“I told youyouere going toin the Pulitzer.”
PhillipM.Bailey(’07)as in disbelief when his former coworker texted him those words last May. He had to check the officialTwitter account for Pulitzer Prizes to proveto himselfit was true.
And it was.
In May, the Courier Journalreceivedthe 2020 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news for itsinvestigativereportingof more than 600 pardons and commutations that former Kentucky GovernorMatt Bevin issued during his final weeks in office.Bailey worked on two of the stories that led to the Pulitzer, often cited as the highest achievement in journalism.
“To know that your individual workcontributedto that win is an incredible feeling,” Bailey said. “Evenjustbeing a Pulitzer nominee is incredible, so it is truly an honor to be in this club of people, from Ida B. Wells to Kendrick Lamar.”
Baileylaunchedhis journalism careerat UofL,writing op-eds for The Cardinal,the university’sstudent newspaper, as well as anindependent black student newspaperon campus.He was apoliticalscience major, Pan-African Studies minor,McConnell Scholar,Porter Scholarand a self-described “rabble-rouser”during his timeon campus.
“UofL was my training ground forcoalitionpolitics and life,” Bailey said. “There were people from all walks of life and allkinds of differentbackgroundsthere. So,I learned how tocome together andmake decisions when there were those who don’t always agree, whether it was through student government, writing op-eds, philanthropic workorprotests.”
Bailey remembers meetingotherstudents who came toUofL and noted the importance ofa diverse campus.
“You’re going to have to know how to deal with people who aren’t exactly like youin life. Whetheryou meet someone who is gender non-binary or a Christian conservative, it is so important for everyone to have encounters with different people, especially in a country as increasingly diverse as ours,” Bailey said. “UofL isinthe major metropolitan city in the state, so you get thatdiversitythere.
“I also learned how important it is to give voices to all groups ofpeople,so everyone’s best interests are represented, like having the student government president on the board oftrustees. That’shat UofL taught me.”
Bailey, acomic book fan,sees a link between superheroes and journalists, which drives his passionforhis career.
“There are two waysheroes define themselves and I think journalists do,too. There’s the superman mantra –toprotect the innocent–andthe Batman mantra –topunish the guilty,” Bailey said. “Journalism is the place where regular people are able to challenge those in power and hold institutions accountable in order to protect the innocent and punishtheguilty.”
Baileyrecentlybegan a new job as a national correspondentfor USA Today.He’ll still be based in Louisville, but will be covering issues across the country. He’s grateful to be staying in the city that has so far helped him establish a successful career.
“I’m proudest because I haven’t had to leaveLouisville. If you’re talented and do the work, the bag will come to you,” Bailey said.“I don’t need to live in the suburbs or move to Atlanta or New York. You can be excellent righthere.”
