Indian investigative journalist Suparna Sharma, along with illustrator and visual artist Anand RK and Bloomberg investigative reporter Natalie Obiko Pearson, has won the Pulitzer Prize.
They received the award in the category of Illustrated Reporting and Commentary for “trAPPed”, an illustrated story about an Indian neurologist who was held under “digital arrest” through her phone. The team created a comic-style work combining visuals and text to highlight the growing global challenges of surveillance and digital scams.
The Pulitzer Prize carries a cash award of $15,000, which will be shared among the winners.
Who is Suparna Sharma?
Suparna Sharma is a freelance investigative journalist with over three decades of experience. She has covered a wide range of subjects, including crime, conflict, national disasters, and corruption.
In 2023, she reported an investigative story for Al Jazeera on the deaths of two elderly individuals in Delhi, exposing greed and negligence in the multi-billion-dollar elder care industry. The report also highlighted alleged attempts by authorities to suppress the truth.
She has also reported on how India’s top women wrestlers faced reprisals after accusing the country’s wrestling chief of sexual harassment.
Her work has appeared in Al Jazeera, Rolling Stone India, The Indian Express, Frontline, and BBC Africa. She has extensive experience working with leading media organisations in India.
Who are the co-winners?
Suparna Sharma shared the award with illustrator and visual artist Anand RK and Bloomberg investigative reporter Natalie Obiko Pearson.
What prize money will Suparna Sharma receive?
The Pulitzer Prize includes a cash award of $15,000. In this case, the amount will be shared among the three winners. So, each person involved is expected to earn $5000.
Which project did Suparna Sharma win?
The team won the award for “trAPPed”, a comic-style investigative work. It tells the story of a neurologist in India who was effectively held captive through a form of “digital arrest.”
The project combines immersive visual storytelling with in-depth reporting to document the rise of tech-driven crimes in South Asia.
Which category did Suparna Sharma win the Pulitzer Prize?
Suparna Sharma received the award in the Illustrated Reporting and Commentary category.
This category replaced the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning, which existed from 1922 to 2021. The change has been debated, with the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists calling for the reinstatement of Editorial Cartooning as a separate category.
About the Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize was established in 1917 by newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer. It comprises 23 awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in journalism, arts, and letters in the United States.
It is regarded as one of the highest honours in journalism, recognising work that uncovers complex issues such as cybercrime, human trafficking, and digital surveillance.
