For distinguished editorial writing, the test of excellence being clearness of style, moral purpose, sound reasoning, and power to influence public opinion in what the writer conceives to be the right direction, Ten thousand dollars ($10,000).

Awarded to William R. Stall of Los Angeles Times for his incisive editorials that analyzed California's troubled state government, prescribed remedies and served as a model for addressing complex state issues.

Columbia University President Lee C. Bollinger presents William R. Stall with the 2004 Pulitzer Prize in Editorial Writing.

Finalists

Also nominated as finalists in this category were: Andrew Malcolm of the Los Angeles Times for his refreshing, richly textured editorials that illuminated a variety of life situations, and Andres Martinez of The New York Times for his exhaustively researched series of editorials that exposed the harmful global effects of American agricultural trade policy.