Baltimore Fishbowl (baltimorefishbowl.com) wins Best in Show for MDDC’s Website of General Excellence category. This award honors a news organization’s ability to connect with readers through social media and engagement, and local news coverage. Further, the sites were evaluated on the merits of navigation and design, multi-media/data visualization and mobile responsive design.
Seven nomination were received across all divisions for this award. Nominees focus on their communities of interest, providing strong local coverage while using technology to help tell their stories. More and more, news websites are integrating various platforms to present a full picture of a topic or issue. The nominees generally are reaching out to viewers with podcasts, reader-submitted content, with some highlighting the individuality and personal interests of reporters.
At all levels, MDDC members are using the technology to deepen their reporting and explain complex topics to readers. News organizations are succeeding at integrating various platforms and sharing information visually and in compelling ways.
The judges remarked on Baltimore Fishbowl’s unique look and hometown feel. It is obviously not a corporate template and the typography used gives it flavor. The news content is all local, without wire or AP copy, which is a huge accomplishment. The homepage shows the care and dedication of the staff with a nice use of color and layout. The ads are well separated from the content which keeps the editorial easy to access.
This is the first time Baltimore Fishbowl has won this award.
Here’s what the judges said about the first place winners
Division A
1st News Journal: delawareonline.com “Clean and easy to navigate” “Plays very well on mobile, with a very good experience on phone”
Division D
1st The Catholic Review: catholicreview.org “Diverse content” “Good multi-media integration” “Strong e-edition” “Airy and clean, easy to read and navigate the homepage”
Division F
1st The Newark Post: newarkpostonline.com “High impact anchor at the bottom and editorial video were successful” “Regularly updated” “Mobile version looks very good.”
