Famous Jew in History: Joseph Pulitzer (1847–1911)
The Pulitzer Prize is one of journalism's highest honours. Every year, it recognises outstanding reporting, writing and photography.
The prize is named after Joseph Pulitzer, a Hungarian-born Jewish immigrant whose remarkable journey helped transform American journalism.Born in Makó, Hungary, in 1847, Pulitzer's father died when he was young, leaving the family in financial hardship. At 17, he travelled alone to the United States to join the Union Army during the American Civil War. When the war ended, he was discharged in St Louis with little money and unable to speak English. To support himself, he took whatever work he could find while teaching himself English in public libraries.
His determination earned him a job as a reporter on a German-language newspaper. Over the next two decades, he worked his way from reporter to owner of some of America's most influential newspapers. Pulitzer believed newspapers should do more than report the news. They should expose corruption, challenge those in power and stand up for ordinary people.
Pulitzer transformed struggling newspapers into some of the most influential in America through investigative journalism and fearless reporting. In his will, he left money to establish the Pulitzer Prizes, first awarded in 1917.
More than a century later, the Pulitzer Prize still celebrates journalism that uncovers the truth and holds power to account. It's a fitting legacy for a man who believed newspapers could help make society better.