RE: He was bad. The police were doing the right thing under those conditions. Nothing new here.
Does the photo deserve a Pulitzer?
I don't know the standards for a Pulitzer. It is a remarkable photo. As a newsworthy moment captured on film, perhaps a Pulitzer was justified.
My issue is the propaganda aspect. The truth has been known for a long time. The mis-use of the image for anti-US propaganda purposes has been known for a long time. I don't see why this is much of a news story in 2023.
Now, if someone is building a case that the Pulitzer Prize is really only awarded to people if their work can be re-purposed into anti-US propaganda, then that is something worth talking about. I know that has happened multiple times. This case. Other cases. Perhaps someone could build as comprehensive investigation into the Pulitzer really being a pure tool of anti-US propaganda. Seems like that idea has potential.
But this individual photograph seems like a remarkable moment in photojournalism. The fact that it won a prize doesn't shock me.