Tamar Stieber is an American journalist who won the 1990

Pulitzer Prize for Specialized Reporting The Pulitzer Prize for Beat Reporting was presented from 1991 to 2006 for a distinguished example of beat reporting characterized by sustained and knowledgeable coverage of a particular subject or activity. From 1985 to 1990 it was known as the ...

. Her coverage revealed a correlation between the drug

L-tryptophan Tryptophan (symbol Trp or W) is an α-amino acid that is used in the biosynthesis of proteins. Tryptophan contains an Alpha_and_beta_carbon , α-amino group, an α-carboxylic acid group, and a side chain indole, making it a polar molecule with ...

and a rare blood disorder. As a result of her reporting, the

Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respon ...

recalled the dietary supplement. In 1993, Stieber sued the '' Albuquerque Journal'' for unfair treatment and

gender discrimination Sexism is prejudice or discrimination based on one's sex or gender. Sexism can affect anyone, but it primarily affects women and girls.There is a clear and broad consensus among academic scholars in multiple fields that sexism refers primaril ...

. The

United States District Court for the District of New Mexico The United States District Court for the District of New Mexico (in case citations, D.N.M.) is the federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the state of New Mexico. Court is held in Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Las Vegas, Roswell, Santa ...

ruled in favor of the ''Journal'' and an appellate court upheld the decision.

1990 Pulitzer Prize

Stieber won the Pulitzer Prize in 1990 for Specialized Reporting. 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. Both doctors and state officials were skeptical and resistant to cooperating with the reporting. After Stieber’s articles were published, over 300 cases of the potentially fatal disorder were discovered in 38 states, including the District of Columbia. The

FDA The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food ...

subsequently announced a nationwide

class I recall The United States Food and Drug Administration has published certain product recall A product recall is a request from a manufacturer to return a product after the discovery of safety issues or product defects that might endanger the consumer o ...

. Stieber was the first reporter from

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

to win a

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made h ...

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.” Stieber filed a gender bias complaint with the

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is a federal agency that was established via the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to administer and enforce civil rights laws against workplace discrimination. The EEOC investigates discrimination ...

, then sued the ''Albuquerque Journal''. 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. The Journal alleged that some of Stieber’s stories were erroneously reported and that she was using company resources to sue the newspaper. She resigned from the ''Albuquerque Journal'' in October 1994. In April 1995, a federal jury ruled in favor of the ''Albuquerque Journal''. On October 23, 1997, the

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit The United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (in case citations, 10th Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts: * District of Colorado * District of Kansas * Distri ...

upheld the jury’s decision.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stieber, Tamar Year of birth missing (living people) Living people 20th-century American journalists American women journalists Journalists from New Mexico Pulitzer Prize for Beat Reporting winners 20th-century American women writers 21st-century American women