitzer Board meeting at Columbia University.
To learn more about Lopez and his work, please visit his website.
Jurors enter the World Room in Pulitzer Hall on the campus of Columbia University in New York for the start of the two-day judging that was held in February. For the past two years, the judging was done over Zoom due to the pandemic. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Pulitzer Prize Deputy Administrator Bud Kliment goes about preparing the room for the jury members. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Pads and pens await the arrival of the jury members. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
N-95 masks were made available for those jurors that wanted to mask themselves. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Marjorie J. Miller, the administrator of the Pulitzer Prizes, greets jurors on their arrival and before the judging began for the day. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Many of the jurors had not seen each other physically in the past two years, so this was an opportunity to catch up with one another and take a few photos of their own. Left to right; Kimbriell Kelly of the Los Angeles Times poses with NPR's Cheryl W. Thompson (chair of the Investigative Reporting jury) as Corey G. Johnson of ProPublica takes their photo.
Editorial Writing jury chair Scott Kraft chats with Los Angeles Times colleague Kimbriell Kelly before the judging begins. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Cheryl W. Thompson shares a laugh with Marjorie J. Miller before the judging begins. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Marjorie J. Miller welcomes the jurors with remarks and instructions to the work that they will complete. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Jurors from around the world listen to Miller’s opening remarks. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Marjorie J. Miller makes a point in her opening remarks to the jurors. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Raquel Rutledge listens carefully to Miller’s opening comments. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Jonathan Martin of The Seattle Times listens to Millers opening comments. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
A bouquet of fresh roses sits on the administrator's desk in the World Room. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Kimbriell Kelly gestures as she makes her points to fellow National Reporting jurors during the judging of the entries. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Rick Berke, co-founder and executive editor of STAT, makes his point to fellow Investigative Reporting jury members. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Members of the Local Reporting jury listen to colleague Libor Jany of the Los Angeles Times. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Roy Johnson of AL.com listens to fellow members of the Public Service jury. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Public Service juror Kelly McBride makes her point to fellow jurors. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
John Voskuhl of Bloomberg News listens to fellow juror Michael J. Williams of Reuters as they discuss an entry in the Investigative Reporting category. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
The Joseph D. Jamail Lecture Hall was filled with jury members working at their individual tables. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Some jury members choose to separate themselves from the group while reading entries. Here, Michael W. Hudson of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists sits quietly at a table doing his work. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
PEN America Chief Operating Officer Dru Menaker gestures as she makes her point to fellow jurors in the Criticism category. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Rachel Dry of the The New York Times concentrates while reading entries. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
In a room on the first floor of the Journalism School, members of the Audio Reporting jury complete their work in splendid isolation. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
New York magazine Editorial Director for Audio Hanna Rosin smiles as she listens to an entry in the Audio Reporting category. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
During the breaks in the day, jury members caught up with other moments in their lives. Here, Lane DeGregory (left) of the Tampa Bay Times and freelance editor/writer & independent historian Cynthia Greenlee share photos of their pets. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Libor Jany seeks the counsel of Bud Kliment in regard to an entry. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
A sign on the door of the projector-equipped conference room where the Photography jury met. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Left to right: Cathaleen Curtiss, interim director of photography at The Buffalo News and chair of the Photography jury, goes through the entries in both categories with Sandy Hooper of USA Today, photojournalist Ryan Christopher Jones and former Los Angeles Times photojournalist Don Bartletti.
Don Bartletti (back to camera) listens to fellow jury members Cathaleen Curtiss, Kyndell Harkness, Sandy Hooper and Ryan Christopher Jones while looking at Photography entries. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Members of the Photography jury at work. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
At the end of the first day of judging, jurors were treated to hors d'oeuvres and drinks in the the Joseph D. Jamail Lecture Hall. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Jonathan Martin chats with fellow jurors during the social hour after the first day of judging. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Illustrated Reporting and Commentary jury chair Steve Duenes makes his point as colleague and University of Texas at Austin journalism professor Kathleen McElroy (foreground) listens. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Debra Adams Simmons of National Geographic speaks with Marjorie J. Miller at the start of the second day of judging. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Public Service jury chair Kristen Go of USA Today listens to her colleagues. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Members of the Public Service jury make their final decisions. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Danese Kenon of the Philadelphia Inquirer concentrates as she reads an entry in the Explanatory Reporting category. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Former Salt Lake Tribune Editor and Publisher Terry Orme looks through his notes as he and fellow jury members write their recommendations for entries that would move up to the Board’s consideration. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Some jurors had to recuse themselves and leave their tables when entries from their publications were being considered. Kathleen Kingsbury of The New York Times, a member of the Editorial Writing Jury, waits in the hallway. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Delano R. Massey of Axios Local speaks to Marjorie J. Miller and Bud Kliment. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Chicago Tribune Executive Editor Mitch Pugh, who chairs the Explanatory Reporting jury, shares his notes with Bud Kliment on the second day. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Stephen Reiss, chair of the Feature Writing category, reads an entry. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
NPR's Bilal Qureshi, left, and fellow Criticism jury member David Plazas of The Tennessean discuss their thoughts as they work on writing the reports for the entries that will go forward for the Board’s consideration. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Michael J. Williams, global enterprise editor for Reuters, concentrates during the second day of judging. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Two members of the Criticism jury work together to write the reports for the entries that move up to the Board’s consideration. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Left to right: Kimbriell Kelly of the Los Angeles Times; Julie Pace of the Associated Press and chair of the National Reporting jury; and Dianne Solis of The Dallas Morning News, work together to craft the report for an entry that will advance to the Board’s consideration. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
The Boston Globe's Jenee Osterheldt, chair of the Criticism category, uses her Pulitzer Prizes mug (disbursed as commemorative "swag" at special events) to toast her fellow jury members after they completed their work. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Members of the Public Service jury hug as they say goodbye to one another having wrapped their work on the second day. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Marjorie J. Miller chats with Raghuram Vadarevu of The Marshall Project as he prepares to leave after completing his work on the Illustrated Reporting and Commentary jury. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
The Marshall Project's Julia Preston (chair of the International Reporting jury) and colleague José de Córdoba of The Wall Street Journal are the last to leave the room as they continue their discussions. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Jury members leave the World Room having completed another year of selecting the entries that will advance to the Board’s consideration. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Members of the Music jury met on Feb. 10 in the World Room to judge the entries. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
John V. Brown, Jr., chair of the Music jury, gestures as he speaks to a fellow member during the judging of the category. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Du Yun (left), John V. Brown Jr. and Arturo O’Farrill seemed to be in a trance as they listened to one of the Music entries in the World Room. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Performance artist and playwright Kristina Wong in a lighter moment during the judging of the Drama entries on March 24, 2023. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Members of the Drama jury as they met on March 24, 2023 at a room on the Columbia University campus. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Clockwise from front; Vinson Cunningham, staff writer, The New Yorker; playwright Heidi Schreck; Kristina Wong; and Soraya Nadia McDonald, Senior Culture Critic, Andscape review entries during the Drama jury meeting. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Heidi Schreck gestures as she shares her opinion of a work. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Vinson Cunningham speaks to his colleagues during the Drama jury meeting. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Soraya Nadia McDonald listens to Kristina Wong during the Drama jury meeting. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Jury chair David John Chávez (chair of the American Theatre Critics Association and a correspondent for the San Jose Mercury News) listens intently to his colleagues during the Drama meeting. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
David John Chávez gestures as he speaks to his colleagues during the Drama jury meeting. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Carlos Lozada (right) continues to speak as Board members (from left) Elizabeth Alexander, Viet Thanh Nguyen and Anne Applebaum listen. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Board members and staff continue to ruminate. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Board Co-Chairs Tommie Shelby & Neil Brown and Administrator Marjorie J. Miller listen to Carlos Lozada. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Board member Ginger Thompson (second from left) contemplates a point. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
Board members (from left) Nicole Carroll, Kelly Lytle Hernández and Nancy Barnes consider a point. (Credit: Copyright Pulitzer Prizes/Jose R. Lopez)
