Pulitzer winner Carol D. Leonnig to give Schatt Memorial Lecture at ASU's Cronkite School

Carol D. Leonnig, the Washington Post reporter who won a Pulitzer Prize for her coverage of security lapses within the Secret Service, will deliver the 12th annual Paul J. Schatt Memorial Lecture at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Leonnig will discuss investigative journalism with Leonard Downie Jr., Weil Family Professor of Journalism and former executive editor of the Washington Post, at 7 p.m. Monday, April 23, in the Cronkite School’s First Amendment Forum on ASU’s Downtown Phoenix campus.

Leonnig, who has worked at The Washington Post since 2000, covers President Donald Trump and the investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

In 2015, she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in National Reporting for her work on the security failures and misconduct inside the Secret Service. She also was part of a team at the Post that was awarded the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for revealing the U.S. government's secret, broad surveillance of Americans through the disclosures of Edward Snowden.

Prior to joining the Washington Post, Leonnig worked as a reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Charlotte Observer. She also is the recipient of two George Polk Awards in Journalism.

“Carol Leonnig’s investigations represent the very best in accountability journalism,” said Cronkite School Dean Christopher Callahan. “We are thrilled to have her share her expertise and experiences with our students at this very special event at our school.”

The Cronkite School established the Schatt Lecture series in 2007 in honor of former Arizona Republic reporter, editor and columnist Paul J. Schatt who taught public affairs reporting to Cronkite students for more than 30 years as an adjunct faculty member. The series in his name is supported by an annual gift from The Arizona Republic and an endowment created in Schatt’s memory by his widow, Laura Schatt-Thede.

Previous speakers have included Washington Post National Political Editor Steven Ginsberg, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Thomas E. Ricks, New York Times Deputy Editorial Page Editor Carla Robbins, Pulitzer Prize-winning Boston Globe journalist Walter V. Robinson, CNN Senior Media Correspondent Brian Stelter and award-winning investigative journalist and author Mitchell Zuckoff.