Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Business Of Detention Website Nominated for Webby Awards!

The Business of Detention project has been nominated for best student website in the 13th Annual Webby Awards!

If you haven't checked it out, please do.  It is one of the most thorough investigations of the role of private contractors--especially the Corrections Corporation of America--out there.  They use amazing graphics and interactive design to great effect.  Please support them!

The Business of Detention project was created by reporters Renee Feltz ('08) and Stokely Baksh ('08), while graduate students at Columbia University's Graduate of Journalism. The purpose of their project was to create an innovative way to present the business of privatized immigration detention management — using solid reporting skills in a 4-part print story and pairing that up with video, audio and interactive info graphics.  The project became the first investigative-new media project for Columbia and has since won the Melvin Mencher Award for Superior Reporting and James A. Wechsler Award for National Reporting, and been a finalist for the SxSW Interactive Award.

Please visit http://pv.webbyawards.com to vote for us to win the People's Choice Award for best student category -  under 'Websites' and then 'Connections' and then 'Student.' You can vote until April 30th. Winners will be announced on May 5th.

Pass this along and tell your friends, family, and students!