SAN JOSE, Calif. ã July 24, 1997 ã | Knight Ridder New Media web sites and staff picked up four of 16 Digital Edge Awards at the Newspaper Association of America's annual Connections conference, more than any other company or newspaper entered in the competition.
Contra Costa's Hot Coco received an "Edgie" for Best Online Newspaper Site in the category of 75,000 to 150,000 circulation. Judges cited Hot Coco for its "strong local coverage, interesting diversions, good interaction and a healthy dose of personality."
Northscape from the Grand Forks Herald received the Public Service award in the category of less than 75,000 circulation. "When the Red River engulfed its town, when the newspaper burned to the ground and flooded, the Grand Forks Herald's Northscape News was there for its community," said the judges.
The Kansas City Star was awarded an Edgie for Classified Use of New Media in the category of circulation over 15,000. The judges cited the Star's online classifieds for being "exquisitely branded, very easy to use, and reflective of a refreshingly bold 'take the town' approach."
Chris Jennewein, vice president of technology and operations, received the Pioneer award ã the only Edgie to go to an individual. "Chris has taken an active hands-on role in sharing everything he has learned with the newspaper community," said Steve Yelvington, editor of Star Tribune Online, in presenting the award.
Commenting on the awards, Bob Ingle, president of Knight Ridder New Media pointed out that the group is among the world leaders in online web publishing, with sites such as Mercury Center from the San Jose Mercury News and the newly-released entertainment listing site Just Go, as well as the recent award winners.
"We were early publishers on the Web, we've created more products than almost anyone, and I think it is significant that we've been recognized as top achievers in our efforts," said Ingle.
Knight Ridder New Media is a division of Knight Ridder Inc. a communications company engaged in newspaper and online publishing, business information services, electronic retrieval services and graphics and photo services. The company publishes 35 daily newspapers in the United States, with a readership of 9.5 million daily and 13.6 million Sunday, and 35 Web sites. News, advertising and information from Knight-Ridder reach more than 100 million people worldwide.
Contact:
Amy Rabinovitz
(408) 938-6030
arabinovitz@newmedia.kri.com
