The Pulitzer Center wants to hear your voice on some of the most pressing issues of the day. You can write original articles on issues raised by the Pulitzer Center in the Global Issues/Citizen Voices contests. These feature titles are based on Pulitzer Center Reporting projects, which cover global crisis issues that are misreported, underreported or not reported on at all.
Put your reporter’s hat on and write! The winning essay will be showcased on the Pulitzer Center’s website and on Helium.
The Pulitzer Center Citizen Journalist Winners
Contest Two
- Robin Finesmith:
- Why has international intervention to stop the fighting in Darfur failed, and what policy alternatives might succeed?
- Adam Simpson:
- Should a US company be legally liable in US courts for environmental consequences of its operations abroad?
- Russell H. Smith:
- How should Lebanon address its Palestinian issue and what can the international community do to help?
- Danny Hosein:
- In a closed society like the military dictatorship of Burma, how can journalists find the truth?
Contest One
- Deborah Bauers:
- Does President Hugo Chavez’s criticism of US policies represent popular sentiments in Venezuela, and perhaps Latin America at large?
- Kallie Szczepanski:
- Should the US consider Ethiopia an ally despite its poor human rights record?
- Debra Triplett:
- What responsibility does the US have toward Vietnamese who believe they’ve suffered illnesses as a result of their exposure to the dioxin Agent Orange?
- Sara Turner:
- Who should take a stand against abusive child labor being used in Congo to dig out coltan?
- Loyce Kareri:
- Why should the world care about the environment in places like Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Rwanda?
- David Chaproniere:
- Is the accidental killing of civilians by US forces, in places like Somalia, an unavoidable part of the war on terrorism?
- Ravi Embar:
- What would be the most effective way for the Indian government to respond to the Maoist insurgency?
- Stephanie Whybrow:
- Should US environmental standards apply when multinational companies develop the petroleum resources of fragile ecosystems such as Peru’s Amazon?
- Petra Newman:
- How concerned should Americans be about HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean?
- Steve Hutcheson:
- Can the US military be effective in nonmilitary efforts to revive a war-battered community?
- R. L. Hanlon:
- What responsibility does the world bear for rehabilitating child soldiers from the horror of serving in armed conflict?
- Caroline Harmon:
- Should a global climate agreement hold the US to a higher environmental standard than the rest of the world?
- Daniel Figueroa:
- What is the responsibility of American companies and consumers for unsafe working conditions in Chinese factories?
Please note: The above essay contests are closed, but you can still submit articles to these titles.
The Global Issues/Citizen Voices Essay Contest No. 3
Select one of the active essay contest titles (at the top right of this page). Then read the corresponding Pulitzer coverage on each issue at the Pulitzer Center website (you can find links to each issue at the top of the Helium title) to gain knowledge on the issue you want to write about. Then return to Helium and be a citizen journalist: Report on the issue by writing a compelling, well-researched article. Remember, these articles are not fiction so be sure to follow Pulitzer’s guidelines and submit original reporting of your own or actual firsthand experiences. The goal is to provide fresh insight and a compelling article. You can write on any or all of the essay titles! Note: Articles should be no longer than 750 words.
Check out the Pulitzer Center’s website to see if your essay is rated as one of the top five submitted.
On May 30, the titles will close, and by June 10, the Pulitzer Center staff will select a winning essay from the top 10 rated by the Helium community for each title. Selection will be based on the most compelling essay and the one that brings the freshest insight on the issue presented.
Pulitzer will announce its winners for Contest No. 3 by June 10.
The winning essay will be featured on the landing page of that Pulitzer Center reporting project. It will include the Helium writer’s name, city or country of residence and photograph. Winning writers will also receive a Pulitzer Center Citizen Journalist Award.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in the articles published on the websites of Helium and of the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting are those of the authors alone. They do not represent the views or opinions of the Pulitzer Center or its staff.
About the Pulitzer Center
The Pulitzer Center’s mission is to promote in-depth coverage of international affairs, focusing on issues that have been underreported, misreported or not reported on at all. Helium provides the platform to discuss and debate these critically important issues.
Read more about the Pulitzer Center on Helium and write to titles that are not in the current essay contest.
