Staff of the Baltimore News American, for "The Snowball Tragedy", a report about an elderly man accused of killing a teenager for throwing snowballs at his house.[8][9]
Pamela Zekman, Gene Mustain, Gilbert Jimenez, Norma Sosa, Larry Cose, Patricia Smith, and John Whit of the Chicago Sun-Times, for their series, "The Accident Swindlers", an undercover investigation of lawyers and doctors cheating insurance companies out of excessive payouts for minor car accidents.[11]
Richard Morin, Carl Hiaasen and Susan Sachs of The Miami Herald, for their series, "Key West: Smugglers' Island", exposing drug trafficking in the island community, aided by corrupt public officials.[12]
John M. Crewdson of The New York Times, for his coverage of illegal aliens and immigration, including over 40 major articles on topics such as migrant smuggling, mistreatment of migrant workers, and corruption among immigration officials.[13]
Joseph Volz, Richard Edmonds, Bob Herbert, and Alton Slagle of the New York Daily News, for their 7-part series, "The Crippled Giant", exposing the U.S. military's lack of preparedness for war.[17][18]
(Prize was originally awarded to Janet Cooke of The Washington Post for "Jimmy's World", a story about an eight-year-old heroin addict.[22] The award was returned after it was discovered that the story was a fabrication.[23])
Teresa Carpenter (February 25, 1980). "Murder on a Day Pass". The Village Voice. Retrieved 2024-02-20. Teresa Carpenter (November 5, 1980). "Death of a Playmate". The Village Voice. Retrieved 2024-02-20. Teresa Carpenter (May 12, 1980). "From Heroism to Madness: The Odyssey of the Man Who Shot Al Lowenstein". The Village Voice.