Good news from the Green Eyeshade Awards

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Pratt City rebuilding after April 27, 2011, tornado

Photo: State Farm (CC)

Habitat for Humanity builds a new house in Pratt City on the 1-year anniversary
of the April 27, 2011, tornadoes. Storm coverage earned several finalist spots
in the 2011 Green Eyeshade Awards.

I’m pleased to announce that several journalism projects on which I worked in 2011 are part of the Green Eyeshade Awards.

The most exciting news is that Magic City Post has already won for Specialized Site – Online! The winning group of entries:

  • “Tornadoes kill dozens across Alabama; now is the time to help”
    After the frenzy of weather and news updates, waiting to take cover if needed, live-tweeting warnings and info and seeing falling debris in my back yard, I started writing this list the night of April 27. I updated needs and donations for about a week straight. Easily the most important post I wrote in all of 2011.
  • “99 things we LOVE about Birmingham!”
    A look at all the great and crazy things in town covered on the site. I had to force myself to stop at 99.
  • “Food trucks expand, organize in Birmingham,” by Jason Horn
    Jason is my favorite food writer in town, bar none, and I can read him on his own site the Messy Epicure, plus Birmingham Magazine and B-Metro. He did a smashing job on the history and the future of local food trucks in November.
  • “James Thrasher: UAB needs stadium to boost student experience”
    Not only was I blessed with a team of great writers, but I also had the good fortune to share an essay from an occasional guest. The University of Alabama at Birmingham got sucker-punched at its own trustee meeting over its campus football stadium plan. James makes an eloquent case for why the school — and the city — need such a facility.
  • “Shop Small: a yearlong experiment in supporting Alabama merchants”
    Talking to my friend and former Post-Herald colleague Carrie Rollwagen is always a joy. Getting her on camera for this look at her blogging project Shop Small was one of my favorite videos.

My former site is also a finalist for Best Blog – Online, with the same group of entries as above. The other finalists are:

My story for Black and White (my first in more than 15 years) is a finalist in Technology Reporting – Non-dailies. “Twisters, Twitter and You” explains how social media helped save lives and connect strangers in Alabama’s greatest time of need following the deadly April 27 storms. The other finalists are:

Two Birmingham media outlets are also finalists: The Birmingham News in three categories and CBS 42 in one category. (The full list is included below.) The winners will be announced Tuesday.

Update June 15: We won Best Blog – Online! And my Technology Reporting – Non-dailies story took third place. [More Alabama winners.]

I previously won second place in Humorous Commentary – Online for Wade on Birmingham in the 2007 Green Eyeshade Awards, the nation’s largest and oldest regional journalism contest. Eleven states in the Southeast participate in this competition from the Society of Professional Journalists.

Complete list of 2011 Green Eyeshade Award winners

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