GE Business Web Sites | Breaking News | Creative Use of Online | Project | Blog | Audio/Video Report || BIB 2007 Winners Home
Evan Hansen and Dylan Tweney. Wired.com.
Judges' comments:
At first look, Wired.com is a clean, easy-to-navigate site that gives readers an opportunity to experience their depth of coverage in every topic. The outstanding part of their site is the care and expertise of their copy. Each story is meticulously reported and executed.
[IGW022]
Tim O'Reilly: Web 2.0 Is About Controlling Data (Q&A with Tim O'Reilly 4.13.07)
Bank Failure in Second Life Leads to Calls for Regulation (One of the earliest stories to cover banking fraud in Second Life)
As Intel Surges, PC Makers Prop Up Its Main Competitor (As Intel gets closer to a monopoly, what's going to happen to AMD?)
Facebook Got Its $15 Billion Valuation — Now What?
Michael McHugh and Todd Behme. Crain’s Chicago Business.
Judges' comments:
For its depth in interactive tools, Crain’s Chicago Business makes large portions of dense content accessible to everyday Chicago readers. From foreclosure maps to a look at campaign finances, Crain’s delivers an in-depth look at Chicago business with a smart and finessed approach.
[IGW009]
ChicagoBusiness.com
Forty Under Forty
Mayor Daley's Contributions (Daley donor map)
Entrepreneurs in Action
Chuck Hawkins - The Associated Press
Gregory Morcroft - Marketwatch.com
Jonathan McCarthy - Newsday
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Ad Age Editorial Staff. Advertising Age.
Judges' comments:
AdAge.com has a clear understanding of their audience and delivers the content that they would be most interested in. Their multimedia and video highlight the best that their site has to offer without getting distracted by the bells and whistles. Blogs, specifically Campaign Trail, are well written, informative and a must read for anyone in the industry.
[IGW020]
AdAge.com
Gabriela Rico and Tim Steller. Arizona Daily Star.
Judges' comments:
For their multimedia presentations, specifically the video on gang members getting a second chance, and an audio slide show on where casino money was going, the Arizona Daily Star does a nice job of bringing their business section to life.
[IGW002]
Azstarbiz.com
Where does tribal casino money go? (Audio slide slow preview of casino project)
Video of car detailing shop that hires ex-cons
Interactive map of homes for sales on Tucson's outskirts
Chuck Hawkins - The Associated Press
Gregory Morcroft - Marketwatch.com
Jonathan McCarthy - Newsday
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The Wall Street Journal Online
Judges' comments:
Borrowing from The Journal's "What's News" format, it's easy to scan, with in-depth markets data and lots of timely posts. It's good to see the most popular posts listed and linked.
[IGW006]
Markets Main
Marketbeat
Shrinking Prices, Rising Delinquencies (After the Boom)
Markets Data Center
The New York Times Dealbook
Judges' comments:
A well-organized page that's clean and inviting with good – very good -- investor tools. Everything's here: news, tools and commentary/analysis. The channels of content are clear and easy to use. News by industry is a nice feature.
[IGW007]
DealBook
Merrill Shake-Up 2007 (DealBook, overview of Merrill coverage, Nov. 15, 2007)
Another Departure in Store at UBS? (DealBook, Mar. 15, 2007)
Home Depot to Sell Supply Unit for $10 Billion (DealBook, June 19, 2007)
MarketWatch
Judges' comments:
Newsy, with fresh updates on daily stories. The headlines are appealing and informative, and the design is organized and easy to scan, with a clear sense of hierarchy based on news value. Just as important, the site takes full advantage of all Web tools.
[IGW013]
MarketWatch.com
MarketWatch First Takes
MarketWatch Personal Finance
MarketWatch Community
Carl Corry - News 12 Interactive (Woodbury, N.Y.)
Eric Frederick - newsobserver.com
Lou Ureneck - Boston University
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Alby Gallun. "Kennedys, Developer Plan Big Wolf Point Project." Crain’s Chicago Business.
Judges' comments:
The writer reports the news of an important downtown development and provides a clear explanation of its importance and how it will fit into the cityscape of Chicago.
[IBN009]
Kennedys, developer plan big Wolf Point project
Steve Daniels. "LaSalle's Richman Near Deal to Join Private Bank." Crain’s Chicago Business.
Judges' comments:
The reporter here not only got the inside story on a likely corporate defection, but he has shown the significance of the defection to the local banking industry.
[IBN010]
LaSalle's Richman near deal to join Private Bank
Chad Eric Watt and Dave Moore. "Questions Dog Press Club." Dallas Business Journal.
Judges' comments:
An inside account of an organization that appears to draw significant financial support from corporations and a foundation but is unable to manage its affairs, including the inability to name the judges in contest that was a centerpiece of a gala event in Dallas. The story suggests that the organization began to respond to its problems after the DBJ started asking questions.
[IBN016]
Questions dog Dallas Press Club
Carl Corry - News 12 Interactive (Woodbury, N.Y.)
Eric Frederick - newsobserver.com
Lou Ureneck - Boston University
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Tom Krazit, Caroline McCarthy, Erica Ogg, Kent German, Leslie Katz and Brian Cooley. "Launch of the iPhone." CNET News.
Judges' comments:
Although reams of copy had already been written about the iPhone, CNET came up with a way to report on the first few hours it went on sale that the judges felt was original and aggressive. The package ranged from on-site reporting at stores besieged by iPhone buyers to an insightful real-time review of the gadget to a blog about ripping the phone apart. The judges felt the package would engage geeks and casual readers alike, and made good use of the visual possibilities of the Internet, with plenty of photos and videos. The writing was bright and engaging and the package contained several angles that others missed.
[IBNO13]
iPhone: The wait is over
A method to the iPhone madness? (Note: Curtain raiser)
iPhone supply lives to sell another day (Note: Wrap-up at end of day)
iPhone review in real time
Video: How to activate the iPhone
Photos: Big Apple meets the iPhone
Staff. "Turmoil in the Mortgage and Credit Markets." CNNMoney.com.
Judges' comments:
The judges found this a comprehensive, timely package that played well to several audiences – from Wall Street insiders and investors to Main Street borrowers and consumers. The main story, "Mortgage meltdown contagion," provided a well-written, insightful overview while "Who can’t get a mortgage now" offered analysis to consumer lenders on how their financial position could be affected by the sub-prime crisis. "Credit turmoil throws deals in jeopardy" by CNN’s London bureau gave the package a global feel and offered an interesting angle that would draw hard-core finance insiders. The judges felt the story was greatly enhanced by the accompanying graphic, "Buyouts to watch."
[IBNO14]
Mortgage meltdown contagion - Aug. 10 coverage of the credit crisis
Who can’t get a mortgage now?
Credit turmoil throws deals in jeopardy
Will the Fed save the day?
Your portfolio: When subprime hits home
Talk Back: Readers respond
Hugh Morley - Bergen (N.J.) Record
Dan Barkin - The News & Observer
Stephen Engelberg - ProPublica
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Roben Farzad. Narrated slide shows. Business Week.
Judges' comments:
Farzad’s comfortably narrated slide shows on emerging economies in Colombia, Mozambique, Nigeria and Botswana and Zambia explored themes in each location that painted a clear picture of struggles and successes, with excellent pacing and deft comments such as “He looks like a South African Rugby playboy,” about a microlender, and “This place is very much trying to get its market legs,” about the tiny Colombian stock market, which closes at 1 p.m. The pieces included video captions of local residents.
[ICU002]
Narrated Slide show: Colombia
Narrated Slide show: Mozambique
Narrated Slide show: Botswana and Zambia
Narrated Slide show: Nigeria
Staff. "The Heat Is On." MarketWatch.
Judges' comments:
MarketWatch brought its full staff together for a five-part series, “The heat is on,” an investor guide to global warming. Meticulously organized, the series went far beyond all the happy talk about the emerging sector aimed at mitigating global warming. Each day, with a separate theme such as “The consumer realm,” brought a video, a personal finance piece with stock picks and warnings, outside commentary and separate articles describing the players and challenges in the industry. Overall, the project combined visual dynamics, advice and storytelling in a way that held together around well-labeled themes.
[ICU014]
The Heat Is On, Day 1: Technology and Transformation
The Heat Is On, Day 2: Energy and Industry
The Heat Is On, Day 3: Financial Services
The Heat Is On, Day 4: The Consumer Realm
Staff. “2007 Best Places to Live.” CNNMoney.com.
Judges' comments:
This project, ubiquitously cited in the media on the day of its release, lends itself to a cavalcade of interactive features – and the editors at CNNMoney didn’t disappoint. Lots of “chunky bits” on the screen, each with an offer of information on its face and, usually, a search function of some kind underneath. If you think it’s nuts that North Haven made the list but not Narberth, compare your favorite burg to the winners, with economic and demographic stats. If you don’t like the criteria for the winners, plug in your own and generate your own list. The functions run smoothly and the tone is in the spirit of a subjective listing, designed more for debate than authoritative statement.
[ICU015]
2007 Best Places to Live
iReport: Is Your Town a Great Place to Live (Interactive feature)
How far will my salary go in another city? (Compare cost of living interactive feature)
Dan Haar - Hartford Courant
Sreenath (Sree) Sreenivasan - Columbia Graduate School of Journalism
Craig Schwed - Gannett News Service
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Rich Laden, Nichole Montañez, Mark Reis, Christian Murdock, David Bitton and Joanna Bean. "Academy Boulevard at a Crossroads." The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Judges comments:
The Gazette has created a commendable project utilizing numerous online technologies: maps, charts, still photos, slide shows and videos. The paper looked at an issue that faces many communities, the abandonment of commercial properties by big box stores that often reopen just a short distance away. Interviews with nearby residents, the mayor and business owners convey the impact such decisions have on a community. The package could have benefited from some analysis of why certain stretches of a commercial strip fade while others thrive. The impact of race and income is implied in the graphics, but a harder, edgier look at those economic influences would have enhanced the mayor's public relations spin. That said, the Gazette is making a mighty effort to use the new technologies to reach its communities.
[IPR008]
Academy Boulevard at a Crossroads
Terence Shepherd - Miami Herald
Grove Potter - The Buffalo News
Jane Elizabeth - The Virginian-Pilot
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Doug Smith. "Sold a Nightmare." The Charlotte Observer (N.C.)
Judges comments:
This was the complete journalistic package: good writing, good presentation, compelling subject, real impact, and interactive effects that bolstered their reporting rather than simply appearing as a flashy after-thought. By focusing on how the mortgage meltdown hit one small part of the country, the reporters and editors told a story important to people not just in the U.S., but around the world, with dramatic effect. And what was good in print was even better online. Some highlights:
- The interactive map, enabling a user to get an overview of how many houses in the development were in trouble and the ability to click on individual properties and get the story behind each one was both insightful and easy to navigate. The map alone made the package stand out from the others. It wasn't just cool. It was useful. It told the story in a way words, tables of numbers or print graphics can't.
- The accompanying videos, allowing the homeowners to tell the story in their own words, were a wonderful and humanizing counterpoint to the mass of data in the package.
- A special favorite of the judges: using Beazer's annual report from 1997 to get the company on the record even though they were unwilling to cooperate with reporters. We also liked the use of the "welcome letter" and the "Beazer brochure." This was a simple, but compelling, use of the Web.
One minor quibble: it would have been nice to see one of the "fudged" mortgage applications that were mentioned in both the text and videos, since those documents were available to reporters.
[IPR005]
Sold a Nightmare
Michelle Leder - www.footnoted.org
David Reich-Hale - Long Island Business News
Dan Bigman - Forbes.com
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David Barboza, Keith Bradsher, Howard French, Joseph Kahn, Jim Yardley and the staff of The New York Times and nytimes.com. “Choking on growth: China’s Environmental Crisis.” The New York Times.
Judges' comments:
Digging into the dirt of a country without open records or a free press, The New York Times produced a remarkable series on the global consequences, and economic incentives, of China’s industrial explosion. The stories were backed by equally provocative, and lush, online graphics, maps, videos, photography, creating one of the premiere multimedia project of the year. With global warming and the 2008 Olympics as backdrops, “Choking on growth” was an unparalleled examination of the high stakes of environmental economics.
[IPR001]
Choking on Growth: Series Page
Choking on Growth: Sample Home Page treatment
Choking on Growth: Expert Roundtable
Choking on Growth: Video
Rex Nutting, Amy Hoak and Alistair Barr. "Subprime Shakedown: Will 'Lemming Loans' Drive Economy Off Cliff?" Marketwatch.
Judges' comments:
For the past few years we in the financial media knew that at some point the housing bubble would burst. No one knew when and very few were publicly imagining the fallout from that explosion. But one year ago last March - months before the headlines of a financial emergency became every day reading - MarketWatch reporters and editors had published a series that eerily foretold what the future would bring. Those who saw the series - and believed its dire warnings - were able to protect their assets by dumping bank, mortgage company and real estate stocks and getting out of variable mortgages. While the series lacked the electronic bells and whistles of some of the other entries, it was journalistically such a powerful package that it cried out to be included as one of the three winners.
[IPR009]
Subprime Shakedown: Will 'lemming loans' drive economy off the cliff?
Goodbye easy mortgage money
Subprime shakeout threatens specialists
Unlikely companies offer subprime mortgages
Art Lenehan, Anh Ly, Suzanne McGee and Chris Oster. "Keeping up with the Wangs." MSN Money.
Judges' comments:
A compelling and thorough examination, the project’s multi-faceted approach shows dedication and ingenuity in utilizing technology to transport readers into the lifestyle of China’s middle class. The package highlights the significance of the country’s growth and trends, from its Wal-Mart Stores to its beverage industry, as they apply to the MSN Money reader. It is a picture of excellence in reporting, as the team navigates the Chinese culture, and a triumph in multimedia by drawing the reader in with out-of-the-box graphics. It is the rare business story where you are engaged by a topic, enthralled by quality story telling and able to activate your own online juke box loaded with music popular with Chinese teens.
[IPR010]
Keeping up with the Wangs (Introductory page)
Land of 1.3 billion shoppers
4 Manhattans a year
What do Chinese teens want?
George Gombossy - Hartford Courant
Andrew Leckey - Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism
Greg Burton - The News Journal (New Castle, Del.)
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Bill Bowen, Jim Fuquay, Dianna Hunt, Mike Lee, Richard Stubbe and Scott Nishimura. "Barnett Shale: Drilling for Answers About the Natural Gas Boom in North Texas." Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Judges comments:
This blog offered a good example of using the Web for ultra-local reporting and how the media can deliver information to a subset of readers who care deeply about a specific topic in their neighborhoods. The blog is incredibly detailed, almost overwhelming. But there is a lot of money being made, and the people who live there are going to want that kind of information.
[IBL006]
Sept. 28, 2007 (Mandatory No. 1)
Oct. 1, 2007 (Mandatory No. 2)
Oct. 22, 2007
Dec. 7, 2007
Todd Bishop. "Todd Bishop's Microsoft Blog." Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
Judges comments:
There were interesting tidbits in there that would appeal to the Microsoft employees. It seemed like he had some fun with some of his items, such as the "Fog Index." His blog demonstrated a good example of taking beat journalism to a higher level by giving readers a window into his reporting process.
[IBL008]
Tuesday, April 19, 2007 (Mandatory No. 1)
Monday, Aug. 6, 2007 (Mandatory No. 2)
Thursday, Dec. 13, 2007
Sunday, Jan. 14, 2007
Jonathan Lansner. "Lansner on Real Estate." Orange County Register.
Judges comments:
Lansner takes advantage of the Web to deliver complex material to readers that can help them make important decisions about their business and personal lives. His blog creates a discussion and an environment where people can engage. And that's what a blog is.
[IBL023]
April 19, 2007 (Mandatory No. 1)
Aug. 6, 2007 (Mandatory No. 2)
Oct. 31, 2007 (Misery Index and The Fed acts)
Oct. 25, 2007 (Watching a wildfire)
Aaron Curtiss - Los Angeles Times
Julie Tatge - E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Ohio University
Mike Cote - ColoradoBiz
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Staff. "Deal Journal." Wall Street Journal.
Judges' comments:
Most of us are long accustomed to the Wall Street Journal beating us on our home turf when it comes to breaking M&A news. The Journal’s “Deal Journal” blog picks up on that authority and carries it beyond, with inside perspective that matters, or is funny, or provokes thought. The posts are many and crisp, every day, usually with a balance of hard news and detached viewpoint. Far from strutting the newspaper’s own considerable connections, Deal Journal gives due credit liberally. On one day, April 19, the blog credited the Dallas Morning News, Venture News, Financial News, Dow Jones Newswires, MarketBeat and the Minneapolis Star Tribune, along with three exclusives including a hilarious but respectful interview with a cosmetology school consolidator who’s just pulled off a big deal. Whether the catalyst is their own reporting or someone else’s, in every case the DJ writers add the sort of how-do-they-do-it spark of knowledge that can’t be faked with voice alone.
[IBL003]
April 19, 2007 (Mandatory No. 1)
Aug. 6, 2007 (Mandatory No. 2)
Sept. 12, 2007
March 23, 2007
Staff. "Bits." The New York Times.
Judges' comments:
The Times’ staff technology blog succeeds in a difficult balancing act by offering instant information useful to hardcore readers, while avoiding the feel of a trade journal, which plagues some blogs. Graphics, photos, an archive, profiles of writers (with pictures!) and other features all flow together smoothly. Although the blog is the work of many contributors, it holds together well in a stylish, unified tone, with the sort of outstanding analysis we expect from the Times. In one example, Louise Story used material from Moveon.org to give a step-by-step look at exactly how Facebook’s controversial Beacon system – even a feature introduced that day -- failed to protect users. Sharply critical without a hint of shrill voice, it reflected the Bits blog overall.
[IBL004]
June 26, 2007 (Mandatory No. 1 - blog launch date)
Aug. 6, 2007 (Mandatory No. 2)
Sept. 27, 2007
Nov. 29, 2007
Dwight Silverman. “Techblog.” Houston Chronicle.
Judges' comments:
Silverman’s Techblog relies on short, fresh posts, well tailored to the blogging medium. His singular, strong voice and multiple links to other writers give the reader a sense of place rather than a sense of being lost in a daily industry wrap-up. Silverman’s 15 Top Geek Movies and his Fake Steve Jobs report offer levity, the former eliciting 264 comments.
[IBL021]
April 19, 2007 (Mandatory No. 1)
Aug. 6, 2007 (Mandatory No. 2)
Feb. 5, 2007
Aug. 24, 2007
Dan Haar - Hartford Courant
Sreenath (Sree) Sreenivasan - Columbia Graduate School of Journalism
Craig Schwed - Gannett News Service
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Stephanie AuWerter and Stacey Bradford. "Smart Advice Video: Avoiding Foreclosure." SmartMoney.com.
Judges' comments:
Very clean, very straightforward. This is the kind of thing a video can convey quickly and easily. Strong enough production values for broadcast TV, and with a hard news edge.
[IAV009]
Smart Advice: Avoiding Foreclosure
SmartMoney TV (Click Smart Advice button)
Hoag Levins. "3 Minute Ad Age." Ad Age.
Judges' comments:
A good mix of pieces, and a creative way to take their top stories and tailor them for their audience. The challenge to attract online readers to video is to keep it short and compelling. The "3 Minute Ad Age" achieves this.
[IAV013]
3 Minute Ad Age, 2/01/2008
Aaron Curtiss - Los Angeles Times
Julie Tatge - E.W. Scripps School of Journalism, Ohio University
Mike Cote - ColoradoBiz
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David Pogue. "The iPhone Challenge: Keep It Quiet." The New York Times.
Judges' comments:
In the hands of a less accomplished and confident journalist, this send-up of the secrecy surrounding iPhone’s release would seem purely campy, a parody without a point. It’s campy, for sure, but Pogue manages to capture the spirit of the culture while handing viewers plenty of information to digest. Fighting off the hordes, he exclaims, "It’s AT&T only!...The battery is sealed inside!...There’s
no memory-card slot!...." Pogue even pays homage to Mossberg, a
touch of class epitomizes the whole production: intelligence shrouded in a hilarious layer of spoof.
[IAV001]
The iPhone Challenge: Keep It Quiet
John Authers. "Short View." Financial Times.
Judges' comments:
In Short View, John Authers offers authoritative insights into financial markets with pointed questions and answers on broad topics. The segment “Black Monday Remembered” asks the question -- could it happen again? -- with an answer -- no, not really -- that not only leaves room for thought, but puts the viewer close to the mindset of at least one trader who was there. Authers maps graphics in real time on the screen as he’s explaining points that can seem arcane but which take on significance through his perspective and expertise.
[IAV010]
Short View
Black Monday Remembered
What Investors Can Expect in 2008
Citigroup
Jenalia Moreno and Brett Coomer. "Olive Oil." Houston Chronicle.
Judges' comments:
The video story of an olive oil factory near Cordova, Spain is an example of a global business connecting with local readers, in this case in Texas. It is short (1:02), elegantly produced and informative without falling back on a rote "how-to" approach. Although it accompanied a print story, it stood on its own as a lively piece about a commercial bond between two places, a product of interest to almost everyone.
[IAV015]
Olive Oil From Spain to Houston
Dan Haar - Hartford Courant
Sreenath (Sree) Sreenivasan - Columbia Graduate School of Journalism
Craig Schwed - Gannett News Service
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