Michael Vitez
Encyclopedia
Michael Vitez is a Pulitzer Prize
-winning journalist and published author.
Vitez has written for the Philadelphia Inquirer since 1985 and is known for his human-interest stories. In 1997, Vitez, along with Inquirer photographers April Saul
and Ron Cortes, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize
in Explanatory Journalism for a series of articles he wrote on end-of-life care, telling the stories of terminally ill patients who wished to die with dignity.
. After graduating from the University of Virginia
in 1979, Vitez found positions at a series of middle-sized newspapers, including the Virginian-Pilot/Ledger Star, the Washington Star
, and the Hartford Courant before being offered and accepting a position at the Inquirer in 1985.
In Philadelphia, Vitez has had a long career as a general-assignment features writer. After completing a year as a Journalism Fellow at the University of Michigan
in 1994/1995, Vitez began to focus on aging, which persisted after his 1997 Pulitzer Prize
win. He has written extensively on the murder
-rate in Philadelphia, gun control
, along with softer, more community-oriented pieces [2]. As a result of the work he did which lead to his Pulitzer Prize win, Vitez wrote Final Choices, a book focusing on individuals in pursuit of a noble death that was published in January 1998. In November 2006, Vitez published 'Rocky Stories,' which was a collection of stories about people who came to Philadelphia to run the famous steps at the Philadelphia Art Museum. The book, which featured glossy, color photos by Inquirer photographer and fellow Pulitzer Prize-winner Tom Gralish
, features an introduction by the star of the Rocky
movies, Sylvester Stallone
. Vitez appeared briefly (uncredited) at the end of the movie Rocky Balboa (film)
.
In 1997, Vitez said of his interests that he tries "to celebrate ordinary people around us by showing how ordinary people sometimes do extraordinary things".
1997 Pulitzer Prize-winning report http://www.pulitzer.org/year/1997/explanatory-journalism/works/
Michael Vitez on Terri Schiavo
http://terrischiavosaga.blogspot.com/
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winning journalist and published author.
Vitez has written for the Philadelphia Inquirer since 1985 and is known for his human-interest stories. In 1997, Vitez, along with Inquirer photographers April Saul
April Saul
April Saul is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. She specializes in documentary photojournalism.Saul has photographed and written for The Philadelphia Inquirer since 1981...
and Ron Cortes, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
in Explanatory Journalism for a series of articles he wrote on end-of-life care, telling the stories of terminally ill patients who wished to die with dignity.
Biography
Vitez was born on April 11, 1957, in Washington, DC and grew up in northern VirginiaVirginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. After graduating from the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
in 1979, Vitez found positions at a series of middle-sized newspapers, including the Virginian-Pilot/Ledger Star, the Washington Star
Washington Star
The Washington Star, previously known as the Washington Star-News and the Washington Evening Star, was a daily afternoon newspaper published in Washington, D.C. between 1852 and 1981. For most of that time, it was the city's newspaper of record, and the longtime home to columnist Mary McGrory and...
, and the Hartford Courant before being offered and accepting a position at the Inquirer in 1985.
In Philadelphia, Vitez has had a long career as a general-assignment features writer. After completing a year as a Journalism Fellow at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in 1994/1995, Vitez began to focus on aging, which persisted after his 1997 Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
win. He has written extensively on the murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
-rate in Philadelphia, gun control
Gun control
Gun control is any law, policy, practice, or proposal designed to restrict or limit the possession, production, importation, shipment, sale, and/or use of guns or other firearms by private citizens...
, along with softer, more community-oriented pieces [2]. As a result of the work he did which lead to his Pulitzer Prize win, Vitez wrote Final Choices, a book focusing on individuals in pursuit of a noble death that was published in January 1998. In November 2006, Vitez published 'Rocky Stories,' which was a collection of stories about people who came to Philadelphia to run the famous steps at the Philadelphia Art Museum. The book, which featured glossy, color photos by Inquirer photographer and fellow Pulitzer Prize-winner Tom Gralish
Tom Gralish
Tom Gralish is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American photographer. Born in Mount Clemens, Michigan, he worked for United Press International and the now-defunct Las Vegas Valley Times before coming to work for the Philadelphia Inquirer in 1983 as a photographer and photo editor. On April 7, 1985, he...
, features an introduction by the star of the Rocky
Rocky
Rocky is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and both written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It tells the rags to riches American Dream story of Rocky Balboa, an uneducated but kind-hearted debt collector for a loan shark in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
movies, Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone
Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...
. Vitez appeared briefly (uncredited) at the end of the movie Rocky Balboa (film)
Rocky Balboa (film)
Rocky Balboa is the sixth and final film in the Rocky franchise, directed by and starring Sylvester Stallone. The film, which was also written by Stallone who plays underdog boxer Rocky Balboa, is the sixth film in the Rocky series that began with the Academy Award-winning Rocky thirty years...
.
In 1997, Vitez said of his interests that he tries "to celebrate ordinary people around us by showing how ordinary people sometimes do extraordinary things".
External links
'Rocky Stories' book page http://www.pauldrybooks.com/complete_catalog/rocky_stories/index.htm1997 Pulitzer Prize-winning report http://www.pulitzer.org/year/1997/explanatory-journalism/works/
Michael Vitez on Terri Schiavo
Terri Schiavo
The Terri Schiavo case was a legal battle in the United States between the legal guardians and the parents of Teresa Marie "Terri" Schiavo that lasted from 1998 to 2005...
http://terrischiavosaga.blogspot.com/