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 various stages of this year's Pulitzer Prize process. To learn more about Lopez and his remarkable career, please visit his website. (All photographs by Jose R. Lopez/The Pulitzer Prizes.)
Name tags of this year’s jury members wait to be claimed on the first day of judging in the Journalism School’s World Room on the campus of Columbia University.
The World Room, located in Pulitzer Hall on the campus of Columbia University, where journalists from around the world gathered to judge the 2024 Pulitzer Prizes.
Jury members arrive at the World Room in the Journalism School on the campus of Columbia University.
Karen Hawkins, left, is greeted by Pulitzer Prize Administrator Marjorie Miller as Douglas Foster, center, looks on.
Corey Johnson chats with Marjorie Miller before the first day of judging.
Marjorie Miller chats with jurors as they settle in.
Noel King (right) chats with a fellow juror before starting work.
David Barstow (left) chats with fellow jurors Lauren Etter (center) and Jonathan Martin before starting work.
Marjorie Miller welcomes the “thundering herd” (a moniker coined by longtime Administrator John Hohenberg in a subtle homage to Woody Herman’s illustrious big-band jazz ensemble) to the 2024 Journalism meetings.
Miller continues her remarks to the group.
Jurors listen to Miller's remarks.
International Reporting juror Peter Spiegel (center) listens to Miller's remarks.
Jurors listen to Miller's remarks.
National Reporting juror Julia B. Chan (center) listens to Miller.
Greg Borowski (foreground) and other jurors listen to Miller.
A bouquet of fresh flowers on Miller's desk in the World Room.
Jurors work in the World Room.
During the meetings, many juries also work in the Joseph D. Jamail Lecture Hall, an event space across the floor from the World Room.
Public Service Chair Gina Chua shares her reactions with other members of the panel.
With hundreds of hours of podcasts to review, the Audio Reporting jury works in a private room on Pulitzer Hall's first floor.
Carlton Winfrey (chair of the Editorial Writing jury) listens to colleague John Archibald.
Breaking News Reporting juror Karen Hawkins gestures as she makes a point to her colleagues.
Explanatory Reporting Chair Kelly McBride listens to colleague Toluse Olorunnipa.
International Reporting jurors Patricia Weems Gaston (left) and José de Córdoba (right) deliberate with colleague Susan Chira (in green).
Breaking News Reporting Chair Greg Borowski listens to a fellow juror.
Editorial Writing juror Jennifer Kho describes an entry to her colleagues.
Audio Reporting Chair Sumi Aggarwal makes a point to her colleagues.
International Reporting juror Susan Chira talks with her colleagues.
National Reporting Chair John Diaz shares his thoughts with fellow jurors.
Criticism juror Anne Helen Petersen reviews an entry with colleague Gustavo Arellano.
Feature Writing Chair Brian Carovillano talks with his colleagues.
José de Córdoba concentrates as he reads an International Reporting entry.
Photography Chair Sandy Hooper (center) makes a point to her colleagues. The Photography jury (which usually works out of a private conference room on Pulitzer Hall's seventh floor) nominates entries in the Breaking News Photography and Feature Photography categories.
Local Reporting juror Matt Purdy (smiling) enjoys a moment of levity with his colleagues.
Investigative Reporting Chair David Barstow articulates his perspective to his colleagues.
Feature Writing jurors Elizabeth Bruenig (left), Brian Carovillano (center) and Michael Luo (wearing headphones) review entries.
Local Reporting Chair Carol Hunter listens to a colleague.
Pia Sarkar gestures as she speaks to fellow Explanatory Reporting jurors.
With punctilious focus, International Reporting Chair Julia Preston reviews an entry.
Raquel Rutledge listens to colleagues on the Investigative Reporting jury.
Illustrated Reporting and Commentary Chair Shazna Nessa confers with her colleagues.
The Explanatory Reporting jury consults with Marjorie Miller (foreground) while reviewing an entry.
Criticism Chair Adam Cohen reads an entry on his tablet.
Toluse Olorunnipa discusses an entry with his Explanatory Reporting colleagues.
Commentary Chair Susan B. Glasser (right) speaks with Amy Driscoll (left) and other judges.
The Photography jury (clockwise from left: Emilio Morenatti, Sandy Hooper, Kyndell Harkness, Danese Kenon and Don Bartletti) reviews an entry.
The Photography jury reviews an image from New York Times photojournalist Nanna Heitmann's 2024 Feature Photography Prize-nominated portfolio on contemporary Russia. "A militaristic nationalism, propagated from an early age, has become a foundation of President Vladimir V. Putin’s 24-year rule," the photo is captioned. "Here, cadets who have just finished their studies are captured, fists clenched, in a state of fervid exaltation."
The Photography jury reviews another image from Heitmann's entry, which ultimately was selected as a finalist in Feature Photography. "Russia’s war in Ukraine came home in the summer of 2023 as Ukrainian forces struck the western Russian border town of Shebekino," the photo is captioned. "Alena Moleva picked her way through a scene of random devastation familiar to millions of Ukrainians."
Marjorie Miller confers with Bud Kliment.
Jurors gathered in the Joseph D. Jamail Lecture Hall at the end of the first day to enjoy cocktails and hors d'oeuvres.
An array of food, wine and beer was offered in the Lecture Hall.
Greg Borowski chats with Carol Hunter during the cocktail hour.
While some jurors continue to chat, others begin to leave to rest for the second (and final) day of judging.
In the early morning silence of the Lecture Hall, Editorial Writing Chair Carlton Winfey adjusts his nametag as he prepares for the second day of judging.
With the early morning light pouring into the room, International Reporting Chair Julia Preston prepares for the second day of judging.
The Breaking News Reporting starts work on the final day of judging.
Breaking News Reporting juror Jamie Stockwell sits in the hallway upon recusing herself from an entry that was being discussed by her fellow jurors.
Public Service juror Patricia Wen (left) listens to Gina Chua as they debate the merits of an entry.
CUIT Senior Manager for Web and Mobile Services Ivan Lozuk (right) checks in with Explanatory Reporting Chair Kelly McBride. Having served as lead developer of the Pulitzer Prize entry sites for more than a decade, Lozuk is on site for the Journalism jury meetings to oversee the technological workflow.
A member of the National Reporting jury employs the Pulitzer Prizes handbook as a reference tool while drafting the panel's report.
Julia Preston (left) confers with Marjorie Miller.
Commentary juror Amy Driscoll (left) confers with colleague Zeba Khan as they write the report for an entry that will go to the Pulitzer Board for consideration.
Pink Sharpie in hand, National Reporting Chair John Diaz marks off entries on a legal pad as the panel narrowed their choices down.
Kelly McBride (back to camera) calls for a show of hands as the Explanatory Reporting jury votes on the entries that will move up to the Pulitzer Board for consideration.
Mugs were handed out to the jurors as a memento of their time judging the 2024 entries.
Marjorie Miller shakes the hand of Feature Writing juror Radhika Jones as she bids farewell. Bud Kliment looks on in the background.
Susan B. Glasser (back to camera) gets a farewell hug from fellow juror Nicholas Goldberg as they wrapped up their second day of judging.
The National Reporting jury (left to right: Chair John Diaz, John Voskuhl, Diane Solis, Dafna Linzer and Julia B. Chan) poses for one more selfie at the end of the second day of judging. (Jurors were reminded that they could not post anything on their social media channels until the announcement of the winners and finalists.)
The Explanatory Reporting jury poses for a group photo after the second day of judging. (They were reminded that they could not post anything on their social media channels until the announcement of this year’s winners.)
The Music jury reviews the video component of an entry during their World Room meeting in late February.
Music juror (and venerable Pulitzer-winning composer) Tania León smiles as she meets Marjorie Miller, who dropped in to welcome the jury.
Nicole Mitchell shares her thoughts with the other members of the Music jury.
Music Chair George E. Lewis and Susan Feder watch and listen to an entry as Music Secretary Terry Pender (who liaises between the group and the Pulitzer administration) chuckles.
Lewis reacts to a comment from one of his colleagues.
Susan Feder smiles at colleague Josh Kun as they vote on an entry.
The Drama jury meets in a Pulitzer Hall conference room in early March.
Drama Chair Janice Simpson gestures as she describes an entry under review.
Pulitzer-winning Drama juror Tracy Letts (left) considers an argument from colleague Chay Yew.
Drama juror Lisa Fung (background) listens to colleague Lily Janiak.
The Pulitzer Board meets on May 2, 2024.
The Pulitzer Board votes.
Pulitzer Board member Nicole Carroll gestures to fellow Board member Elizabeth Alexander.
Pulitzer Board Co-Chairs Tommie Shelby (far left) and Neil Brown (center) and Pulitzer Administrator Marjorie Miller listen to their colleagues.
Pulitzer Board Co-Chair Neil Brown (foreground) addresses his colleagues.
Tommie Shelby (left) confers with fellow Co-Chair Neil Brown.
Pulitzer Board member Viet Thanh Nguyen (right) speaks to his colleagues as fellow Board members Elizabeth Alexander (left) and Sewell Chan (center) look on.
Pulitzer Board member Nancy Barnes speaks as Tommie Shelby (center) and Neil Brown (right) look on.
Pulitzer Board members Kelly Lytle Hernández (left) and Emily Ramshaw (right) contemplate the valences of the discourse.
Sewell Chan addresses his colleagues as Elizabeth Alexander looks on.
Emily Ramshaw (far right) addresses her colleagues as (from left) Anne Applebaum, David Remnick and Kelly Lytle Hernández listen.
Pulitzer Board member Ginger Thompson makes a point to her colleagues.
Ginger Thompson (left), Nicole Carroll (center) and Elizabeth Alexander (right) listen to their colleagues.
Alongside David Remnick (left), Anne Applebaum (center) addresses her colleagues.
David Remnick (left) addresses his colleagues.
Board member Carlos Lozada (left) reviews a document as Anne Applebaum looks on.
Kevin Merida offers remarks to his fellow Board members.
Marjorie Miller announces the 2024 winners and finalists.
A special citation for the late cultural critic Greg Tate was among the prizes.
A special citation for the journalists covering Gaza also was announced.
