UNITED STATES NEWS

Editor, Pulitzer administrator Mike Pride dead at 76

Apr 25, 2023, 2:02 PM

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Mike Pride, who cultivated excellence in journalism as a New Hampshire newspaper editor and later rewarded it as administrator of the Pulitzer Prizes, has died. He was 76.

Pride, who died Monday in Florida from complications of a blood disorder, was the only person to serve as a juror, board member, board co-chair and administrator for the Pulitzers. But before he began bestowing some of journalism’s highest honors, he spent decades nurturing reporters often just starting their careers.

Under his 25 years of leadership, the Concord Monitor expanded its staff and scope — attracting national attention for ambitious projects and aggressive coverage of both local issues and the national politicians who showed up every four years for New Hampshire’s presidential primary. The newspaper became something of a magnet for reporters looking to learn a lot, quickly, and then move on.

Sarah Koenig, host and co-creator of the award-winning podcast Serial, was a Monitor political reporter in the late 1990s. In their first encounter, Pride walked up to her desk, informed her she had misspelled the word “stationery” and walked away. She recalled that moment Tuesday as “thrilling and terrifying,” but said she soon came to regard Pride as a fair, supportive leader.

“I felt like it was so clear that he was in my corner as a reporter,” she said. “He just always was so smart, and calm and straight with you.”

Pride was born on July 31, 1946, in Bridgeport, Conn., and grew up in Clearwater, Florida. After serving as a Russian linguist in the Army, he began his journalism career as a sports writer at the Tampa Tribune. He became editor of the Monitor in 1983 after serving as managing editor, retired in 2008 and then returned briefly in 2014.

During his time as editor, the paper won the New England Newspaper of the Year Award 19 times and was cited by Time magazine and the Columbia Journalism Review as one of the best papers in the country. Pride was named Editor of the Year by the National Press Foundation in 1987 for directing coverage of the Challenger space shuttle disaster and death of New Hampshire teacher Christa McAuliffe. And in 2008, the Monitor won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography.

“His contribution was to say what should have been unnecessary, which is that local news is as interesting and essential as national news, and the people who read local news deserve as good reporting and writing as the people who read The New York Times,” said Jane Harrigan, a writing coach and former journalism professor, reporter and editor who spent four years at the Monitor in the 1980s.

Alec MacGillis, a reporter for ProPublica and editor-at-large for the Baltimore Banner, remembers covering the 2000 presidential primary at the Monitor in a year when the paper also published 100 lengthy profiles of the state’s most interesting characters.

“We were just aiming so high, and (Pride) was holding us to such high expectations,” he said. Pride’s reaction when reporters fell short also has stuck with him, MacGillis said.

“It was never anger or disapproval, it was more just the sobriety with which he would regard you,” he said. “And you just so wanted to have done better, and to do better in the future.”

Pride joined the Pulitzer Board in 1999 and served as administrator from 2014-2017, during which the board opened its journalism competition to online and print magazines. He also was the author of numerous books, and continued writing columns for the Monitor as recently as this year. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Monique, three sons and six grandchildren.

“He was an amazing father who taught by example what a good life can be, to work hard for things, to tell the truth, to use as few words as possible, to apologize when you’re wrong and to love as often as possible,” his son, Yuri, said in an email.

Pride also could be dad-like at the office, Koenig recalled.

“It was like, Don’t cross him. Don’t (expletive) up,” she said. “But, it’s your dad. He kind of loves you. And he’s gonna help you out.”

United States News

Smoke rises from the Gaza Strip after Israeli strikes on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Leo Corr...

Associated Press

Israel presses on with Gaza bombardments, including in areas where it told civilians to flee

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli warplanes struck parts of the Gaza Strip overnight into Saturday in relentless bombardments, including some of the dwindling slivers of land Palestinians had been told to evacuate to in the territory’s south. The latest strikes came a day after the United States vetoed a United Nations resolution demanding an […]

3 hours ago

FILE - A marquee promoting a fundraiser with President Joe Biden is on display outside the Lunt-Fon...

Associated Press

Big money, fancy homes, old jokes — inside Joe Biden’s fundraisers

LOS ANGELES (AP) — If you’re a Democrat with money to burn and friends in high places, you can spend thousands on tickets to a fundraiser with President Joe Biden. If not, keep reading to see what you’re missing. With an election year around the corner, Biden is accelerating his fundraising to prepare for an […]

6 hours ago

FILE - Republican presidential candidates from left, former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, Florida Gov....

Associated Press

DeSantis, Haley and Ramaswamy will appear in northwest Iowa days after a combative GOP debate

SIOUX CENTER, Iowa (AP) — Republican presidential candidates will cross paths again in Iowa just days after a fractious debate and as the countdown to the caucuses nears the one-month mark. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy will make their case — this time without the others […]

6 hours ago

FILE - Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump speaks to Texas state tr...

Associated Press

Appeals court upholds gag order on Trump in Washington case but narrows restrictions on his speech

A federal appeals court in Washington on Friday largely upheld a gag order on former President Donald Trump in his 2020 election interference case but narrowed the restrictions on his speech.

9 hours ago

FILE - Migrant families wade through shallow waters toward Roma, Texas, March 24, 2021. A federal j...

Associated Press

Federal judge prohibits separating migrant families at US border for 8 years

A federal judge on Friday prohibited the separation of families at the border for purposes of deterring immigration for eight years.

10 hours ago

Associated Press

Indiana secretary of state appeals ruling for US Senate candidate seeking GOP nod

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana secretary of state is appealing a ruling that a law stipulating voting requirements for a candidate’s party affiliation is unconstitutional in a decision that lifted the hopes of a U.S. Senate hopeful who wants to run as a Republican. The Indiana attorney general’s office filed the notice of appeal Friday […]

11 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Follow @KTAR923...

Valley residents should be mindful of plumbing ahead of holidays

With Halloween in the rear-view and more holidays coming up, Day & Night recommends that Valley residents prepare accordingly.

Follow @KTAR923...

West Hunsaker at Morris Hall supports Make-A-Wish Foundation in Arizona

KTAR's Community Spotlight this month focuses on Morris Hall and its commitment to supporting the Make-A-Wish Foundation in Arizona.

...

SCHWARTZ LASER EYE CENTER

Key dates for Arizona sports fans to look forward to this fall

Fall brings new beginnings in different ways for Arizona’s professional sports teams like the Cardinals and Coyotes.

Editor, Pulitzer administrator Mike Pride dead at 76