Web journalism eligible for Pulitzer Prize

Internet journalism received a leap in recognition Wednesday as the Pulitzer Prize Board widened its submission guidelines to include newspaper online material for all of its journalism categories.

"The board believes it has taken a significant step in recognition of the widening role of online journalism at newspapers," prize administrator Sig Gissler said in a statement. Online material will be considered beginning with the 2006 competition, which honors work done in 2005.

The eligibility guidelines "will continue to be restricted to newspapers published daily, Sunday or at least once a week during the calendar year," Gissler added, but will be widened to include the online editions of those newspapers.

The prize, the most prestigious print journalism honor in the United States, rewards 14 categories ranging from investigative reporting to commentary to cartooning.

The public-service category has allowed the submission of online material (including databases, streaming video and interactive graphics), in addition to materials published in a newspaper's print edition, since 1999. It will continue to do so.

But, for the first time, online content is being accepted in other categories as part of a newspaper's entry. These online submissions are limited to stories and images, and each entry featuring online content must also include material published in the newspaper's print edition.

Copyright 2005 by United Press International