Pulitzer-winning series stands up for democracy

Journalism is often called the first draft of history. It’s the initial documenting of an era’s most important stories. At its best and most enduring, the reportage and opinions of a journalistic enterprise become an authoritative and primary source on an issue or subject.

Decades from now, we may or may not have a democracy in the United States as Texas leads the way toward its dismantlement. But whether people want to learn how it was lost or — if we’re fortunate — how it was saved, they will find a wealth of information in the Houston Chronicle Editorial Board’s outstanding 2021 project, “The Big Lie.”

The series of editorials examined the bills in the Republican Texas Legislature, fueled by the lie that the 2020 presidential election was rigged, that were designed to restrict and discourage voting throughout the state. It was very real legislative response to a pervasive lie.

For this work, the Houston Chronicle Editorial Board earned the Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing Monday. The Pulitzer judges cited Editorial Page Editor Lisa Falkenberg and editorial writers Michael Lindenberger, Joe Holley and Luis Carrasco “for a campaign that, with original reporting, revealed voter suppression tactics, rejected the myth of widespread voter fraud and argued for sensible voting reforms.”

“The Big Lie” series is among the most essential works of journalism produced in 2021. Rigorously reported and eloquently written, it lays out the road map for the Texas Republican Party’s assault on voting rights, and using data debunks the lies of Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and indicted Attorney General Ken Paxton.

A free press is essential to a democracy — something our Founding Fathers understood, recognized and included in the Constitution. When democracy itself is threatened, when the losing side of an election refuses to accept the outcome, when the right to vote is encroached on and inhibited, it is the responsibility of the press to expose it.

The Chronicle’s Editorial Board did it magnificently and with unflinching moral clarity. Speaking of the Pulitzer win Monday, Falkenberg, who won the paper’s first Pulitzer in 2015, continued to advocate for a stronger democracy.

“My greatest hope is that this award will increase the probability that the leaders who dearly need to read this series on voter suppression actually will,” she said. “Our democracy is threatened by their lies, and it will take courageous elected leaders and strong journalism to ensure the truth prevails.”

The project should be required reading for all Texans.

Congratulations to our sister newspaper. We are proud of your well-deserved honor.