2005 Notable Entries

When Death Comes Too Soon

http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/specialrpts/suicide/041114timmymainbar.shtml

Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram (Portland, ME)

“It ensured entry points for reader comments and discussion after each installment.”
-2005 Batten Award Judges

This series looks into why Maine has the eighth highest suicide rate in the nation by telling deeply personal stories about some of the state’s suicide victims and how their families have attempted to cope.

Feet in Two Worlds: Immigrants in a Global City

http://www.wnyc.org/news/articles/46883

WNYC, New York Public Radio (New York, NY)

“An imaginative, informative partnership.”
-2005 Batten Award Judges on “Feet in Two Worlds”

This project brought together public radio and ethnic media to tell the stories of new immigrants to New York City through radio, Web sites, and a live town hall event.

Recorded Voices

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/editorials/stories/032005dnedirecordedvotes.152fbe5e2.html

The Dallas Morning News (Dallas, TX)

“An important model for involving the public in a classic editorial board campaign.”
-2005 Batten Award Judges

In advocating for the votes of Texas lawmakers to be publically recorded, the newspaper invited the public to weigh in and won support from more than 130 community groups who formally backed the cause.

Five Points: Looking Back, Looking Ahead

http://www.thestateonline.com/news/flash/5pt/newdesign.html

The State/thestate.com (Columbia, SC)

“A good model for covering urban redevelopment.”
-2005 Batten Award Judges

A one-stop application combining print and online elements in a Flash interface where users could learn about the ongoing renovation of an important downtown neighborhood and business district.

Saving Block Island: How Rob Lewis Led the Way

http://www.projo.com/extra/2005/blockisland/

projo.com and The Providence Journal (Providence, RI)

“A stunning presentation.”
-2005 Batten Award Judges

This mulitmedia presentation documenting a community-led effort to save Block Island from development incorporates video, audio and slideshows to convey the small-town ambience of the island and the effort to preserve it.

Video Blogs from St. Peter's Square

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8077997/site/newsweek

Newsweek (New York, NY)

“It signals a new direction for blogging news sites.”
-2005 Batten Award Judges

Instead of sending a camera crew and a reporter to cover the papal election, Newsweek went 21st century by sending Paris Bureau Chief Christopher Dickey armed with a video cell phone to record and submit blog entries from the Vatican.

Nicholas D. Kristof's Multimedia Coverage of Genocide in Darfur

http://www.nytimes.com/packages/khtml/2004/10/20/opinion/20041020_DARFUR_FEATURE.html

The New York Times on the Web (New York, NY)

“It elevates op-ed writing to new levels.”
-2005 Batten Award Judges

Op-ed columnist Nicholas D. Kristof combined written newspaper columns with audio and video narrations, still and video photography and interactive reader forums to help garner attention that has led to international efforts to help solve the problem in Darfur.

Beyond the Fire: Teen Experiences of War

http://www.beyondthefire.net/

ITVS-Electric Shadows Initiative (Washington, DC)

“A unique storytelling environment that forces users to interact via passports and travelogues.”
-2005 Batten Award Judges

Pictures and audio tell the stories of 15 teens who escaped the ravages of their war-torn countries. Users register as “World Travelers” and can post comments once they have explored all 15 stories.

In-depth: The Budget Balancing Act

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/budget2005/interactive/

CBC.ca (Toronto, Ontario)

“A funny, engaging exercise.”
-2005 Batten Award Judges

This budget exercise gives visitors a chance to divvy up Canada’s fiscal surplus—but remember the political consequences along the way. Included are short articles on a variety of topics; sound clips and Flash animations add humorous elements.

Be Not Afraid: The Epic Papacy of John Paul II

http://www.chicagotribune.com/services/newspaper/chi-pope-cd,1,7220694.htmlstory

Chicago Tribune (Chicago, IL)

“Wonderful improvements on its first award-winning CD-ROM.”
-2005 Batten Award Judges

The Chicago Tribune produced this multimedia CD-ROM, a coffee table book and softbound souvenir books to commemorate the life of the late pope. The CD-ROM included archival footage, exclusive interviews, interactive graphics, nearly 100 mini-biographies and more than 200 Tribune articles spanning 25 years.

Sherman's March on Columbia

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/local/10904925.htm

The Sate/thestate.com (Columbia, SC)

“This interactive history lesson brought home events of 140 years ago.”
-2005 Batten Award Judges

This series incorporated newspaper articles, slideshow presentations and a quiz-style game to tell the story of Gen. William T. Sherman’s ruinous march through Columbia, S.C. in 1865.

The Multimedia Urban Reporting Lab (MURL) Program

http://www.temple.edu/murl

Temple University School of Communications, Journalism Department (Philadelphia, PA)

“A notable effort to teach future journalists how to cover their communities.”
-2005 Batten Award Judges

To capture the essence of Philadelphia, Temple journalism students worked in teams to cover the city’s neighborhoods, producing pieces that use various media platforms including broadcast, print and online.

Bluffton Today.com

http://www.blufftontoday.com/

Morris Digital Works (Augusta, GA)

“A nod to this innovative experiment to see if a news product can be created for a fast-growing community, based around ordinary people contributing.”
-2005 Batten Award Judges

BlufftonToday.com is a community news site built by users who are given their own blogs, photo galleries, and the ability to post in special databases for such things as events or recipes. Users give permission to have their content appear in a free, daily newspaper.

Miami's New Skyline

http://www.miami.com/multimedia/miami/business/archive/skyline/index.html

The Miami Herald (Miami, FL)

“A great way to help people visualize how their city is going to change… more cities should do it.”
-2005 Batten Award Judges

An interactive Flash presentation displays how 90 planned buildings will look and how they will change the city’s skyline, when complete. When users click on each building, they can see the completed structure and get more information. By sliding the image back and forth, they can view five miles of coastline.

About Loss

http://www.aboutloss.com/

Ball State University Department of Journalism (Muncie, IN)

“Touching insights and innovative entry points.”
-2005 Batten Award Judges

This student-created, non-linear documentary uses audio and slide shows to tell the stories of Indiana residents coping with various losses. Users can view clips by emotional stage (such as anger, denial, acceptance) or by the person being interviewed.

Next-generation Data Maps

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/front.htm

USA Today (McLean, VA)

“Real-time information, clearly presented.”
-2005 Batten Award Judges

For the 2004 election, USA Today used interactive electoral maps to deliver real-time data. More in-depth data surfaced by scrolling over a state.

Class Matters

http://www.nytimes.com/pages/national/class/index.html

The New York Times on the Web (New York, NY)

“The graphics did a bang-up job of conveying layers of information.”
-2005 Batten Award Judges

This online series explored the way class influences destiny in the United States through a combination of stories, photography, audio interviews, slide shows and interactive graphics.

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