Down year for Pulitzers in business journalism

The number of Pulitzer Prize winners Monday that revolved around business and financial journalism fell in 2014.

There appears to be two Pulitzers this year for a business and financial topic, and two finalists. In 2013, there were three Pulitzer Prizes handed out for business and financial journalism, and three finalists in business and financial journalism.

In the investigative reporting category, a Pulitzer was awarded to labor and environmental reporter Chris Hamby of The Center for Public Integrity, Washington, D.C., for his reports on how some lawyers and doctors rigged a system to deny benefits to coal miners stricken with black lung disease, resulting in remedial legislative efforts.

In the editorial writing category, a Pulitzer was awarded to the editorial staff of The Oregonian, Portland, for its lucid editorials that explain the urgent but complex issue of rising pension costs, notably engaging readers and driving home the link between necessary solutions and their impact on everyday lives.

In the national reporting category, The Wall Street Journal was a finalist twice.

Nominated finalists in this category were John Emshwiller and Jeremy Singer-Vine of The Journal for their reports and searchable database on the nation’s often overlooked factories and research centers that once produced nuclear weapons and now pose contamination risks; and Jon Hilsenrath of The Journal for his exploration of the Federal Reserve, a powerful but little understood national institution.

Read about all of the winners and finalists here.