Blog ganha maior prêmio americano por defender os fracos

A redação do ProPublica recebe a notícia do Pulitzer

no Conversa Afiada

Pela primeira vez, uma publicação jornalística não-impressa ganha um prêmio Pulitzer, o mais importante da imprensa americana.

O “ProPublica” ganhou o prêmio de “reportagem nacional” com um trabalho investigativo sobre a máquina de fazer dinheiro de Wall Street.

O ProPublica é uma instituição nova-iorquina não-lucrativa, sustentada por contribuições, anúncios e doações de fundações privadas.

O objetivo é expor os abusos de poder e produzir jornalismo que esclareça a exploração do fraco pelo forte e o fracasso dos poderosos em agir de acordo com a confiança em que neles foi depositada.

Trata-se, portanto, de um típico blog sujo.

O prêmio Pulitzer: 

NATIONAL REPORTING: JESSE EISINGER AND JAKE BERNSTEIN, PROPUBLICA

“For their exposure of questionable practices on Wall Street that contributed to the nation’s economic meltdown, using digital tools to help explain the complex subject to lay readers.

A reportagem que deu o prêmio:

The Wall Street Money Machine

As investors left the housing market in the run-up to the meltdown, Wall Street sliced up and repackaged troubled assets based on those shaky mortgages, often buying those new packages themselves. That created fake demand, hid the banks’ real exposure, increased their bonuses — and ultimately made the mortgage crisis worse.

A missão do ProPublica:

The Mission

To expose abuses of power and betrayals of the public trust by government, business, and other institutions, using the moral force of investigative journalism to spur reform through the sustained spotlighting of wrongdoing.

Quem é o ProPublica:

ProPublica is an independent, non-profit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest. Our work focuses exclusively on truly important stories, stories with “moral force.” We do this by producing journalism that shines a light on exploitation of the weak by the strong and on the failures of those with power to vindicate the trust placed in them.

Investigative journalism is at risk. Many news organizations have increasingly come to see it as a luxury. Today’s investigative reporters lack resources: Time and budget constraints are curbing the ability of journalists not specifically designated “investigative” to do this kind of reporting in addition to their regular beats. This is therefore a moment when new models are necessary to carry forward some of the great work of journalism in the public interest that is such an integral part of self-government, and thus an important bulwark of our democracy.