Pulitzers Recognize Pitts' Independent Voice

By: Dave Astor Miami Herald columnist Leonard Pitts Jr. feels the world is a more complex place than some conservatives and liberals make it out to be. So he developed an independent voice that Pulitzer Prize jurors decided was simply wonderful.

"If a world view can be summed up in one word, it's not much of a world view," said Pitts, 46, winner of this year's Pulitzer for commentary.

Being a thoughtful, independent columnist doesn't mean Pitts is without strong opinions. That's why he'd rather not be described as a moderate, because, he said, that implies "you can't make up your mind."

Pitts writes about the world -- including the Iraq war -- but mostly focuses on domestic topics such as politics, race, gay marriage, the religious right, pop culture, family life, and much more. "My interests tend to gravitate to things I see in my own proverbial backyard," said Pitts, who's syndicated to more than 200 papers by Tribune Media Services.

Tom Fiedler, executive editor of the Herald (Click for QuikCap), said Pitts has "a unique ability to write about the things that make us uncomfortable -- including bigotry, intolerance, and how we get along with people -- without alienating readers. At the end, readers come away wiser than when they started."

Pitts joined the Herald in 1991 as a music critic, and started his general commentary column three years later. He was a Pulitzer finalist in 1992, and many observers felt he should have won the 2002 Pulitzer for his post-9/11 commentary. His Sept. 12 column drew more than 30,000 positive e-mails -- and made Pitts E&P's Columnist of the Year in 2001. He has also won major awards from the American Association of Sunday and Feature Editors, American Society of Newspaper Editors, National Association of Black Journalists, National Society of Newspaper Columnists, and other organizations.

He joins a list of Pulitzer-winning Herald columnists that includes Dave Barry and Liz Balmaseda.