Last year, the Washington Post and the New York Times shared a Pulitizer Prize for “National Reporting” for their coverage of the Mueller investigation. This is how it was billed:

For deeply sourced, relentlessly reported coverage in the public interest that dramatically furthered the nation’s understanding of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and its connections to the Trump campaign, the President-elect’s transition team and his eventual administration. (The New York Times entry, submitted in this category, was moved into contention by the Board and then jointly awarded the Prize.)

These are the winning stories:

February 9, 2017 Officials say Flynn discussed sanctions (Washington Post)
February 14, 2017 White House received warning about Flynn (Washington Post)
March 1, 2017 FBI was to pay author of Trump dossier (Washington Post)
March 2, 2017 Sessions spoke twice to Russian envoy (Washington Post)
May 16, 2017 Trump reveals secret intelligence to Russians (Washington Post)
May 23, 2017 President asked intelligence chiefs to deny collusion (Washington Post)
June 15, 2017 Trump’s actions now a focus of Mueller inquiry (Washington Post)
June 23, 2017 Obama’s secret struggle to punish Russia for Putin’s election assault
August 1, 2017 Trump crafted son’s statement on Russian contact (Washington Post)
December 14, 2017 Doubting the intelligence, Trump pursues Putin and leaves a Russian threat unchecked (Washington Post)
May 17, 2017 Trump Appealed To Comey To Haunt Inquiry Into Aide (New York Times)
July 11, 2017 Trump’s Son Heard of Link To Moscow Before Meeting (New York Times)
July 12, 2017 Emails Disclose Trump Son’s Glee At Russian Offer (New York Times)
December 31, 2017 Unlikely Source Propelled Russian Meddling Inquiry (New York Times)
May 20, 2017 Trump Admitted Dismissal At F.B.I. Eased Pressure (New York Times)
May 12, 2017 President Shifts Rationale For Firing F.B.I. Director, Calling Him a ‘Showboat’ (New York Times)
April 7, 2017 Undisclosed On Forms, Kushner Met 2 Russians (New York Times)
April 23, 2017 In Trying to Avoid Politics, Comey Shaped an Election (New York Times)
May 18, 2017 Trump Transition Said to Know Of Flynn Inquiry Before Hiring (New York Times)
September 8, 2017 To Sway Vote, Russia Used Army of Fake Americans (New York Times)

Quite a haul, no?

Perhaps there are two unifying threads in the list of stories. First, there is a credulous adherence to whatever snakeoil James Comey, or John Brennan, or some other “source” was peddling on a particular day. Secondly, there is no curiosity at all about the links, obvious even in 2017, between Brennan, the FBI, Christopher Steele, and the provenance of the Steele (or Trump) dossier.

So, what do we do for an encore?

Apparently, nothing, if the 2019 Pulitizer Prizes are any indication.

National Reporting
Staff of The Wall Street Journal

For uncovering President Trump’s secret payoffs to two women during his campaign who claimed to have had affairs with him, and the web of supporters who facilitated the transactions, triggering criminal inquiries and calls for impeachment.

Could it be possible that the implausible narrative that yielded 19 sponge award-worthy stories only a year ago couldn’t genereate a single story this time around?

Not likely.

If you wanted a stark acknowledgement of the hoax that was the Russia collusion investigation and the fraud that was the reporting associated with it, this is it. As far as the Pulitizer Committee is concerned, either nothing happened last year moved the Mueller investigation forward or that it just didn’t happen.

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