Ken Ritter of the Associated Press writes Monday night about Las Vegas Sun business reporter Alexandra Berzon, who won a Pulitzer Prize for her coverage of unsafe working conditions that led to the death of a dozen construction workers.
Ritter writes, “Berzon was at a hearing of Nevada safety regulators when she was summoned back to her office and surprised with word that the Sun won journalism’s most prestigious award in the public service category
“‘We spent basically a year on this story,’ said Berzon, who called herself ‘totally shocked’ by the award. ‘To see things change as a result, that is really a satisfying thing as a reporter.’
“The newspaper was cited by Pulitzer judges for ‘courageous reporting’ by Berzon, whose stories about lax enforcement of safety rules on the Las Vegas Strip led to changes in policy and improved workplace conditions.
“The death toll among construction workers on the Strip had reached nine in 16 months as casino companies undertook a $32 billion building boom, including the largest private commercial development in U.S. history.”
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