ST. PETERSBURG, FL (March 6, 2008) - Winners in the Web Video catetories of the NPPA's 2008 Best Of Photojournalism contest, hosted at The Poynter Institute for Media Studies, are being announced today as the categories are judged.
In the News Feature Web category, first place is Rick Gershon of Getty Images for "Coney Island: An Uncertain Future." Second place is Travis Fox of washingtonpost.com for "The Pioneer Of The Lower Ninth Ward," and third place is Michael Akira Hakuta of washingtonpost.com for "Equality Ride Hits A Roadblock." An Honorable Mention was awarded to Angela Grant of the San Antonio Express-News for "Cow Poo Pens."
In the Sports Feature Web category, first place is Rick Gershon of Getty Images for "6 Man Football." Second place is Troy Hale of KMSP & Press Pass TV for "Downtown Tennis," and third place is Brian Kaufman of the Detroit Free Press for "Tiger Opening Day."
In the 48 Hours Web category, first place is Brian Kaufman of the Detroit Free Press for "Tarryl Hill Funeral." Second place is Rick Gershon of Getty Images for "777 Wedding Vegas Style," and third place is Gershon for "2 Years, No Help." An Honorable Mention was awarded to Christina Pino-Marina of washingtonpost.com for "Baseball Brings Blacksburg Community Together."
In the 48 Hours Web Video Editing category, first place is Brian Kaufman of the Detroit Free Press for "Tarryl Hill Funeral." Second plce is Michael Akira Hakuta of washingtonpost.com for "Veterans Remember Fallen Brothers," and third place is Kaufman for "Neal Shine Funeral. An Honorable Mention was awarded to Regina McCombs of startribune.com in Minneapolis for "Survivors Share Their Stories."
In the In-Depth Web category, first place is Travis Fox of washingtonpost.com for "Crisis In Darfur Expands." Second place is Dai Sugano of the San Jose Mercury News for "Uprooted," and third place is Rick Gershorn of Getty Images for "6 Man Football." An Honorable Mention was awarded to Fox for "Football, Family Central To Life In American Samoa."
In the Feature Web Video Editing category, first place is Pierre Kattar of washingtonpost.com for "Saving The Dead." Second place is Travis Fox of washingtonpost.com for "Crisis In Darfur Expands," and third place is Michael Akira Hakuta of washingtonpost.com for "Lift-Off With Trooper 2." Honorable Mentions were awarded to Kattar for "Contamination And A Crusade,"; Brian Kaufman of the Detroit Free Press for "Driving Detroit"; and Kaufman for "40 Years Of Respect."
The Judges' Choice Award for Web Photography was given to Travis Fox of washingtonpost.com for "Crisis In Darfur Expands."
"I think everyone needs to see this story," judge Bob Gould said. "It's very powerful and tells a great story, with beautiful images and an extremely compelling story about refugees in Darfur."
"This story should be the poster child for Web journalism," judge Nellie Stinson's said. "The soundbites were allowed to breathe and the pictures were breathtaking."
Judges also picked winners in the final categories of the Television Photography and Editing contest, and on Friday the Ernie Crisp Television News Photographer of the Year, the Video Editor of the Year, and the three Stations of the Year were announced at 12 noon EST.
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The daily noon "Lessons From A Contest" continues through this week with Poynter's Al Tompkins hosting a live, inside look at the NPPA Best Of Photojournalism Television contest judging. The daily conversations with the judges are at 12 noon EST online at www.newsu.org/NPPAbroadcast08. The Webinars will be archived on the Web site, so you can still see them at your convenience if you can't catch the "live" broadcast.
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Judges for the television and photography categories of NPPA's 2008 Best Of Photojournalism this year are veteran freelancer Tim Griffis, who has worked for network and corporate clients as well as being on the NPPA Flying Short Course faculty; Bob Gould, formerly of WZZM-TV in Grand Rapids, MI, who now teaches broadcasting at Michigan State University; and Emmy Award-winner Jeff Roberts of KMBC-TV in Kansas City, who is also a still photojournalist who shoots for newspapers and magazines.
Additional judges include Emmy Award-winner and Murrow Award-winner Preston Rudie of WTSP-TV in Tampa Bay; WHP-TV chief photographer Nellie Stinson from Harrisburg, PA; Emmy Award-winner Ram Guzman, who is KTVT-TV's chief editor in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, as well as serving as NPPA's Best Of Photojournalism TV Editing chair; writer, producer and director Lori Kay Allred of Denver, CO, who creates content for HGTV and Fine Living Network, who previously worked as chief editor for KPHO-TV5 in Phoenix and at KMGH-TV7 in Denver; and John Hyjek of NBC News in Atlanta, a three-time winner of NPPA's Video Editor of the Year award and a three-time Emmy Award winner.
The contest is coordinated for the fourth year by Merry Murray of KSNW-TV in Wichita, KS, who has been an NPPA volunteer for more than 15 years and served on NPPA's board of directors as Region 7's associate director.
For more information on NPPA’s Best of Photojournalism contest please contact Thomas Kenniff at contests@nppa.org.
The Best Of Photojournalism is sponsored by Canon, The Poynter Institute for Media Studies, and the National Press Photographers Association.
