The Baltimore Banner (thebaltimorebanner.com) wins Best of 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.
The entries were judged by journalism professors and graphic design professors at Loyola University of Maryland.
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 commented that the site had very good design hierarchy so the organization is easy and logical for the reader. Additionally, the use of color helps different elements stand out without overwhelming the reader or making the page too cluttered. There was important news information on the landing page and the site was easily navigated to other articles, and the advertising placement did not overwhelm or confuse the reader. The sliding tabs to find headlines for the counties was particularly well done.
This is the first time The Baltimore Banner has won this award.
Here’s what the judges said about the first place winners
Division A
1st The Baltimore Banner: thebaltimorebanner.com “thoughtful design” “easy to navigate”
Division B
1st The Daily Record: thedailyrecord.com “excellent choice to have the accessibility button right on the landing page and to provide a variety of options to read the site, for those who require them.” “Overall solid organization and usability.”
Division C
1st The Catholic Review: catholicreview.org “impressively modern design that is uncluttered and very easy to read” “overall good use of color to help with navigation and understanding” “ The logo for the Archdiocese on the landing page is an important act of transparency.“
Division E
1st Delaware Seaside Bride: delawareseasidebride.com “beautiful photography and careful organization make a very appealing site” “advertising that seems likely to be important content keeps the theme nicely” “highlighted couples show a nice variety of people“
Division F
1st Capital News Service Wire: cnsmaryland.org “Very well-organized site with clearly labeled material and great use of color and design hierarchy to make for a positive reader experience” “The choice to develop and label sections of content by type is great and interactivity with the different stories that lift when the cursor rests on them is appealing.“
