Finalists for the 2013 Online Journalism Awards, many pushing the envelope of innovation and excellence in digital storytelling and distribution, were announced today by the Online News Association and its academic partner, the School of Communication at the University of Miami.
A group of 24 industry-leading journalists and new media professionals teamed up to review entrants and select finalists. Twelve of those judges, representing a diverse cross-section of the industry, conferred to determine winners from independent, community, nonprofit, major media and international news sites.
The results will be announced at the 2013 ONA Conference and Online Journalism Awards Banquet on Saturday, Oct. 19, in Atlanta.
This year, the OJAs were modified to keep up with our rapidly evolving industry by including non-English entries in all categories and updating the student categories. Seven awards come with a total of $37,500 in prize money, courtesy of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Gannett Foundation, which also is supporting a new Watchdog Journalism category with a $5,000 award.
"Based on the entries, the innovation of online journalists isn't slowing down. Nor is innovation isolated to just the biggest newsrooms," said ONA Board member Josh Hatch, who, along with the Associated Press' Director of Global Product Operations Ruth Gersh, co-chairs the Online Journalism Awards Committee. "As technologies evolve and mature, we're seeing storytelling taking new forms, multimedia integration hitting new heights, and great journalism reaching more people than ever before."
The finalists, listed in alphabetical order, are:
KNIGHT AWARD FOR PUBLIC SERVICE
GENERAL EXCELLENCE IN ONLINE JOURNALISM, SMALL
GENERAL EXCELLENCE IN ONLINE JOURNALISM, MEDIUM
GENERAL EXCELLENCE IN ONLINE JOURNALISM, LARGE
GANNETT FOUNDATION AWARD FOR TECHNICAL INNOVATION IN THE SERVICE OF DIGITAL JOURNALISM
BREAKING NEWS, SMALL
BREAKING NEWS, MEDIUM
BREAKING NEWS, LARGE
PLANNED NEWS/EVENTS, SMALL
PLANNED NEWS/EVENTS, MEDIUM
PLANNED NEWS/EVENTS, LARGE
EXPLANATORY REPORTING, SMALL
EXPLANATORY REPORTING, MEDIUM
EXPLANATORY REPORTING, LARGE
TOPICAL REPORTING, SMALL
TOPICAL REPORTING, MEDIUM
TOPICAL REPORTING, LARGE
ONLINE COMMENTARY, SMALL
ONLINE COMMENTARY, MEDIUM
ONLINE COMMENTARY, LARGE
FEATURE, SMALL
FEATURE, MEDIUM
FEATURE, LARGE
STUDENT PROJECTS, SMALL
STUDENT PROJECTS, LARGE
GANNETT FOUNDATION AWARD FOR INNOVATIVE INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM, SMALL
GANNETT FOUNDATION AWARD FOR INNOVATIVE INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM, MEDIUM
GANNETT FOUNDATION AWARD FOR INNOVATIVE INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM, LARGE
GANNETT FOUNDATION AWARD FOR WATCHDOG JOURNALISM
The judges of this year's awards were:
Judges were recused from discussing categories in which their own organizations were entered.
OJA judging is accomplished in partnership with the University of Miami's School of Communication. Winners will be announced at the Awards Banquet on the last night of ONA13 in Atlanta. Tickets to the Banquet are available for only $25.
Launched in 2000, the OJAs are the only comprehensive set of journalism prizes honoring excellence in digital journalism.
About ONA
The Online News Association is the world's largest association of digital journalists. ONA's mission is to inspire innovation and excellence among journalists to better serve the public. The membership includes news writers, producers, designers, editors, bloggers, developers, photographers, educators, students and others who produce news for and support digital delivery systems. ONA also hosts the annual Online News Association conference and administers the Online Journalism Awards.
About the University of Miami School of Communication
The University of Miami School of Communication prepares analytical and responsible communication professionals for success in a global society. The School offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in journalism, broadcasting, advertising, public relations, visual journalism, communication studies and motion pictures. The School's state of the art, all-digital facilities and resources are among the most advanced in the country. Approximately 1,500 students are enrolled.
About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation promotes journalism excellence worldwide and invests in the vitality of the U.S. communities where the Knight brothers owned newspapers. Since 1950 the foundation has granted more than $400 million to advance journalism quality and freedom of expression. Knight Foundation focuses on ideas and projects that create transformational change.
About the Gannett Foundation
The Gannett Foundation is a corporate foundation sponsored by Gannett Co., Inc. whose mission is to invest in the future of the communities in which Gannett does business, and in the future of our industry. It supports projects that take a creative approach to fundamental issues such as education and neighborhood improvement, economic development, youth development, community problem-solving, assistance to disadvantaged people, environmental conservation and cultural enrichment.
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