2 Pulitzer Prize winners to speak at WVU

MORGANTOWN — Two Pulitzer Prize winners will share their stories at “Path to the Pulitzer: Journalism and the Informed Citizen,” at 7 p.m. April 4 at WVU’s Ming Hsieh Hall, an event hosted by the West Virginia Humanities Council.
Eric Eyre and Eric Newhouse have won Pulitzer Prizes for their work in investigative journalism in their communities. Eyre won his award for his work at the Charleston Gazette-Mail for his series “Painkiller Profiteers” and Newhouse acquired his Pulitzer for his work on “Alcohol: Cradle to the Grave” at The Great Falls Tribune in Great Falls, Mont.
Newhouse’s parents were both journalists, so becoming one helped him articulate the values he held all his life. Soon after he began his work on uncovering alcoholism in his community, it gained momentum and public attention.
“People really related to that, so I thought that was important to do, to tell a story other people could empathize with,” Newhouse said.
Both journalists agree that reaching the audience can pose a challenge, especially in the form of print media.
“Gone are the days when everybody in the neighborhood had the paper delivered to their house, the morning walk to the front yard to fetch a newspaper,” said Eyre.
He also said local readership is important to local journalism, and thinks people should know reporters work very hard for oftentimes little pay — but they do it because they care about the communities in which they work.
“It’s really up to the public to push for change and community leaders to press for answers and solutions,” Eyre said.
Eyre and Newhouse pursued different subject matters in their work, but a lot of the legwork was often the same. Lots of digging and emotion can oftentimes come with the territory of gritty stories of people’s struggles with things like sobriety and substance abuse.
“Sometimes the work makes a difference. Many times it does not. You just keep reporting. Head down. Maybe it will have an impact,” said Eyre.
Eyre also said investigating is a journey, it gives a voice to the voiceless and holds higher powers accountable. Newhouse has similar feelings about what investigative journalism is all about.
“I hope that stories like that will make the reading public more sensitive to the problems that are out there. But even if that’s not the case, even if I only help one person at a time — that certainly is worth it,” Newhouse said.
Newhouse said he wants to make sure people realize journalists are working for the reader, and on a larger scale the community as a whole.
“I think that the public needs to know we are the watchdog looking out for their interests,” Newhouse said.