The New York Times and the New Yorker shared the Pulitzer Prize for public service on Monday for their bombshell reporting about movie mogul Harvey Weinstein and multiple accusations of sexual misconduct over the course of several decades.
Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey’s October Times story, followed days later by Ronan Farrow’s New Yorker report detailing more accusations of harassment and even assault, had an almost immediate impact on both Weinstein’s studio and Hollywood more generally.
Within a month, more than 80 women stepped forward with accusations of misconduct against the Oscar-winning mogul — who was quickly fired by The Weinstein Company, the film and TV company he founded with his brother, Bob, and expelled from the Motion Picture Academy. Last month, The Weinstein Company filed for bankruptcy in the aftermath of the scandal.
Prosecutors in London, New York and Los Angeles are also weighing filing criminal charges against Weinstein, who has consistently denied engaging in any non-consensual sex.
The Times’ and New Yorker’s reporter also sparked a widespread reckoning in Hollywood, as other women (and men) began reporting accusations of misconduct by stars such as Kevin Spacey, Louis C.K. and CBS News anchor Charlie Rose as well as film and TV executives accused of abusing their authority.
The resulting #MeToo movement has also spread to non-entertainment industries as well as politics.
The Pulitzer committee cited the Times and the New Yorker “for explosive, impactful journalism that exposed powerful and wealthy sexual predators, including accusations against one of Hollywood’s most influential producers, bringing them to account for long-suppressed allegations of coercion, brutality and victim silencing, thus spurring a worldwide reckoning about sexual abuse of women.”
The Times also shared the national reporting prize with The Washington Post for reporting on Russian interference in the 2016 election, and for editorial cartooning for work by freelancers Jake Halpern and Michael Sloan.