For a distinguished example of beat reporting, Three thousand dollars ($3,000).

Awarded to Bob Keeler of Newsday, Long Island, N.Y., for his detailed portrait of a progressive local Catholic parish and its parishioners.

Bob Keeler is awarded the 1996 Pulitzer Prize by George Rupp, Columbia University President.

Finalists

Also nominated as finalists in this category were: Alison Grant of The Plain Dealer of Cleveland for articles uncovering corrupt dealings between contractors and city officials in the suburb of Beachwood that resulted in indictments and significant reforms, and Fred Schulte and Jenni Bergal of the Sun-Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, FL, for disclosing problems and abuses in the state's tax-funded Medicaid health maintenance organizations.