Judges' Comments

Each of the entries in this category had some significant strengths and weaknesses (most commonly, loose edits). In the end, the sites with the strongest content rose to the top.

1st Place

'Going Within' rose above the other entries because the still and video photography and audio were outstanding in quality and the interviews were emotional and insightful. All the elements were combined in production to bring the entire package to another level. We were particularly impressed by the seamless combination of still and video imagery. The degree of intimacy revealed in interviews with inmates and yoga teacher Donnell Malnik reflected empathetic journalistic skills by Connelley and Newton.

The package did have weaknesses. It was too long: we thought it would have been stronger if about 1/3 of it was edited out (primarily from the middle) and the presentation could have easily been broken down into several segments. There was no branding for the Tribune during the presentation. There was no interactivity (such as the ability to glance at supplemental information, like credits). At times the screen was broken into three visual segments, but the small sizing made the images difficult to read. The white text that occasionally filled the screen was visually intrusive. But overall, this presentation was newsworthy, creative, compassionate, technically strong and fascinating to watch.

2nd Place

'Inside the Toughman' was an engaging and at times disturbing documentary that stood out for its original content and easy-to-navigate structure. The project brought us into a culture that we knew little about, and reflected a substantial commitment of time and dedication on the part of the journalists and producers.

There was some effort to put the Tough Men in context, through sequences in which fighters were interviewed about their motivations for knocking themselves silly (usually money or testosterone) and potential consequences (passing out and being treated by EMTs). But overall we felt the piece would have been stronger if some of the lengthy fight segments were edited down significantly and replaced with more reporting about who these people are outside the ring and what brought them to want to trade blows.

The video compression was problematic, and led us to view the site in low-resolution mode. There were design flaws, including clumsy flipping of text and the lack of a grid system (elements on the site seemed to float on the page in random spots). The screen was busy, with too many elements competing for our attention. The original content and highly interactive structure of this site, however, did impress us.

3rd Place

'Leaving Home' was one of our top three because the site was an important piece of community journalism. We imagine many soldiers and their families used the site as a keepsake documentary of their departure to share with family, friends and neighbors. The navigation of the site was user friendly. The video footage and particularly the still images captured intimate and emotional moments between families. The weaknesses of the site included poor audio quality, an overwhelming graphic that remained atop most pages and a weak graphic link to the movies.

Honorable Mention

'Oktoberfest' was the simplest site in presentation, but one of the funniest and best edited of the bunch. The rapidity and timing of the video cuts were excellent, and timed hilariously to the music. This is a nicely crafted piece of community journalism.

Honorable Mention

'New Voters Rising', another Tribune production, did not have the emotional depth or originality of 'Going Within', but was a relevant and timely documentary nonetheless. The piece started and ended strong, but dragged significantly in the middle. The strong quotes and imagery were lost at times within segments that were redundant and diluted their impact.

We felt this piece would have been twice as strong if it was half as long. Design wise, the frame around the video was too bold and prominent, and this site also suffered from a lack of interactivity. That said, the technical and journalistic qualities were high, and these journalists turned their cameras and mikes on a socially relevant segment of their community to create an engaging documentary.