WASHINGTON, D.C. — Mount Vernon native Chloe Coleman has been a part of some big projects during her short time with the Washington Post.
But, she never imagined she’d be part of one that would lead to the ultimate prize — the Pulitzer. Coleman was part of the Post’s team that was named Pulitzer Prize winner for Explanatory Reporting earlier this month.
“It’s pretty surreal. It’s certainly not something I imagined being a part of before,” Coleman said. “It was pretty wild and very exciting.”
Coleman, as a photo editor on the International Desk at the Post, worked with photographers on getting just the right pictures to go along with the stories being published. Her areas included Siberia, Japan and Canada in the global stories. Siberia and Canada were two of the hot spots when it came to global warming.
“I was the main contact with the photographers. I edited the photos with them and choose pictures to go with the stories,” she said. “I look at how much visual potential it (the story) has and assign the photographers. To choose the right photographer, I look at their style and skill to decide.
“I really like working with photographers. It’s my favorite part of the job. When I get stories brought to me, it really speaks to certain photographers whose style would be perfect.”
Coleman has been on the International Desk for about 2 1/2 years, and with the Post since 2014. The daughter of Vicki and the late Robert Coleman, she graduated from Mount Vernon High School in 2009, interned at the Mount Vernon News, and then graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 2013 with a degree in photojournalism. After an internship with NPR in Washington, she took a job with the Denver Post before returning to the D.C. area.
Her position is a mixture of work on the daily paper and special projects, like the ones devoted to climate change. She normally covers the Americas, Russia, Europe and Israel, but took on the different areas for the Pulitzer Prize-winning piece.
“I’m very passionate about photo editing. It’s a job I’ve wanted to have. I love being an editor and working with a picture and photographer,” Coleman said.