European Online Journalism Awards
The finalists for the European Online Journalism Awards have been announced and the winners will be revealed next Thursday, 3 July at a gala ceremony in Barcelona. BBC News Online is a finalist in an extraordinary 13 of the 20 categories, but when one considers the depth and breadth of the BBC output, that's not so surprising. For the first time the awards include a category for "News Weblog of the Year" and among the nominees are the Guardian Unlimited blog, Weblog de Volkskrant and our personal favourite PaidContent.org.
With its subtitle "the economics of content", PaidContent.org is the work of is Rafat Ali, a business/technology journalist based in London. His CV includes stints as managing editor of Silicon Alley Reporter, section editor for Venture Reporter magazine and digital media reporter at Inside.com. His beats during those days were venture money in the online media industry along with online content business models, and he established a reputation as a writer of quality and a reporter with impeccable contacts.
His blog is a marvel. The design is clean with lots of subtle graphic elements that enliven the page and the range of material available is impressive. It all runs on Moveable Type as well, proving once again that this free content management system is a match for anything on the market today.
Want to read Rafat Ali on your PDA or cell phone? No problem, he's got the appropriate version for you. Then there's the content. Crisply written and always stimulating it ranges across the media spectrum and around the globe. An example:
"Ricky Martin's Album Debuted on Cellphones in S Korea: This is absolutely fascinating: The new Ricky Martin album (he's still around?), released on Sony Music, was debuted not in US or Puerto Rico, but in South Korea, on cellphones! On May 13, six days before the release worldwide, South Koreans downloaded cuts from the CD to their mobile phones. So far, a total of 100,000 downloads of Ricky Martin's music, videos and photos have been made in Korea, according to Sony Music."
We'll be keeping our fingers crossed that PaidContent.org gets the "News Weblog of the Year" award next Thursday night in Barcelona.
Diarist of the day: John Evelyn, 24 June 1690"Dined with and visited Mr. Pepys, Mr. Stuart and other friends. Mr. P sent the next day to the Gate-house, and severall greate persons to the Towre, on suspicion of being affected to K James: amongst which my Lord Earle of Clarendon, unkle to the Queene. Mr. Pepys was the next morning imprisoned. "
