Indian Journalist Suparna Sharma, along with illustrator Anand RK, has won the prestigiousPulitzer Prizein the Illustrated Reporting and Commentary category for the project 'trAPPed'. They share the award with Natalie Obiko Pearson of Bloomberg for their work on digital surveillance and cyber fraud. According to The Pulitzer Prizes website, the project presents a 'riveting account' of a neurologist in India who was subjected to a so-called 'digital arrest' through phone. Times Now Digital spoke to Sharma about the win, the story behind trAPPed and what her reporting uncovered.
Winning the Pulitzer - how does it feel?
Suparna Sharma: It feels a little unreal. It’s absolutely joyous, but also overwhelming. I get teary-eyed every few hours—I just start crying for no reason.
How did you come on board Bloomberg’s trAPPed project?
Suparna Sharma: The idea for the graphic story was Bloomberg’s. Their editors wanted to do two formats: a long-form written story and a visual one. They were looking for a reporter in India, interviewed several people and chose me. I started my career in the 1990s on the crime beat, so this felt very close to home. I was thrilled to be part of it. But the credit for the idea and execution really goes to the Bloomberg editors—they were incredible.
How did the Pulitzer submission process work?
Suparna Sharma: At American publications like Bloomberg, awards are taken very seriously. The editorial team handles submissions. One of our editors, Ken Armstrong, is a Pulitzer winner himself. The team Ken, Amanda Cox, Juhi and others put in a lot of effort. They were also very generous about including freelancers like Anand and me in award entries. I knew the story had been submitted. I stayed up late watching the live announcement. When our category came up, I thought we wouldn’t win and almost switched it off. Then suddenly our name was announced. It was around 2:30 am, I was alone at home and didn’t know how to react.
What were your key findings while reporting trAPPed?
Suparna Sharma: One big reason these scams work is that people spend so much time on their phones that they start believing everything that comes through them. Phones have become the source of everything from news, emotions, conversations, so trust in what appears on them has grown very strong. There is nothing called a 'digital arrest' but the scam is extremely sophisticated. It’s not a small operation, it involves multiple teams, almost like departments in an organisation, with 20–30 people working together to pull off one scam. Another factor is the government's push for digital access, of phones, SIM cards, bank accounts without enough safeguards. The intent is good, but without digital literacy and guardrails, people become vulnerable.
Was there anything that particularly surprised you during your reporting?
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