National Enquirer Could Win Pulitzer

The National Enquirer has always made a name for itself, but now the grocery check-out tabloid is getting news for something other than coverage of Brangelina's Alien Babies or Wolf Man Spottings in Georgia. The National Enquirer has received nominations for two categories of the Pulitzer Prize for their Investigative Reporting and National Reporting of the John Edwards scandal, breaking the story of Edwards mistress and illegitimate child before any other national media outlet.

Early reports of the National Enquirer's nominations were tainted with questions about the competitions strict standards for those categories, one of which specifies winners must be newspaper or news sites published at least once a week. After reviewing the National Enquirer's entry samples and their publishing standards, judges approved the publication as a newspaper and admitted it officially with the nominations in February.

"The fact that we may package this story along with the types of stories involving celebrities that are not typical of newspapers that the Pulitzer committee may look at on a yearly basis has nothing to do with the reporting," National Enquirer executive editor Barry Levine told ABC News on Friday. "That persistence, that old-fashioned, shoe-leather reporting that we exhibited on this story, at the end of the day, is what the Pulitzer committee recognized."

The National Enquirer's coverage of John Edward's affair and love child forced the politician to publicly admit his parentage of the child in question, the daughter of his presidential campaign's video-grapher Rielle Hunter, and have led to a national investigation of Edward's campaign finances concerning Hunter's remaining on payroll after she stopped her video-grapher duties for the campaign.

The National Enquirer still faces criticism for its practice of "checkbook journalism," paying sources for information, something frowned on in mainstream journalism.

Kevin Smith, president of the Society of Professional Journalists, publicly questioned the National Enquirer's credibility. "The one time they landed a big fish does not diminish ... that they have a serious credibility issue."

Levine defends the practice, and the Edwards coverage, in his comments to ABC News: "This wasn't about paying a tipster. This was the result of a great team effort by editors, reporters and the photo department. This was good, old-fashioned reporting: knocking on doors, cultivating sources, surveillance, photographic evidence, late-night meetings with sources."

Forum posters are having a field day with the National Enquirer's Pulitzer nominations. Frank, a poster on CNN.com said, "And so goes journalism, spiraling down the drain along with real factual reporting. Even a broken clock is right twice a day."

Tim posted: "...and the Nobel Peace Prize goes to ... someone without an ounce of merit. Next up? The Pulitzer ..."

Another poster, Leslei, congratulated the tabloid: "I'm so glad that the Enquirer is getting the kudos it deserves. The fact that many other media outlets knew, but would not publish, a presidential contender's affair speaks to their lack of courage. Courage is what makes good journalism."

The final determination of who gets the Pulitzer Prize will require 21 "jurors" with journalistic backgrounds to pore over submissions from the 14 Pulitzer Prize categories. Each juror chooses three finalist pieces to be reviewed again by the prize board - 16 different judges. Putlitzer.org, the Prize's official site, says the Pulitzer Prizewinners and Nominated Finalists in all categories will be released on April 12, 2010 on the site by 3 p.m. Eastern daylight time. Link to winning coverage will also be posted.