Digital Edge award winners

Here are the 2005 Digital Edge Awards winners, their affiliated newspapers and select comments from Edgie judges:

Best Overall News Site, Circulation Less Than 50,000
LJWorld.com
LJWorld.com/Lawrence (Kan.) Journal-World
www.ljworld.com/
Repeating as the winner in the Best Overall News Site category, LJWorld.com continues its reign as a strong, clever news provider that has earned its reputation for interactivity, responsiveness and innovation.

Best Overall News Site, Circulation 50,001 to 99,999
Modbee.com
Modbee.com/The Modesto (Calif.) Bee
www.modbee.com
This well-structured, cleanly designed site impresses with its welcomed use of blogs, interactive storytelling and intensely local coverage of news that matters to Modesto residents.

Best Overall News Site, Circulation 100,000 to 249,999
SpokesmanReview.com
SpokesmanReview.com/The Spokesman-Review
www.spokesmanreview.com
Working under the banner of “the transparent newsroom,” SpokesmanReview.com surpasses the competition by infusing the full support and resources of its news operation into the site. Equally passionate about compelling, multimedia journalism and the voices in its community, SpokesmanReview.com is a news site to emulate.

Best Overall News Site, Circulation Greater than 250,000
washingtonpost.com
washingtonpost.com/The Washington Post
www.washingtonpost.com
Pushing the boundaries of a multimedia news site, washingtonpost.com is building a model of a newspaper Web site as an interactive forum. The site’s breadth of coverage, video storytelling and embrace of blog culture and collaborative media make it a standout.

Most Innovative Multimedia Storytelling, Circulation Less Than 50,000
The PrepZone
BonitaNews.com/The Bonita Daily News, The Bonita Banner (Bonita Springs, Fla.)
www.bonitanews.com/news/prepzone/
Anyone in search of multimedia journalism’s future should look directly to The PrepZone. This high school sport site, brimming with multimedia produced in-house, appreciates cross-platform content delivery with options for SMS, iPods, Palm Pilots and Sony PS2.

Most Innovative Multimedia Storytelling, Circulation 50,001 to 99,999
An Unlikely Refuge/Going Down the Crooked Road/Chasing the Wind
roanoke.com/The Roanoke (Va.) Times
www.roanoke.com/multimedia/bantu/bantu.html
www.roanoke.com/multimedia/crooked/franklin.html
http://www.roanoke.com/weather/tornado-chasing/wb/xp-index
Roanoke.com’s entries that captured the integration of Somali Bantu refugees into the local community and introduced readers to Virginia’s bluegrass music were brilliantly designed, imagined and executed. The video in particular was spellbinding.

Most Innovative Multimedia Storytelling, Circulation 100,000 to 249,999
Saving Block Island/Classic Cars
projo.com/The Providence Journal
www.projo.com/extra/2005/blockisland/
www.projo.com/classiccars
Superb in all respects, “Saving Block Island” wed excellent reportage with documentary-style storytelling features. The music, understated narration and personal stories helped elevate the entry to best-in-class status.

Most Innovative Multimedia Storytelling, Circulation Greater than 250,000
Emily's Story: Finding a Way at Harvard
Boston.com/The Boston Globe
www.boston.com/news/specials/emily/multimedia/
Boston.com’s amazing audio slideshows reveal the inspirational story of Emily Crocket, who overcame tremendous physical impairments to attend Harvard. The package, created by a Boston.com producer working in cooperation with a Boston Globe reporter and photographer, expands on themes only lightly covered in the print coverage.

Best Design and Site Architecture, Circulation Less Than 50,000
Lawrence.com
Lawrence.com /Lawrence (Kan.) Journal-World
www.lawrence.com
The winner of last year’s Best Home Page User Experience category treats its audience to consistent accessibility, intuitive design and great visual order.

Best Design and Site Architecture, Circulation 50,001 to 99,999
Masters 2005
Augusta.com/The Augusta Chronicle
http://augusta.com
Masters 2005 is a model for event-focused sites. It established a consistent, clean design and sophisticated presentation for its wealth of golf scores, stats, stories and photos.

Best Design and Site Architecture, Circulation 100,000 to 249,999
KnoxNews.com
KnoxNews.com/Knoxville (Tenn.) News Sentinel
www.knoxnews.com
Judges went wild with positive adjectives as they described KnoxNews.com: Elegant, refreshing, clean, clear and comfortable. The site designers present a tone and ambience that is very appealing and sophisticated.

Best Design and Site Architecture, Circulation Greater than 250,000
StarTribune.com
StarTribune.com/Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
www.startribune.com
Site visitors can quickly find the content and classifieds they’re seeking because of startribune.com’s thoughtful design. The home page allows for customization to create a highly relevant experience for the user.

Most Innovative Visitor Participation, Circulation Less Than 50,000
BlufftonToday.com
BlufftonToday.com/Bluffton (S.C.) Today
www.blufftontoday.com
BlufftonToday.com, a true cross-media performer, admirably and ambitiously invites local residents to interact with the use of blogs, photo contributions and respect for the voice of each community member.

Most Innovative Visitor Participation, Circulation 50,001 to 99,999
Bakotopia
Bakotopia/The Bakersfield Californian
www.bakotopia.com
Morphing from a wannabe craigslist killer to a vibrant social community, Bakotopia represents a collaborative lifestyle site with a user interface that celebrates every offering.

Most Innovative Visitor Participation, Circulation 100,000 to 249,999
GoSmokies
KnoxNews.com/Knoxville (Tenn.) News Sentinel
www.gosmokies.com
Equal parts community site and travel information destination, GoSmokies is for anyone who has explored the Smoky Mountains – or plans to visit. The site invites readers to post their pictures and contribute to the hundreds of vacation tales available to all.

Most Innovative Visitor Participation, Circulation Greater than 250,000
azcentral.com
azcentral.com/The Arizona Republic, La Voz
http://azcentral.com
Azcentral.com’s visitor participation starts with audience-submitted photos, which attract millions of page views in gallery form and expands to a group Weblog with nearly 50 Arizona writers, newsmakers and community leaders. The dedication continues with mymesa.azcentral.com, a microsite for residents of Mesa, Ariz.

Best Entertainment Site, Circulation Less Than 50,000
Lawrence.com
LJWorld.com/Lawrence (Kan.) Journal-World
www.lawrence.com
What makes Lawrence.com so special? Start with the useful and authoritative content, such as ultra timely “Restaurants Open Now” list, move on to fantastic online radio station, head toward the terrific band listings and catch your breath with the extensive video offerings.

Best Entertainment Site, Circulation 50,001 to 99,999
Northbay.com
Northbay.com/Santa Rosa Press Democrat
www.northbay.com
Graced with a pleasing design and a detailed navigation bar, Northbay.com helps area residents find the best entertainment options quickly and efficiently. The home page places “best bets” front and center, with direct links into the full calendar.

Best Entertainment Site, Circulation 100,000 to 249,999
Spokane7.com
SpokesmanReview.com/The Spokesman Review (Spokane, Wash.)
http://www.spokane7.com
Finally, an entertainment site that truly feels plugged in to the bands, restaurants and culture of the local community. Designed as spare and clean as an urban loft, the site gathers local music MP3, skillful bloggers and reader recommendations for the best dishes at local restaurants.

Best Entertainment Site, Circulation Greater than 250,000
washingtonpost.com Entertainment Guide
washingtonpost.com/The Washington Post
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/artsandliving/entertainmentguide
With a lively mix of blogs, live discussions and podcasts, the Entertainment Guide directs readers to the best going-out options D.C. has to offer. Judges praised the site’s search schema, highly visible editors’ picks and special ideas for the throngs of tourists who flock to the nation’s capital.

February 20, 2006 | BY JONATHAN DUBE

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