Among the controversial elements of this year's Pulitzer Prize competition has been the entry of the National Enquirer into the running.

Touting its John Edwards' coverage, the Enquirer joined the list of submissions that were reviewed by the 14 Pulitzer jurors last week. Winners are announced in April.

But it turns out this was not the first year the Enquirer entered the competition, according to Pulitzer Administrator Sig Gissler. He told me that the tabloid has actually had an entry on four previous occasions.

Those are as follows:

* 1997 - In the Investigative category, a story entered by Executive Editor David J. Perel on behalf of reporter Larry Haley related to O.J. Simpson.

* 1996 - In the Explanatory category, a self-entry on pap smears from freelance reporter Nick Isenberg.

* 1995 - In the Public Service and Explanatory categories, a story on deadbeat dads from Editor John Cathcart on behalf of reporter John William Blosser.

* 1987 - In Spot News and Feature photography categories, self entries from photographers Anne McGuire and Thomas E. Devins. Their subjects are unknown.

Gissler declined to comment on the entries, but said he simply wanted to set the record straight following this year's reports that the John Edwards' entries were the Enquirer's first ever.