The Washington, D.C., chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists honored MarylandReporter.com Tuesday night at its Dateline Awards banquet, giving the online news organization first and second place in its new “blog” category.
The awards were for work published online in 2009. MarylandReporter.com began publishing in October.
Judges awarded first place to editor Len Lazarick for a package of five articles. The judges commented: “In a time when daily newspapers are cutting their staffs, this blog steps in to fill the void of solid reporting about local legislative issues. Excellent analysis of legislative pay. The nonprofit model of online journalism proves through this blog that it is able to uphold newspapers’ fourth-estate function as the print world shrinks.”
Associate editor Andy Rosen received the second place award for his own package of five pieces. The judges commented they were “a fine example of what nonprofit online journalism can do to keep the public informed about local legislative and government issues. Well-written, balanced and fair.”
Rosen left MarylandReporter.com on Monday to become an editor at the Baltimore Sun.
MarylandReporter.com is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation founded by Lazarick in September 2009 and is funded by foundations, private donors and other news organizations.
The D.C. Pro chapter also inducted four long-time journalists into its Hall of Fame and gave its 2010 Distinguished Service Award to Sue Kopen Katcef for her many years of service as an ambassador for student and professional journalists.
Kopen Katcef is head of the broadcast journalism program at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism, and has worked for WBAL radio and Maryland Public Television, where her beats included the Maryland State House.
The Hall of Fame inductees were: Westwood One radio show host Jim Bohannon, Radio Television Digital News Association President Emeritus Barbara Cochran, Washingtonian magazine Editor-at-Large Jack Limpert and former Newsweek magazine Washington Bureau Chief Mel Elfin.
There are more details on the new Hall of Fame members and the scores of other journalism awards handed out at http://spjdc.org/.
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