Biz journalists among Pulitzer finalists

Business journalists are finalists in three Pulitzer Prize categories, according to a list published on the Editor & Publisher site by Joe Strupp.

The Wall Street Journal’s series on the backdating of stock options is a finalist in the category of Public Service, while New York Times business columnist Joe Nocera is a finalist in the Commentary category.

In addition, the Baltimore Sun’s biz section series “On Shaky Ground” about abuses in Maryland’s peculiar ground-rent system is a finalist in the Local Reporting category.

There might be others as well. I am not familiar enough with some of these entries to determine if they were written by business journalists.

Read more here. The winners will be named April 16.

The Journal series of articles on backdating stock options were also winners in the National Headliner Award competition, announced Wednesday. The reporters are Charles Forelle, James Bandler and Mark Maremont.

Second place in the National Headliner business news competition was Greg Burns of the Chicago Tribune for “College Has Become Less Affordable�, while third place went to Jim Adams, R.G. Dunlop and Caroline Lynch Pieroni of The Courier-Journal in Louisville for “Selling a Dream, Buying a Nightmare.�