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{{short description|American journalist and author|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{short description|American journalist and author|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name = Michael Vitez
| name = Michael Thomas Vitez
| image =
| image =
| imagesize =
| caption =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1957|4|11|mf=y}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1957|4|11|mf=y}}
| birth_place = {{flagicon|USA}} [[Washington, D.C.]], U.S.
| birth_place = Washington, D.C.
| death_date =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| death_place =
|alma_mater=
|alma_mater=
| occupation = [[Journalist]], [[author]], [[columnist]]
| occupation = Director of Narrative Medicine, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University
| awards = 1997 Pulitzer prize, explanatory reporting
| salary =
| networth =
| spouse = Maureen Fitzgerald
| spouse = Maureen Fitzgerald
| children = 3 children
| children = 3 children
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'''Michael Thomas Vitez''' (born April 11, 1957)<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=About Michael|url=http://www.michaeltvitez.com/about-michael-vitez|access-date=2020-11-15|website=MICHAEL VITEZ|language=en-US}}</ref> is an American Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author. He is the son of immigrants, his father having fled from [[Budapest, Hungary]] in 1939, and his mother came to America from [[Europe]] as a [[German Jew]] in 1941; both leaving their homeland to escape from [[Hitler's]] reign. He is the Director of Narrative Medicine<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-06-21|title=At Lewis Katz School of Medicine, a focus on storytelling|url=https://news.temple.edu/news/2016-06-21/lewis-katz-school-medicine-focus-storytelling|access-date=2020-11-16|website=Temple Now {{!}} news.temple.edu}}</ref> at the [[Lewis Katz School of Medicine]] at Temple University, after serving as a journalist over a three decade career (1985-2015) with ''[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]''.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=The 1997 Pulitzer Prize Winner in Explanatory Journalism|url=https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/michael-vitez-april-saul-and-ron-cortes|access-date=2020-11-15|website=www.pulitzer.org}}</ref><ref name=":5" />
'''Michael Vitez''' (born April 11, 1957)<ref name=":0" /> is an American journalist and 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 [[Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting|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.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite web|title=About Mike Vitez|url=http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/living/columnists/michael_vitez/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070217180428/http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/living/columnists/michael_vitez/|archivedate=17 February 2007|work=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]}}</ref>
His work at the ''Inquirer'' was focused on human-interest stories. In 1997, Vitez, along with ''Inquirer'' photographers [[April Saul]] and Ron Cortes, was awarded the [[Pulitzer Prize]] in [[Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting|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]].<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite web|title=About Mike Vitez|url=http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/living/columnists/michael_vitez/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070217180428/http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/living/columnists/michael_vitez/|archive-date=17 February 2007|work=[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]}}</ref> He has authored four books, one based on his Pulitzer Prize-winning stories, ''Final Choices.''<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|title=Final Choices|url=https://www.goodreads.com/work/best_book/710022-final-choices-seeking-the-good-death|access-date=2020-11-15|website=www.goodreads.com}}</ref>


== Biography ==
== Biography ==

Vitez was born on April 11, 1957,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=The 1997 Pulitzer Prize Winner in Explanatory Journalism|url=https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/michael-vitez-april-saul-and-ron-cortes|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-11-15|website=www.pulitzer.org|language=}}</ref> in [[Washington, DC]] and grew up in northern [[Virginia]]. 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.
=== Background and education ===
Vitez was born on April 11, 1957, in [[Washington, DC]] and grew up in North Springfield, in northern [[Virginia]]. He is the son of immigrants, his father, Thomas Vitez, fled [[Budapest, Hungary]] in 1939, and his mother, Marianne, came to America from [[Europe]] as a [[German Jew]] in 1941; both leaving their homeland to escape from [[Hitler's]] reign. His parents met in New York City, eventually moving to the Washington area. Even though his parents both wrote their own biographies, he told their stories in his book, ''Great Americans''.<ref name=":7" /> He is married to Maureen Fitzgerald, and they have three children.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":0" />

=== Career ===
Vitez gained his first experience in journalism, as editor in chief of his school newspaper, ''[[The Cavalier Daily]]'', at the [[University of Virginia]], from 1978 to 1979. After graduating from the University of Virginia in 1979, Vitez found positions at a series of middle-sized newspapers; first as a staff member at the ''[[Virginian Pilot-Ledger Star|''Virginian-Pilot/LedgeStar''r]]'' (1979–80), and on the staff of ''[[The Washington Star]]'' (1980-1981). He was on the staff of the ''[[Hartford Courant]]'' before being offered and accepting a position at th''e Inquir''er in 1985.<ref name=":6">{{Cite book|last1=Brennan|first1=Elizabeth A.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=63nvmt4HqTEC|title=Who's who of Pulitzer Prize Winners|last2=Clarage|first2=Elizabeth C.|date=1999|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-1-57356-111-2|pages=203|language=en}}</ref>
Vitez has had a long career in Philadelphia, as a general-assignment feature writer. After completing eight months as a [[Michigan Journalism Fellow|Knight-Wallace Fellow]] at the [[University of Michigan]] in 1994–95,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Journalists Credit Knight-Wallace Fellowship with Success|url=https://knightfoundation.org/articles/journalists-credit-knight-wallace-fellowship-with-success/|access-date=2020-11-16|website=Knight Foundation|language=en-US}}</ref> Vitez began to focus on aging, and end-of-life decisions. In 1997, Vitez, along with Inquirer photographers [[April Saul]] and Ron Cortes, was awarded the [[Pulitzer Prize]] in [[Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting|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.<ref name=":0" />
In Philadelphia, Vitez has had a long career as a general-assignment features writer. After completing a year as a [[Michigan Journalism Fellow|Journalism Fellow]] at the [[University of Michigan]] in 1994/1995.<ref name=":0" /> 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. As a result of the work he did which led 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".<ref name=":0" />
As a result of his work leading up to his Pulitzer Prize win, Vitez wrote ''Final Choices'', a book, based on his award-winning articles, focusing on individuals in pursuit of a noble death that was published in 1997.<ref name=":3" /> Vitez noted that he tries "to celebrate ordinary people around us by showing how ordinary people sometimes do extraordinary things."<ref name=":0" />


In November 2006, Vitez published ''Rocky Stories'', a collection of stories about people who came to Philadelphia to run the famous [[Rocky Steps]] at the [[Philadelphia Museum of Art]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Biography - Michael Vitez|url=http://ppww.hkbu.edu.hk/eng/BIO/BIO_michaelvitez.html|access-date=2020-11-15|website=ppww.hkbu.edu.hk}}</ref> The book features glossy, color photos by ''Inquirer'' photographer and fellow Pulitzer Prize-winner [[Tom Gralish]], and an introduction by the star of the ''[[Rocky]]'' movies, [[Sylvester Stallone]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|title=Rocky Stories|url=https://www.goodreads.com/work/best_book/9658-rocky-stories-tales-of-love-hope-and-happiness-at-america-s-most-famo|access-date=2020-11-15|website=www.goodreads.com}}</ref>
== Sources ==

{{Blockquote|text="You can't borrow Superman's cape. You can't use the Jedi laser sword. But the steps are there. The steps are accessible. And standing up there, you kind of have a piece of the Rocky pie."|author=|title=|source=from the Foreword by Sylvester Stallone}}

His focus on end-of-life care continued, and Vitez was granted access, for 18-months, to [[Abington Hospital–Jefferson Health|Abington Memorial Hospital]], in Pennsylvania. in 2010, Vitez wrote a story about [[palliative care]], "A look at the New Field of Palliative Care."<ref>{{Cite web|title=A Look at the New Field of Palliative Care - Abington - Jefferson Health|url=https://www.abingtonhealth.org/news/inquirer-series/palliative-care-story/|access-date=2020-11-16|website=www.abingtonhealth.org}}</ref> His second article, "One 's Simple Measure to Defeat Infections," described how a simple hand-washing campaign, could save lives and prevent needless infections.<ref>{{Cite web|title=One Hospital's Simple Measure to Defeat Infections - Abington - Jefferson Health|url=https://www.abingtonhealth.org/news/inquirer-series/handwashing-story/|access-date=2020-11-16|website=www.abingtonhealth.org}}</ref>

In 2015, Vitez left the ''Inquirer'' to serve as the Director of Narrative Medicine at the [[Lewis Katz School of Medicine]] at Temple University. He also teaches elective courses at the university.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":5">{{Cite web|title=Reporter Michael Vitez Exits the Philadelphia Inquirer|url=https://www.cision.com/us/2015/08/reporter-michael-vitez-exits-the-philadelphia-inquirer/|access-date=2020-11-16|website=Cision|language=en}}</ref>

== Bibliography ==

* ''Final Coices: Seeking the Good Death'', Camino Books, 1997.<ref name=":3" />
* ''Rocky Stories: Tales of Love, Hope and Happiness at America's Most Famous Steps'', Paul Dry Books, 2006.<ref name=":4" />
* ''The Road Back: A Journey of Grace and Grit'', CreateSpace Publishing Platform, 2012.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Road Back|url=https://www.goodreads.com/work/best_book/19930730-the-road-back-a-journey-of-grace-and-grit|access-date=2020-11-16|website=www.goodreads.com}}</ref>
* ''Great Americans: Stories of Resilience and Joy in Everyday Life'', CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web|title=Great Americans|url=https://www.goodreads.com/work/best_book/50667018-great-americans-stories-of-resilience-and-joy-in-everyday-life|access-date=2020-11-16|website=www.goodreads.com}}</ref>

==Awards and recognition==

* 1997 Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Journalism, with photographers April Saul and Ron Cortez, for his series on end-of-life care.<ref name=":0" />
* 1997 Excellence in Media Award, by the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging.<ref name=":6" />
* 2008 Finalist for the Vigoda Award.<ref>{{Cite web|last=vigodaaward|date=2008-12-01|title=Mike Vitez|url=https://vigodaaward.wordpress.com/2008/12/01/mike-vitez/|access-date=2020-11-16|website=The Vigoda Award|language=en}}</ref>
* 2010 Honorable Mention, Barlett & Steele Awards, for ''"''Inside the Health-Care Crucible: Reports from a Hospital in a time of Upheaval."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Barlett & Steele Awards|url=https://businessjournalism.org/barlett-steele-awards/|access-date=2020-11-16|website=Reynolds Center|language=en-US}}</ref>
* 2015 Best Journalism of 2015, by SI.com, for his story, "Emerging from a tragic, battered childhood, hope, in a college future."<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Deitsch|first=Richard|title=Media Circus: The best journalism of 2015|url=https://www.si.com/more-sports/2015/12/20/media-circus-best-journalism-2015-gameday-ratings|access-date=2020-11-16|magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=20 December 2015 |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Vitez|first=Michael|title=Emerging from a tragic, battered childhood, hope in a college future|date=12 July 2015 |url=https://www.inquirer.com/philly/education/20150712_Emerging_from_a_tragic__battered_childhood__hope_in_a_college_future.html|access-date=2020-11-16}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
*
* [http://www.pulitzer.org/year/1997/explanatory-journalism/works/ 1997 Pulitzer Prize-winning report]
* [http://terrischiavosaga.blogspot.com/ Michael Vitez on [[Terri Schiavo]]]
* [http://terrischiavosaga.blogspot.com/ Michael Vitez] on [[Terri Schiavo]]


{{PulitzerPrize Explanatory Reporting}}
{{PulitzerPrize Explanatory Reporting}}
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[[Category:1957 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American people of Croatian descent]]
[[Category:20th-century American journalists]]
[[Category:20th-century American journalists]]


{{US-journalist-1950s-stub}}

Latest revision as of 14:45, 26 November 2024

Michael Thomas Vitez
Born (1957-04-11) April 11, 1957 (age 67)
Washington, D.C.
Occupation(s)Director of Narrative Medicine, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University
SpouseMaureen Fitzgerald
Children3 children
Awards1997 Pulitzer prize, explanatory reporting

Michael Thomas Vitez (born April 11, 1957)[1] is an American Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author. He is the son of immigrants, his father having fled from Budapest, Hungary in 1939, and his mother came to America from Europe as a German Jew in 1941; both leaving their homeland to escape from Hitler's reign. He is the Director of Narrative Medicine[2] at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, after serving as a journalist over a three decade career (1985-2015) with The Philadelphia Inquirer.[1][3][4]

His work at the Inquirer was focused on 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.[3][5] He has authored four books, one based on his Pulitzer Prize-winning stories, Final Choices.[6]

Biography

[edit]

Background and education

[edit]

Vitez was born on April 11, 1957, in Washington, DC and grew up in North Springfield, in northern Virginia. He is the son of immigrants, his father, Thomas Vitez, fled Budapest, Hungary in 1939, and his mother, Marianne, came to America from Europe as a German Jew in 1941; both leaving their homeland to escape from Hitler's reign. His parents met in New York City, eventually moving to the Washington area. Even though his parents both wrote their own biographies, he told their stories in his book, Great Americans.[7] He is married to Maureen Fitzgerald, and they have three children.[1][3]

Career

[edit]

Vitez gained his first experience in journalism, as editor in chief of his school newspaper, The Cavalier Daily, at the University of Virginia, from 1978 to 1979. After graduating from the University of Virginia in 1979, Vitez found positions at a series of middle-sized newspapers; first as a staff member at the Virginian-Pilot/LedgeStarr (1979–80), and on the staff of The Washington Star (1980-1981). He was on the staff of the Hartford Courant before being offered and accepting a position at the Inquirer in 1985.[8]

Vitez has had a long career in Philadelphia, as a general-assignment feature writer. After completing eight months as a Knight-Wallace Fellow at the University of Michigan in 1994–95,[9] Vitez began to focus on aging, and end-of-life decisions. 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.[3]

As a result of his work leading up to his Pulitzer Prize win, Vitez wrote Final Choices, a book, based on his award-winning articles, focusing on individuals in pursuit of a noble death that was published in 1997.[6] Vitez noted that he tries "to celebrate ordinary people around us by showing how ordinary people sometimes do extraordinary things."[3]

In November 2006, Vitez published Rocky Stories, a collection of stories about people who came to Philadelphia to run the famous Rocky Steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.[10] The book features glossy, color photos by Inquirer photographer and fellow Pulitzer Prize-winner Tom Gralish, and an introduction by the star of the Rocky movies, Sylvester Stallone.[11]

"You can't borrow Superman's cape. You can't use the Jedi laser sword. But the steps are there. The steps are accessible. And standing up there, you kind of have a piece of the Rocky pie."

— from the Foreword by Sylvester Stallone

His focus on end-of-life care continued, and Vitez was granted access, for 18-months, to Abington Memorial Hospital, in Pennsylvania. in 2010, Vitez wrote a story about palliative care, "A look at the New Field of Palliative Care."[12] His second article, "One 's Simple Measure to Defeat Infections," described how a simple hand-washing campaign, could save lives and prevent needless infections.[13]

In 2015, Vitez left the Inquirer to serve as the Director of Narrative Medicine at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University. He also teaches elective courses at the university.[1][4]

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Final Coices: Seeking the Good Death, Camino Books, 1997.[6]
  • Rocky Stories: Tales of Love, Hope and Happiness at America's Most Famous Steps, Paul Dry Books, 2006.[11]
  • The Road Back: A Journey of Grace and Grit, CreateSpace Publishing Platform, 2012.[14]
  • Great Americans: Stories of Resilience and Joy in Everyday Life, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016.[7]

Awards and recognition

[edit]
  • 1997 Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Journalism, with photographers April Saul and Ron Cortez, for his series on end-of-life care.[3]
  • 1997 Excellence in Media Award, by the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging.[8]
  • 2008 Finalist for the Vigoda Award.[15]
  • 2010 Honorable Mention, Barlett & Steele Awards, for "Inside the Health-Care Crucible: Reports from a Hospital in a time of Upheaval."[16]
  • 2015 Best Journalism of 2015, by SI.com, for his story, "Emerging from a tragic, battered childhood, hope, in a college future."[17][18]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d "About Michael". MICHAEL VITEZ. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  2. ^ "At Lewis Katz School of Medicine, a focus on storytelling". Temple Now | news.temple.edu. 2016-06-21. Retrieved 2020-11-16.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "The 1997 Pulitzer Prize Winner in Explanatory Journalism". www.pulitzer.org. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  4. ^ a b "Reporter Michael Vitez Exits the Philadelphia Inquirer". Cision. Retrieved 2020-11-16.
  5. ^ "About Mike Vitez". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on 17 February 2007.
  6. ^ a b c "Final Choices". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  7. ^ a b "Great Americans". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved 2020-11-16.
  8. ^ a b Brennan, Elizabeth A.; Clarage, Elizabeth C. (1999). Who's who of Pulitzer Prize Winners. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 203. ISBN 978-1-57356-111-2.
  9. ^ "Journalists Credit Knight-Wallace Fellowship with Success". Knight Foundation. Retrieved 2020-11-16.
  10. ^ "Biography - Michael Vitez". ppww.hkbu.edu.hk. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  11. ^ a b "Rocky Stories". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  12. ^ "A Look at the New Field of Palliative Care - Abington - Jefferson Health". www.abingtonhealth.org. Retrieved 2020-11-16.
  13. ^ "One Hospital's Simple Measure to Defeat Infections - Abington - Jefferson Health". www.abingtonhealth.org. Retrieved 2020-11-16.
  14. ^ "The Road Back". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved 2020-11-16.
  15. ^ vigodaaward (2008-12-01). "Mike Vitez". The Vigoda Award. Retrieved 2020-11-16.
  16. ^ "Barlett & Steele Awards". Reynolds Center. Retrieved 2020-11-16.
  17. ^ Deitsch, Richard (20 December 2015). "Media Circus: The best journalism of 2015". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2020-11-16.
  18. ^ Vitez, Michael (12 July 2015). "Emerging from a tragic, battered childhood, hope in a college future". Retrieved 2020-11-16.
[edit]