Mitchell was co-owner, publisher and editor of the Point Reyes Light, a weekly newspaper in western Marin County, Calif., when he launched the investigation of Synanon.
The work that earned the Point Reyes Light the Pulitzer gold medal for public service in 1979, for its “pioneering exposé of this quasi-religious corporate cult,” demonstrated the potency of local journalism.
David Mitchell, Pulitzer-winning editor who exposed a cult, dies at 79 washingtonpost.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from washingtonpost.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
His tiny California newspaper won a Pulitzer Prize for its exposé of Synanon, a renowned drug rehabilitation program that had turned into a violent operation.