Pulitzer Prizes open up to more online-only entries

At the end of 2008 the eligibility rules for the Pulitzer Prizes were changed to allow for entries from online-only publications if the site was “primarily dedicated to original news reporting and coverage of ongoing events.” This requirement has now been dropped.

According to a press release from the Pulitzer board this requirement “sometimes excluded possibly promising entries—notably by online columnists, critics and bloggers—because of the nature of their Web affiliation.” The aim is that the new rule will “focus on the merit of an entry rather than the mission of the Web site where it appeared.”

The revised eligibility rule reads:

“Entries for journalism awards must be based on material coming from a text-based United States newspaper or news site that publishes at least weekly during the calendar year and that adheres to the highest journalistic principles. Magazines and broadcast media, and their respective Web sites, are not eligible.”