Online Journalism Award Winners Announced for 2001
Posted on November 2, 2001
The winners for the second annual Online Journalism Awards (OJAs) were announced by the Online News Association (ONA) and the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism at the ONA annual conference in Berkeley. A list of the winners and finalists in each of the eight categories is provided below, along with a list of the judges.
Rich Jaroslovsky, president of ONA and a senior editor at The Wall Street Journal, said: ``The roster of winners is impressive indeed, reflecting tremendous work done in a very difficult environment. The number of winners and finalists from outside the United States is particularly worth noting. It shows the global reach and power of the online medium -- and reminds us all that journalistic excellence can transcend national boundaries.''
Online Journalism Award Winners
1A. General Excellence in Online Journalism: Independent
WINNER: Slate
An online magazine about news, politics, and culture.
The judges called Slate a Web site that's not afraid to take a stand on,
and comment on, everything going on in the news. The site has "franchises that
people get addicted to, and conceptual scoops every day," said one judge.
"It's lively, it's smart, it's provocative, it gets you thinking." Judges
also praised the site's color-coded navigation and generally called the site
an outstanding example for online news publications.
Finalists, in alphabetical order (only three finalists)
- CNET News.com
A technology news site. - PraxisPost
An online magazine about the practice and culture of medicine. - Salon
An online magazine about politics, culture and entertainment.
WINNER: BBC News Online
A general news site, produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation.
The judges said BBC's editors do an extraordinary job of re-imagining the
news product for this medium, merging their broadcast and online efforts for
effective news coverage in both media. Journalists work in multiple media,
the stories are written in very readable form with helpful clickable guides,
and the offerings are in many languages, the judges said. They break a lot of
news and bring a perspective that's unmatched and invaluable.
Finalists, in alphabetical order (five finalists in this category)
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1. CNN.com
A general news site, produced by Cable News Network.
2. MSNBC.com
A general news site which is a joint venture between NBC News and
Microsoft.
3. The New York Times on the Web<
The Web version of The New York Times.
4. The Wall Street Journal Online
The Web version of The Wall Street Journal.
5. WashingtonPost.com
The Web version of The Washington Post.
WINNER: Rediff.com: The Gujarat Earthquake
Coverage of Jan. 2001 earthquake in India, which killed 30,000 people.
The judges called the coverage incredibly comprehensive, with 12 to
15 stories a day on every angle of this major natural disaster, from the
stories of the victims to the physics of the earthquake. It's clear and
complete, they said, with interviews, discussions and extensive information on
how people in India and abroad could help. And all this on a true breaking
news story, with no warning and no opportunity to prepare or plan coverage in
advance.
Finalists, in alphabetical order (only three finalists)
- Beliefnet: America Considers a Jewish Vice President
Coverage of Sen. Joseph Lieberman being named Al Gore's vice presidential candidate. - CNET News.com: Napster's Day in Court
Coverage of Feb. 12, 2001, court developments in Napster case, which gave the beleaguered file-swapping service a temporary reprieve. - Slashdot: EFF Files First Anti-DMCA Lawsuit
Coverage of a lawsuit filed against the Digital Millennium Copyright Act by Electronic Frontier Foundation
WINNER: BBC News Online: Concorde Crash
Coverage of Air France Concorde crash in Paris that killed 113 people on
July 25, 2001. The judges said that the BBC's coverage reflected a swift
marshaling of resources, extensive and clever graphics, and strong video,
audio and photos. The site managed to take a sudden, tragic event and turn
out an insightful, well-presented news and analysis package.
Finalists, in alphabetical order
- BusinessWeek Online: Boeing Downsizing
Report on Boeing's plans to shut down a plant and make other changes in its operations. - GlobeandMail.com: Canadian Election 2000
Coverage of 2000 Canadian elections; from (Toronto Globe & Mail. - Jerusalem Post Internet Edition: Israel Decides -- Election 2001 Live Coverage
Coverage of 2001 Israeli elections that brought Ariel Sharon to power, defeating Ehud Barak. - USATODAY.com: Cal Ripken Retirement Announcement
Coverage of the news about the retirement of the legendary Baltimore Oriole.
WINNER: Salon: Radio's Big Bully
A series of reports on Clear Channel Communications, the most powerful
force in the radio industry. The judges noted the amount of reporting that
went into this package and what it revealed about how, years after the radio
payola scandals, labels are still finding ways to buy their way onto the air.
They described it as a classic piece of enterprise reporting, digging deep
into a complex story, uncovering the layers of facts and the relationships
that are so important in the radio industry and ultimately uncovering the
sometimes questionable practices of a company that determines what many
Americans hear.
Finalists, in alphabetical order
- Beliefnet: Is Bush's Religious Charity Plan Sinking?
A look at the opposition by some conservatives to President Bush's faith-based initiatives. - Salon: Gov. Bush's Office Ignored Murder Confession
A report about then Gov. George W. Bush of Texas and a letter of confession he received. - Slate: Seed -- The Genius Babies & How They Grew
An in-depth report on a Nobel Prize sperm bank founded by a California industrialist. - WebMD: Jeff's Story
A first-person account by a medical journalist about surviving brain cancer.
WINNER: CNN.com: Colombia -- War Without End
A report in English and Spanish about the strife in Colombia.
The judges remarked on the scale of this package, done in both English and
Spanish and including a large volume of original writing and photography by
CNN reporter Steve Nettleton, work beyond what was done for the TV version.
It's a mix of reporting, analysis, reference material, maps, chats and
original source material from the various groups fighting in Colombia.
Finalists, in alphabetical order
- DallasNews.com: Toxic Traps
A report on how government officials at various levels have forced nearly a million American families to live in polluted neighborhoods at taxpayer expense; from Dallas Morning News. - Frontline: Drug Wars
A report on the 30-year history of the "War on Drugs;" from PBS. - KRWashington.com: A Taste of Slavery
A report on the role of modern-day slavery in the chocolate industry; from Knight Ridder Washington. - The Philadelphia Inquirer: Killing Pablo
A five-week series about the U.S. government's hunt for drug trafficker Pablo Escobar.
WINNER: ThemeParkInsider: Accident Watch
A guide to safety at amusement parks across the U.S.
The judges said: Relying on a community of users and the drive of a
single journalist working in his spare time, this site offers theme park
enthusiasts hard information about safety -- information that the government
probably should provide, but doesn't. Accidents are reported simply and
factually, and the site makes a clear distinction between rumor and confirmed
reports -- especially important when users are the reporters. The judges
called it "morbidly fascinating ... and really useful."
Finalists, in alphabetical order
- CNET News.com: Fired!
News and resources about and for recently-fired dot-com employees. - GothamGazette: Searchlight 2001
Guide for last-minute voters in New York City. - ParentCenter.com: Parenting
Guide for parents of children 2-8. - TaxPlanet.com: Guide to Tax Relief Act of 2001
A site covering the May 2001 tax initiative of President Bush.
WINNER: PBS: On Our Own Terms -- Moyers on Dying
``End-of-life'' tools and more, based on a PBS program with Bill Moyers.
The judges said: This package, based on a Bill Moyers special TV report,
did more than just repurpose a TV show. It became the center of a strong
community project tied to the show that could only be done with effective use
of the Web. The judges said they found the guide for doctors on how to
understand and handle diversity especially compelling. Said one judge: "They
pulled it off like nobody else could."
Finalists, in alphabetical order (only three finalists)
- HeraldNet: Waterfront Renaissance
Guide to the development of the waterfront in Everett, Washington; from The Daily Herald. - SFGate.com: California's Energy Crisis
Guide to the energy crisis in California; from the San Francisco Chronicle. - The Wall Street Journal Online: Online Investing -- New Times,
New Tools
Guide to online investing.
WINNER: DigitalJournalist.org: 20 Years -- AIDS & Photography
A look at how AIDS has been documented by photographs.
Judges called this an outstanding creative use of the medium, a great
piece of journalism that could only exist online. The cliche about a picture
being worth 1,000 words was never more meaningful, said one judge. Another
said, simply, "I was very, very moved by it."
Finalists, in alphabetical order
- Salon: Living Under the Hole in the Sky
A look at how people live in a Chilean city that is under the hole in the ozone layer. - Salon: Bad Blood
A story about about the West Virginia murder that was more than a simple hate crime. - Wired News: Kozmo Kills the Messenger
A look at an Internet company on its deathbed. - SportsJones: Being John McEnroe
A 14-page profile of the infamous tennis star.
WINNER: Sun-Sentinel.com: Witness to an Epidemic --
AIDS in the Caribbean
A multimedia, multilingual report on the effect of AIDS in some Caribbean
countries.
The judges said: This entry really struck a chord, both for its content
and for the way it was presented. The writing is brief, intelligent and
clear, making great use of photography and providing good access to powerful
information. Calling the package "beautiful," the judges noted that it was
delivered in two formats, one for low-bandwidth users that's more interactive
and one that's narrated, in more of a television documentary style, for those
with faster connections. Plus, it was done in three languages: English,
Spanish and Creole.
Finalists, in alphabetical order (only three finalists)
- The New York Times on the Web: Salsa -- Made in New York
A look at the origins of salsa music. - ABCNews.com: John Lennon in New York
A look at John Lennon's New York years. - CNN.com: The Unfinished War -- A Decade After Desert Storm
A look at the aftermath of the 1991 Gulf War.
WINNER: 360Degrees.org: The U.S. Criminal Justice System
Perspectives on U.S. justice system.
The judges said this site ``humanizes the prison experience'' and provides a
"nuanced and moving picture of the lives of people in prison." The creative
use starts with the simple navigation, a series of concentric circles that
makes it easy to get around. It continues with the extensive audio content
that includes transcripts, an "are-you-a-criminal" quiz, timelines, and the
offering of Flash and non-Flash sites for users with varied bandwidths. And,
true to its name, there's good use of 360-degree photography to tell
compelling stories about prisoners and their families.
Finalists, in alphabetical order (only two finalists)
- Beliefnet: World Peace Summit
Site about a global gathering of religious leaders at the United Nations. - CNET News.com: Head-on Collision --
Old and New Economies Clash in Auto Industry Marketplace
Changes in the auto industry.
WINNER: HeraldSun.com: Touching Hearts -- A
Story of Hope & Help in Nicaragua
A story about a Duke University medical mission to Nicaragua; from The
Herald-Sun, Durham, North Carolina.
The judges called this site a daring design, making good use of the ``Ken
Burns-style" technique of moving a camera over still photos. The Durham paper
covered the story of local Duke University doctors donating their services in
Nicaragua as only a local newspaper could, said the judges, and then told that
story as only a Web site could. It uses an innovative combination of
interactivity, letting the reader click through it, and TV-style presentation
where a reader can simply sit back and absorb.
Finalists, in alphabetical order
- CTV.com: Conflict in the Middle East
Multimedia report on the Middle East; from Canadian Television - MSNBC: Suviving the Summer Driving Season
Guide to, and history of, summer driving in the United States. - ProJo.com: Rescuing the Right
A report on efforts to rescue the endangered right whale off Nova Scotia, from the Providence Journal. - Time.com: The New Frontier, La Nueva Frontera
A report from along the U.S.-Mexico border.
WINNER: Yahoo! Finance Vision
Video-centric financial information and news.
The judges said: While others talk about convergence, Yahoo has achieved
it with this new delivery platform. It combines traditional television with
interactive elements keyed directly to what's being said on the screen and
does it all in nearly real time. The judges called it a "neat application of
the technology" and one that "raises the bar" for future multiple-media
applications.
No finalists were named in this category.
7B. Innovative Presentation of Information: Affiliated
WINNER: SmartMoney.com: Mutual Fund Map
Tool to track mutual fund portfolios.
The judges said: This tool provides a new way of conceiving, managing,
displaying and understanding complex information. Millions of people have
investments in mutual funds, but few have the understanding that this tool
provides ... especially when you consider that the data needed to construct
the map changes constantly.
Finalists, in alphabetical order
- MotherJones.com: Mother Jones 400
Tracking political donations; from Mother Jones magazine. - TBO.com: Crime Tracker
A tool to track crime statistics, neighborhood by neighborhood; from Tampa Bay Online & WFLA-TV - USATODAY.com: Census 2000
In-depth site about 2000 U.S. Census. - WashingtonPost.com: Camera Works -- U Street in Focus
A look at the rebirth of a troubled neighborhood in Washington, D.C.
WINNER: Dahlia Lithwick, Slate
The judges said Lithwick really brings Supreme Court reporting alive,
making coverage of a usually staid and serious beat vivid and enlightening,
giving the reader a sense of the scene and tone inside the courthouse. Every
column makes use of Slate's reader response board, The Fray, to launch a
debate about the column topic.
Finalists, in alphabetical order
- Dan Ackman, Forbes.com
- Dave Coursey, ZDNET
- Steve Kettmann, Salon
- Kate Swearengen, Princeton Alumni Weekly Online
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