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Onion Embarks on Quest to Snag Itself a Pulitzer

Push for respectability comes with publication's 1,000th issue

By Mark Russell, Newser Staff

Posted Jun 20, 2011 4:38 AM CDT

(Newser) – With its 1,000th issue (more or less) coming out this week, the Onion isn't just content to be America's top satirical newspaper: It wants a Pulitzer. It's not fussy at all about which Pulitzer—editors have submitted articles to the Pulitzer Board in categories like commentary and public service in the past—but the Onion's editors think its day has finally come, for real this time. “We’re spending all our capital on this,” the Onion's head writer, Seth Reiss, tells the New York Times of the paper's brand-new Pulitzer-focused multimedia campaign.

To make its Pulitzer dreams come true, the Onion has enlisted the completely independent and not at all biased nonprofit group Americans for Fairness in Awarding Journalism Prizes, which declares: “Simply put, it’s time for the Pulitzer Board to stop the bias, stop the ignorance, and stop the neglect.” The Onion also claims such diverse supporters as Arianna Huffington (for real) and the president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili (maybe not so real). And there's an online petition, if you care to add your voice to the cause.

The humor publication The Onion is making a big push for a Pulitzer Prize with its 1,000th issue, forming the Americans for Fairness in Awarding Journalism Prizes to help its cause. (http://afajp.tumblr.com/)

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Onion Embarks on Quest to Snag Itself a Pulitzer

Push for respectability comes with publication's 1,000th issue

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Arianna Huffington • The Onion • Mikheil Saakashvili

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