Tamar Stieber

Tamar Stieber is an American journalist who won the 1990 Pulitzer Prize for Specialized Reporting. Her coverage revealed a correlation between the drug L-tryptophan and a rare blood disorder. As a result of her reporting, the Food and Drug Administration recalled the dietary supplement.

In 1993, Stieber sued the Albuquerque Journal for unfair treatment and gender discrimination.[1] The United States District Court for the District of New Mexico ruled in favor of the Journal and an appellate court upheld the decision.[2]

1990 Pulitzer Prize

Stieber won the Pulitzer Prize in 1990 for Specialized Reporting.[3] A freshman reporter who had only started at the Journal one year prior, she first reported that three doctors in New Mexico had noticed a link between their patients' rare blood disorders and their use of the dietary supplement L-tryptophan.[4] Both doctors and state officials were skeptical and resistant to cooperating with the reporting.[4] After Stieber's articles were published, over 300 cases of the potentially fatal disorder were discovered in 38 states, including the District of Columbia.[5] The FDA subsequently announced a nationwide class I recall of L-tryptophan.[6]

Stieber was the first reporter from New Mexico to win a Pulitzer Prize.[7]

1993 lawsuit

After winning the Pulitzer, Stieber received nominal promotions from the Albuquerque Journal but suffered from alleged "discrimination in salary, assignments, and opportunities for advancement."[7] Stieber filed a gender bias complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, then sued the Albuquerque Journal.[7]

The suit alleged that in May 1992, Stieber's pay was still $8,500 less than the average pay of three male investigative reporters, none of whom had won a Pulitzer Prize.[7] The Journal alleged that some of Stieber's stories were erroneously reported and that she was using company resources to sue the newspaper.[8] She resigned from the Albuquerque Journal in October 1994.[8]

In April 1995, a federal jury ruled in favor of the Albuquerque Journal.[8] On October 23, 1997, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit upheld the jury's decision.[2]

References
  1. "The Santa Fe Witch Trial".
  2. "Tamar Stieber, Plaintiff-appellant, v. Journal Publishing Company, D/b/a Albuquerque Journal,defendant-appellee, 127 F.3d 1109 (10th Cir. 1997)".
  3. "Tamar Stieber of Albuquerque Journal". www.pulitzer.org. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
  4. "Journal Pulitzer Winner: Prize an Unexpected Surprise with PM-Pulitzers, Bjt".
  5. "FDA RECALLS DIET SUPPLEMENT L-TRYPTOPHAN". November 21, 1989 – via www.washingtonpost.com.
  6. "FDA RECALLS PRODUCTS BASED ON L-TRYPTOPHAN". March 23, 1990 – via www.washingtonpost.com.
  7. ""Pulitzer Prize Winner Sues Her Employer" by Stein, M. L. - Editor & Publisher, Vol. 127, Issue 2, January 8, 1994".
  8. "Managing Editors".
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