Staff of the Baltimore News American, for "The Snowball Tragedy", a report about an elderly man accused of killing a teenager for throwing snowballs at his house.[8][9]
Pamela Zekman, Gene Mustain, Gilbert Jimenez, Norma Sosa, Larry Cose, Patricia Smith, and John Whit of the Chicago Sun-Times, for their series, "The Accident Swindlers", an undercover investigation of lawyers and doctors cheating insurance companies out of excessive payouts for minor car accidents.[11]
Richard Morin, Carl Hiaasen and Susan Sachs of The Miami Herald, for their series, "Key West: Smugglers' Island", exposing drug trafficking in the island community, aided by corrupt public officials.[12]
John M. Crewdson of The New York Times, for his coverage of illegal aliens and immigration, including over 40 major articles on topics such as migrant smuggling, mistreatment of migrant workers, and corruption among immigration officials.[13]
Joseph Volz, Richard Edmonds, Bob Herbert, and Alton Slagle of the New York Daily News, for their 7-part series, "The Crippled Giant", exposing the U.S. military's lack of preparedness for war.[17][18]
(Prize was originally awarded to Janet Cooke of The Washington Post for "Jimmy's World", a story about an eight-year-old heroin addict.[22] The award was returned after it was discovered that the story was a fabrication.[23])
^"National News Council probes Pulitzer snafu". Editor and Publisher. May 16, 1981. p. 13.
^Teresa Carpenter (February 25, 1980). "Murder on a Day Pass". The Village Voice. Retrieved 2024-02-20. Teresa Carpenter (November 5, 1980). "Death of a Playmate". The Village Voice. Retrieved 2024-02-20. Teresa Carpenter (May 12, 1980). "From Heroism to Madness: The Odyssey of the Man Who Shot Al Lowenstein". The Village Voice.
^Janet Cooke (September 27, 1980). "Jimmy's World". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
^Mike Sager (June 1, 2016). "The fabulist who changed journalism". Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved 2024-02-20.
^"Volcano stalkers 'erupt in cheers'". Corpus Christi Times. AP. April 14, 1981 – via Newspapers.com.
^Patrick Riordan (April 16, 1981). "Post reporter returns Pulitzer; story a hoax". The Miami Herald – via Newspapers.com.
^Madeleine Blais (October 12, 1980). "Who's Going To Love Judith Bucknell?". The Miami Herald – via Newspapers.com.
^Heinz-D. Fischer; Erika J. Fischer (2003). Complete Historical Handbook of the Pulitzer Prize System 1917-2000. Walter de Gruyter. p. 160.
^ abHeinz-D. Fischer; Erika J. Fischer (2003). Complete Historical Handbook of the Pulitzer Prize System 1917-2000. Walter de Gruyter. p. 172.
^Hal Lipper (April 25, 1981). "Peters confronts issues with humorous cartoons". Editor & Publisher. pp. 28–29.
^"S-T's Price wins a Pulitzer Prize". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. April 13, 1981 – via Newspapers.com.
^Paul Rowan (April 26, 1980). "Liberian regime threatens foreigners in top positions". Fort Worth Star-Telegram – via Newspapers.com.
^"A prize-winner's photos". Detroit Free Press. April 14, 1981 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Inside Jackson Prison". Taro Yamasaki. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
^"Clarion-Ledger staffer finalist in Pulitzers". The Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, MS. April 14, 1981 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Mississippi Delta: Empty Hands in a Fertile Land". The Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, MS. December 17, 1980 – via Newspapers.com.
^"POSTHUMOUS PULITZER GIVEN WRITER WHO COULDN'T GET NOVEL PUBLISHED". The New York Times. 1981-04-14. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-04-05.