inewsource named Pulitzer Prize finalist for fentanyl reporting

inewsource’s illustrated project detailing the scourges of fentanyl in a unique graphic-novel approach was named a finalist today for the prestigious Pulitzer Prize in the category of Illustrated Storytelling and Commentary.

Steve Breen, celebrated cartoonist and two-time Pulitzer winner, led the inewsource team that produced the project, “Fentanyl: A Decade of Death.” It represented a fusion of data-driven reporting, compelling visuals and community engagement exemplifying the best of what illustrated journalism can achieve.

As the CEO, editor and founder of inewsource, I have been proud of the impact the project has had across the country so far and hope it will continue to raise awareness and save lives.

As a small nonprofit newsroom, we at inewsource made a bold move two years ago bringing a full time illustrator onto the staff to help make our investigative, public-service work accessible to more people. We are grateful to the Pulitzer board for recognizing the quality of this work and the importance of embracing innovations in storytelling.

Pulitzer Prizes are awarded for excellence in journalism and the arts by Columbia University and are considered among the highest honors in these fields.

Breen, who previously won two Pulitzers — at the Asbury Park Press in New Jersey and later at The San Diego Union-Tribune — had been thinking about a project on fentanyl for years. He reported the story for inewsource, gathering data and talking to people whose families have suffered the ravages of the drug. His work was supported by a team at inewsource, including Managing Editor Jamie Self; Giovanni Moujaes, Assistant Editor of Audience and Innovations; and Audience Engagement Producer Iran “JR” Martinez.

“I’d like to dedicate this honor to the mothers and fathers in San Diego and throughout America who had to bury their sons and daughters because of fentanyl,” Breen said. “I spoke with several of these parents at length for this project, and they all want the same thing: to spread awareness about this powerful and deadly drug.”

“Fentanyl: A Decade of Death,” published in December 2024, shined a white hot light on San Diego as an epicenter of fentanyl trafficking. Nearly 75,000 people nationwide died of fentanyl in 2023, and about 20,000 pounds of fentanyl were seized by the U.S. Border Patrol at the southern border that same year.

The scourge of fentanyl is well known and publicized, yet our reporting found that many victims, especially young people, are unaware of the drug’s deadly potency. The project made the facts about fentanyl clear and compelling in a way thousands of words cannot. The project’s stark black and light blue palette — evocative of counterfeit fentanyl pills — underscores its narrative impact.

The project captures the voices of those affected. We interviewed families who have endured unimaginable loss, as well as local doctors, addiction experts, DEA chemists and agents, and members of local law enforcement. Among these accounts is the story of Tim Lemkuil, a young man from San Diego who survived a near-fatal overdose of fentanyl-laced pills obtained from a Mexican pharmacy. His harrowing experience is a powerful warning about how easy it is to get hooked on opioid painkillers.

The creative collaboration behind this project was extraordinary. Steve Breen, whose evocative visualizations bring the crisis to life, worked closely with our editor, Self, to ensure the data and narratives struck a perfect balance between fact and emotion.

“Editing this illustrated project challenged me in new ways as Steve and I worked to strike a balance between the facts about fentanyl and narratives about the lives destroyed by it,” Self said. “Working with Steve opened my eyes to just how powerful this form of storytelling can be, especially in investigative reporting.”

Moujaes, who manages production and experimental presentations, guided the online user experience to seamlessly convey the story, and said, “’Fentanyl: A Decade of Death’ required custom coding to present the story the way we wanted to on the phone and desktop. It’s the first fully immersive presentation we’ve created at inewsource — the kind of thing you’d want to experience on the TV in your living room.”

Martinez provided art direction and spearheaded social media promotions to amplify the project’s reach. He said, “Promoting the project was a fun challenge. I didn’t want to reveal too much, so I used video to bring parts of it to life on social media without giving the whole visual narrative away.”

This project illustrates an innovative approach to audience engagement. At inewsource, we worked with publishing and non-media partners alike to help us reproduce and distribute the project to youth in San Diego and elsewhere. We are seeking donations or sponsors to fund the printing of the project in graphic novel format. 

“It’s incredibly meaningful to be a Pulitzer finalist for inewsource,” Breen said. “Not only will will it call attention to the fentanyl crisis but it will remind people that we have a talented, diverse team of journalists covering a wide range of topics important to the San Diego region.”