The Seattle Times wins journalism Pulitzer Prize

The Seattle Times won the Pulitzer Prize for breaking news for its extensive, multi-platform coverage of the shooting deaths of four Lakewood police officers in a coffee house last November.

The prize, announced Monday at Columbia University in New York City, recognizes the Times for its coverage of the slayings, the subsequent manhunt for killer Maurice Clemmons and the controversy surrounding his release from an Arkansas prison and Pierce County jail.

"This is hugely gratifying for us, but our joy for this honor is tempered by the sorrow of the slain officers' families and by the tragic nature of this story," said Executive Editor Dave Boardman.

It is the eighth Pulitzer for the state's largest newspaper, which is owned by the Blethen family.

Times reporters Jennifer Sullivan and Steve Miletich were in court as a jury returned a murder verdict in another case when they got the news.

"It's hard to absorb," Miletich said. "It was a team effort. We're all really honored by it. We set out to inform the community about a really tragic event at a time they really needed it."

Sullivan and Miletich also said it showed the importance of good journalism, especially at a difficult time for the industry.

"Every reporter was asked to chip in, and everybody did their part," Sullivan said.

On Nov. 29, three Lakewood officers and a sergeant were sitting in a strip-mall coffee shop preparing for a Sunday shift when Clemmons, a felon with a long record in Arkansas and Washington, walked in the door and started shooting. All four law officers died, but one of them first managed to put up a struggle, firing a shot that struck Clemmons in the gut, according to police.

One of the biggest manhunts the region has witnessed ensued, ending when a Seattle patrolman shot Clemmons after he made a move for a gun he had taken from one of the slain officers.

Throughout those days, Boardman said the majority of the newsroom was working in some capacity on the story.

The newspaper combined traditional reporting with new media to provide comprehensive coverage.

When the Times received final confirmation of the suspect's name from a source, it updated the story online, posted a message on Twitter and e-mailed an alert to readers. The Times also used the social media experiment Google Wave to allow readers to participate in the coverage.

Like many newspapers across the country, The Seattle Times has faced dire financial struggles, including layoffs and buyouts in the newsroom in recent years.

But Boardman said the paper has refused to make cuts in investigative and breaking news reporting, along with Web producing - elements in the newsroom he said bolstered the coverage.

"In an age many people would like to write off newspapers, the Times was the source of information," Boardman said.

The other finalists included The Star-Ledger in Newark, N.J., for coverage of 44 arrests in a widespread corruption scandal that involved local officials and several religious leaders, and The Washington Post staff for its coverage of the Fort Hood, Texas, shootings.

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Associated Press Writer Gene Johnson in Seattle contributed to this report.