Today the Pulitzer Prize, the most prestigious honor in U.S. journalism, was awarded to The Needling for Realest Real Fake Local News Reporting.
“For its in-depth reporting of the local Raccoon Elders Council’s efforts to fight the coronavirus pandemic by washing all food for 20 seconds with their weird little hands, this year’s Pulitzer Prize for realest Real Fake Local News Reporting goes to The Needling,” the Pulitzer committee announced today from Columbia University. “Their deft reporting and storytelling of the stirring speech given by Lord Fiddles, Viceroy of Rubbishire, about raccoon hygiene will be remembered for decades to come.”
Finalists for the same honor were Portland’s Stumptown Scallion and Beantown’s The Boston Accent.
In an official statement, editor of The Needling said “It was an honor just to be nominated along with so many other talented real fake news outlets. Also, HAAA HAAAA!”
This is the first year the Pulitzer Prize committee has given out real fake news reporting awards.
“We finally realized that real fake news, satire – whatever you want to call it – has been a powerful, thought-provoking artform for ages and it was finally time we that we recognized it as such,” laughed Pulitzer Board chair Sharon McCall slapping her knees. “Speaking of funny, did you see how we nominated three people for the Editorial Cartooning category and then just didn’t give a prize for it all? Who says we’re too stuffy an institution to have a sense of humor?”
Here’s the full list of Pulitzer Prize real fake winners and finalists:
Breaking News Reporting: The Nordly (Minneapolis)
National Reporting: Awf Magazine, the best LGBTQ+ news and lifestyle source in the universe
History: YeOldeTymeNews – Medieval Fantasy Satire
Public Service: JumpKick Funding – No matter the cause, we always take 5%
Literature: The Mother Faulkner – Literary stire
Drama: The Broadway Beat – Satirical Broadway News for Real Broadway Newsies
Music: Hard Times – Punk News
Real Fake Editorial Cartooning: The Weekly Humorist
Commentary: The Lunar Times – Satire and humor for all Asian Americans
International Reporting: The Foreigner – Exploring the comedic side of being an immigrant, children of immigrants, or diaspora.
General Fake Nonfiction: Tie – Takoma Torch, the DC region’s only humor source & Pittsburgh Unfiltered
Fiction: Plot Twist – Film News
Criticism: The Plantain (Miami)
Feature Writing: Widget – A funny website
Explanatory Reporting: Local Mountain News – Sustainable News Satire for The Environment
Feature Photography: Chicago Machine
Editorial Writing: Tie for Ladyspike and The Glowt
