Thirteen news organisations shared the honours in the journalism categories at the annual Pulitzer Prizes, which covered a wide variety of subjects in a year when no single event dominated the front pages. A live jazz recording won in the music category for the first time.

Like their communities, The Sun Herald of south Mississippi and The Times-Picayune of New Orleans took a beating from Hurricane Katrina. Their buildings were damaged, advertisers and subscribers were displaced and circulation dropped.