AL.com's John Archibald wins 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary

Updated Apr 16, 3:33 PM; Posted Apr 16, 2:00 PM



By Bob Sims

rsims@al.com

John Archibald, long the voice of the aggrieved in Alabama, has won the Pulitzer Prize for commentary for his writing about Alabama politics in a year marked by trouble atop all three branches of state government and a dramatic U.S. Senate race that ended in an upset victory by Democrat Doug Jones over conservative judge Roy Moore.

On Dec. 12, the day of the special Senate election, Archibald appealed to voters in his own direct style: "Thinking of the world watching Alabama right now is like hearing an unexpected knock on the door when you haven't done the dishes. ... The world is watching. And what it sees will have consequences. Vote your heart. Vote your conscience. But know what it means. To the world, and to you."

Dana Canedy, administrator of the Pulitzers, cited Archibald's "lyrical and courageous commentary rooted in Alabama but has a national resonance in scrutinizing corrupt politicians, championing the rights of women and calling out hypocrisy." [Spelling of Canedy's name corrected at 2:49 p.m.]

John began writing for The Birmingham News in 1986 and has provided commentary for the newspaper and AL.com since 2004. He most often focuses on Alabama and Birmingham politics, but he does so with a unique blend of humor and outrage. And he is often pulled to write about day-to-day topics and ordinary people, those who exist outside the corruption and hypocrisy he has dedicated decades to revealing.

In addition to his work on the biggest political stories of 2017, Archibald's investigative work and commentary in 2017 also led to the guilty plea of former state lawmaker Oliver Robinson in a bribery scandal that produced indictments of two attorneys and a coal company executive. Those federal cases are still working their way through the legal system.
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more: http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2018/04/alcoms_john_archibald_wins_201.html



JA appeared on TRMS during the Moore vs Jones campaign. Several of his noteworthy columns are linked at the OP.