Arizona Republic, Burlington Free Press, USA TODAY Among Pulitzer Finalists

MCLEAN, Va., April 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Three Gannett (NYSE: GCI) media organizations were named finalists in the 2012 annual Pulitzer Prizes in Journalism competition, announced by Columbia University.  Gannett finalists and their categories:

• The Arizona Republic, Phoenix – Breaking News Reporting (staff), for its comprehensive coverage of the mass shooting that killed six and wounded 13, including Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. The Arizona Republic was recognized for its exemplary use of journalistic tools, from Twitter to video to written reports and features, to tell an unfolding story.

• The Burlington (VT) Free Press – Editorial Writing (Aki Soga, Michael Townsend), for their campaign that resulted in the state's first reform of open government laws in 35 years.

• USA TODAY – Explanatory Reporting (Tom Frank), for his series explaining how state lawmakers pump up their pensions. Frank examined thousands of pages of pension laws from all 50 states to untangle the obscure language behind pension perks.

"I could not be more excited and grateful for the incredible accomplishments achieved by our editorial staff at three media organizations, all of whom were named Pulitzer Prize finalists," said Gracia Martore, president and CEO at Gannett. "Tom at USA TODAY, Aki and Michael at The Burlington Free Press, and the news staff at The Arizona Republic personify our company's commitment to the kind of exceptional storytelling that makes our valued content the gold-standard in the media industry. These awards underscore the strong commitment to prompt change for the good in the communities we serve and to provide the high-quality journalism that is found at every Gannett media organization."

About Gannett
Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI) is an international media and marketing solutions company that informs and engages more than 100 million people every month through its powerful network of broadcast, digital, mobile and publishing properties. Our portfolio of trusted brands offers marketers unmatched local-to-national reach and customizable, innovative marketing solutions across any platform. Gannett is committed to connecting people – and the companies who want to reach them – with their interests and communities. For more information, visit www.gannett.com.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120103/PH28972LOGO )

SOURCE Gannett Co., Inc.