For the second year in a row, nonprofit investigative newsroom ProPublica has been awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service—the most prestigious honor in American journalism. The award recognizes Life of the Mother, a searing investigation into the deadly consequences of abortion restrictions in several U.S. states.
A deep dive into a growing health crisis
Reported by Kavitha Surana, Lizzie Presser, and Cassandra Jaramillo, the Life of the Mother series chronicles multiple cases of pregnant women who died after being denied timely medical care. The investigation focuses on states that enacted strict abortion bans following the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. One of the most haunting cases is that of Amber Thurman, who died in Georgia after a 17-hour wait for a medically necessary procedure. Doctors hesitated to perform a dilation and curettage (D&C), fearing they could violate the state’s abortion law. She later succumbed to sepsis. A Georgia medical board ruled her death “preventable”—marking the first official fatality attributed to post-Roe abortion laws.
ProPublica found that at least five women died between 2022 and 2023 under similar circumstances. In each case, physicians delayed care until the patient’s condition worsened drastically, citing unclear legal guidelines. In states where intervention is allowed only when a patient’s life is “clearly” at risk, doctors are often left to navigate a murky legal landscape. This legal ambiguity, according to ProPublica’s interviews with healthcare workers, is deeply altering day-to-day medical practice. The team’s reporting drew from medical records, death certificates, and interviews with hospital doctors—highlighting ProPublica’s meticulous, evidence-based approach. Their work balances legal, medical, and personal perspectives, offering a nuanced look into an ideologically charged crisis.
Journalism that sparks change
Critics and readers alike praised the series for its clarity and emotional depth. According to the Nieman Foundation, the investigation “put the human impact at the center of a deeply polarized debate,” showing how political decisions can have lethal, real-world consequences for women. The series spurred immediate political response. Senator Ron Wyden launched a federal investigation into hospital practices in affected states, calling for a review of cases in which urgent care was delayed or denied to pregnant women with severe complications.
In at least seven states, the investigation influenced legislative debates. Lawmakers introduced bills to clarify when doctors can provide life-saving abortion care without fear of prosecution. Some hospitals have since revised emergency protocols to prevent similar tragedies. The Pulitzer Prize for Public Service, awarded with a gold medal, honors journalism that has a tangible and lasting societal impact. This latest accolade reaffirms ProPublica’s mission: to produce fact-driven, accountability-focused journalism in the public interest.
Marjorie Miller, Pulitzer Prize Administrator, described the investigation as “brave, deeply human, and essential to a functioning democracy.”