The Star Online, the Internet service of The Kansas City Star, won top award for "Best Online Newspaper" in the large market category in circulation of 150,000+. The Star Online, impressed the judges because of its "overall ease of use, completeness and myriad options for readers, and the consistent posting of the next day's news the day before." Judges further commented, it's "clean, crisp, fast." This is the second consecutive award for The Star Online the interactive service won an "Edgie" last year for Best Classified Advertising Use of New Media at the 1997 conference.

Star-Telegram.com, the online service of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, received the award for " Outstanding Achievement - Best Feature Presentation" for its Virtual Texan community site featuring news, history, culture, travel, books, fun, webcasts, postcards, museums and recipes. Judges commented on the "down home feel and high-tech scenery."

Kentuckyconnect.com, the online service of the Lexington Herald-Leader won an "Edgie" for "Best Classified Advertising Use of New Media" in the medium market category. Judges cited the Herald-Leaders' classifieds as "Swell organized, the interface [is] intuitive and the graphics bright and clean."

The San Jose Mercury News' online service, Mercury Center, took home the Public Service award in the large market category for its teen e-zine, Digital High and its ability to establish cutting edge trends and overall innovative content and practices. Digital High impressed the judges, who reported it being "hip, irreverent, [its] cutting edge site is an Internet original." The e-zine is created by and for Silicon Valley teens.

"Recognition of this caliber by NAA means a great deal and continues to motivate us to be the best on the Web in interactive information delivery," said Bob Ingle, president of Knight Ridder New Media. "These awards are a reflection of our efforts to provide users with outstanding content, seamless functionality and innovative features."

Knight Ridder's Real Cities also won four Digital Edge Awards last year. They included the Contra Costa Times' HotCoCo.com; the Grand Forks Herald's Northscape.com; and the Kansas City Star's kcstar.com. In addition, Chris Jennewein, vice president of technology and operations for Knight Ridder New Media won the first New Media Pioneer award.

"Edgies" are awards presented annually by NAA's New Media Federation. They recognize creativity and risk-taking in the advancement of online newspapers as viable and effective Internet businesses. Newspaper winners are judged on creativity, innovation and execution.

About Knight Ridder New Media:

Knight Ridder New Media, located in San Jose, California, maintains 38 Web sites in the Real Cities‘ network (www.realcities.com), the largest national news-based network in the United States. Twenty-eight of the sites are community-based and 10 are specialty content sites.

Knight Ridder is the nation's second-largest newspaper publisher, with products in print and online. The company publishes 31 daily newspapers in 28 U.S. markets, reaching 9.0 million readers daily and 12.6 million on Sunday. Knight Ridder has investments in two newsprint mills and is headquartered in Miami, Fla.

Contact:

Cynthia Funnell National Communications Manager Knight Ridder New Media (408) 938-6076 cfunnell@newmedia.kri.com"