Reuters photographer Adrees Latif has won the breaking news photography Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of anti-government protests in Myanmar last year. The photo selected for the Pulitzer was the dramatic image of Japanese videographer Kenji Nagai, sprawled on the pavement, fatally wounded during a street demonstration in Myanmar. The award was announced today in New York.
“This image gave the world insight into Myanmar’s desire for change,” said Latif. “For me, as a journalist, the highest honor is that the world will remember this story long after it has disappeared from the headlines.”
"I'm extremely proud that the great work of one of our best photographers has received this recognition," said Reuters Editor-in-Chief David Schlesinger. "Our photography is a key part of Reuters global multimedia journalism with 2,400 men and women dedicated to reporting the news under sometimes very dangerous conditions.”
“Adrees is one of those rare talents whose presence on an assignment puts the mind of the editor at ease knowing that the picture coverage will be not only competitive but exceptionally high quality,” said Reuters Global Pictures Editor Thomas Szlukovenyi. “The combination of his talent, experience, hard work and his news sense makes him an outstanding photojournalist and a great colleague. We are all incredibly proud of Adrees.”
Latif’s world exclusive photograph of Kenji Nagai after he had been shot during one of the Myanmar protests dominated front pages of newspapers across the world.
The Reuters photos were instrumental to Japanese journalists identifying Nagai, who had been working for Tokyo-based APF News while in Myanmar and who died after soldiers opened fire.
Latif, who was born in Pakistan and lived in Saudi Arabia before immigrating to the United States in 1980, worked for Reuters in Houston and Los Angeles before taking up his post in Bangkok in 2003.
The story and image is available on Reuters.com at: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN0728410220080407
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