The New York Daily News and ProPublica have won the Pulitzer Prize for public service journalism for coverage of police abuses that forced mostly poor minorities from their homes.
Meanwhile, the Charleston Gazette-Mail won the prize for investigative reporting on the spread of painkillers in West Virginia.
David Fahrenthold of The Washington Post took the national reporting prize for reporting on the Donald Trump campaign for president, noting that he "created a model for transparent journalism in political campaign coverage while casting doubt on Donald Trump's assertions of generosity toward charities".
The Pulitzers are the most prestigious honours in American journalism and have been awarded since 1917.
The Daily News, a New York City tabloid, and ProPublica, a web-based platform specialising in investigative journalism, uncovered police abuse of eviction rules that ousted hundreds of mostly poor minorities from their homes, Pulitzer Prize Administrator Mike Pride said.
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The New York Times staff won the international reporting prize for articles on Russian President Vladimir Putin's efforts to project Russia's power abroad.
The 19-member Pulitzer board is made up of past winners and other distinguished journalists and academics. It chose the winners with the help of 102 jurors.
More than 2500 entries were submitted this year, competing for 21 prizes in categories ranging from public service and breaking news to commentary, cartooning and photography.
Seven awards recognise fiction, drama, history, biographies, poetry, general nonfiction and music.
The Pulitzers began in 1917 after a bequest from newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer. His will established Columbia University in New York as administrator of the prizes and also bestowed an endowment on the university to establish its School of Journalism.
