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JDLand.com Among Finalists for 2008 Knight-Batten Awards for Innovation in Journalism
Washington, DC - Aug. 6, 2008 - JDLand.com, the web site chronicling the redevelopment of the Washington, D.C., neighborhood near the new Nationals baseball stadium, has been named one of the four finalists for the 2008 Knight-Batten Awards for Innovations in Journalism.
The panel of judges said of JDLand: "This site houses an incredible wealth of information, and it's especially impressive for a one-person effort."
JDLand uses "before-and-after" photos, news aggregation, and original reporting to inform readers about the latest commercial, governmental, and social happenings in "Near Southeast" Washington. Topics covered in detail over the past year include the construction and opening of Nationals Park and 2007 makeover of the Frederick Douglass Bridge. A photo archive containing more than 8,000 images shows the changes that have come in just a few years to this 100-block neighborhood one mile from the U.S. Capitol.
Jacqueline Dupree, JDLand's creator, reporter, photographer, and webmaster, wrote about the award in a post today: "I'm beyond thrilled that my work as a neighborhood blogger has been recognized as one of the many innovative approaches to journalism bubbling up on the web--I guess the lack of sleep has been worth it. It's also a pretty cool (and ironic) award for someone who ditched journalism school way back when because she couldn't stand going to public meetings."
Excerpts from JDLand have been published in the Washington Post's District Extra since May 2007. When not keeping an eye on Near Southeast, Dupree works as an application developer in the Post's Newsroom Information Technology department.
The finalists will present their sites at a symposium on Sept. 10, 2008, at the National Press Club. The Knight-Batten Foundation will then award the $10,000 Grand Prize, two $2,000 Special Distinction awards, and a $2,000 Citizens Media award. See the list of finalists and honorable mentions for more information about all of the projects being honored. The Knight-Batten Awards honor creative uses of new technologies to engage citizens in public issues and showcase compelling models for the future of news.
More about JDLand.com:
http://www.jdland.com/about.cfm
JDLand blog entry about this award:
http://www.jdland.com/dc/index.cfm?id=2648
Knight-Batten Press Release:
http://www.j-lab.org/kb08release_aug.shtml
This release is available on the web at:
http://www.jdland.com/dc/08knightbatten-1.cfm
(Note: On September 10, 2008, JDLand was awarded the $2,000 Citizen Media Award.)
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