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NEW YORK Reflecting the reality of how news is presented online, the Pulitzer Prize will allow newspapers to submit video and interactive graphics as part of their entries for the top prize in American print journalism.

The Pulitzer Prize Board announced the rule change Monday, and also replaced the Beat Reporting category created in 1991 with a Local Reporting category.

Allowing more online material "was the next logical step," said Sig Gissler, administrator of the Pulitzers. "It emphasizes blended journalism and that's where newspapers are today."

Online material was allowed to be part of all entries for the first time this year, but was restricted in 13 of 14 categories to written stories or still images. The exception was the Public Service category, which allowed material such as streaming video and databases after including online content in nominations since 1999.

The photography categories remain restricted to still images. In the categories of breaking news reporting and breaking news photography, the board will continue to allow entries to consist solely of work published online. Other categories must include some material from the newspaper's print edition.

Creating the Local Reporting category "places particular emphasis on local news coverage, which is really the lifeblood of newspapers both in print and online," Gissler said. Entries can either be a special project or sustained coverage of city, state or regional issues that matter to the paper's core readership, Gissler said.

Beat reporters are still eligible to submit their work in other categories.

The 2007 Pulitzer Prizes, for work done in 2006, will be announced April 16.