Choose or Lose 2000

2001 Batten Award Honorable Mention “Choose or Lose 2000” MTV Networks, New York, NY For “Choose or Lose 2000: I’m a Candidate,” “Choose or Lose 2000: Where Were You at 22?” and “Choose or Lose 2000: Sex Laws,” fun and provocative pieces on the cost of running for Congress, what the presidential candidates did when […]

Election Guide 2000

2001 Batten Award Honorable Mention “Election Guide 2000” America Online Inc., Dulles, VA For its innovative “Election Guide 2000,” a one-stop election shopping site with local voter guides organized by ZIP code, polls, virtual candidate debates, issues charts and a “Presidential Matchmaker” that matched voters and candidates on the issues. The guide was done in […]

The New Face of Minnesota

2001 Batten Award Honorable Mention “The New Face of Minnesota” St. Paul Pioneer Press, St. Paul, MN For “The New Face of Minnesota,” a vibrant and interactive chronicle of the immigrant experience in Minnesota. It included polls in five languages and useful things to do, such as book clubs. More than 3,000 attended community discussions […]

On the Verge

2001 Batten Award Honorable Mention “On the Verge” Portland Newspapers, Portland, ME http://20below.mainetoday.com/press/verge/ For “On the Verge,” a fresh and compelling look at teen life that broke free of stereotypes and resisted adult influences. Using pizza parties, disposable cameras and hours of conversations with teens, it reflected the authenticity of a group of citizens not […]

Moment of Truth

2001 Batten Award Runner-Up “Moment of Truth” Chronicle-Tribune, Marion, IN www.chronicle-tribune.com For “Moment of Truth,” an unflinchingly honest airing of a larger community narrative that grew out of reaction to a routine “First Baby of 2000” story. The article featured newborn twins of a poor biracial couple with numerous children. An editor’s reflection on the […]

Unrealized Assets

2001 Batten Award Runner-Up “Unrealized Assets” The Eagle-Tribune, Lawrence, MA www.eagletribune.com “Unrealized Assets,” an energizing 10-part series that lifted a city’s struggle with crime, drugs and political corruption beyond hopelessness and into the world of possibilities. It demonstrated a real sense of affection for the community that bypassed boosterism and focused on doable solutions. Steve […]

West Virginia After Coal

2001 Batten Award Winner The Herald-Dispatch, Huntington, WV and West Virginia Public Broadcasting www.wvaftercoal.org For West Virginia After Coal an ambitious and interactive effort to engage the entire statein confronting realities of a declining industry. It built multiple entry points had strong online component that fostered wide community involvement. also demonstrated potential moving beyond simple […]

2001 Introduction

2001 Batten Awards and Symposium Media and Democracy: Civic Journalism in a Digital Age Introduction By Jan Schaffer Executive Director Pew Center for Civic Journalism   Evolution. Seven short years ago, when the James K. Batten Awards were launched, civic journalism was often defined by its use of citizen voices in polls and town hall […]

Brainstorm with us…

Publications Cracking the Code: Creating New Lifelines between Journalists and Academics Brainstorm with us… If you are a journalist, suggest an area/topic you would like researched in your newsroom. Why? If you are an academic, what topic would you like to examine? Why? E-mail your question or comments or print out this form and send […]

A Vision for the Future

Publications Cracking the Code: Creating New Lifelines between Journalists and Academics A Vision for the Future The group brainstormed several new ways to partner in worthwhile research ventures and to disseminate useful information. The hub of their ideas was the creation of a central clearinghouse that would function in a number of ways. As a […]