Pulitzer coverage lauds Carroll

Stories in the national media about the L.A. Times' pick up of five Pulitzer Prizes -- the second biggest sweep ever -- talk about a resurgent paper and credit Editor John Carroll. Some excerpts:

New York Times: The paper's big win comes on the heels of its strong showing in the awards last year, when it won three Pulitzers. The two-year showing in journalism's most prestigious awards suggests that the newspaper has more than recovered from a 1999 scandal stemming from its sharing advertising profits from a special issue of the paper's magazine with the subject of the issue: the newly completed Staples Center. After its purchase by the Tribune Company in 2000, The Times hired Mr. Carroll from The Baltimore Sun, and he has been widely credited with the paper's turnaround. "It is one of the most impressive performances by an editor I have ever seen," said Bill Kovach, chairman of the Committee of Concerned Journalists. "It took him just two years to establish this paper as one of the best by giving it a sort of jet-propelled assist. To have two years in a row of multiple Pulitzers is amazing."

Washington Post: The Los Angeles Times acquired a new leadership team in recent years whose tenure has been rich in prizes. The newspaper won three Pulitzers last year. Executive Editor John Carroll used to edit the Baltimore Sun and Managing Editor Dean Baquet came to the paper from the New York Times, where he had served as national editor. "I'm kind of blown away by it," Carroll said. "We didn't do anything terribly original as editors -- we simply tried to identify talented, motivated people and let the stories come up from the grass roots."

Boston Globe: "It's especially gratifying because it cuts across all departments of the paper," the Times editor, John Carroll, said in an interview. "The national conversation about important subjects . . . tends to be a conversation along the East Coast. We think it would be a good idea to have more voices, including one from the West. We are trying to be a paper that is interesting enough and credible enough not to be overlooked."

In March, the American Society of Newspaper Editors honored Carroll with the industry group's annual Leadership Award as the top editor in the country.