Jodie Mozdzer & Eugene Driscoll run the Valley Independent Sentinel.
Reporters from three news websites published by the Online Journalism Project — the Valley Independent Sentinel, the Branford Eagle, and the New Haven Independent — won awards Thursday night from the Connecticut Society for Professional Journalists.
SPJ initiated a new category this year in its annual awards competition. Called “web independent,” the category includes internet-only news sites that have sprung up around the state, such as OJP’s sites, Westport Now, Credible, and Fairfield County town sites run by the Patch.com chain.
All entries were judged by professional journalists outside of Connecticut.
OJP’s awards ranged from coverage of the Annie Le murder and East Haven police profiling of Latinos to a look at the sale of Ansonia’s Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. (Click on the play arrow to watch Jodie Mozdzer’s video about the effect on the community.)
The awards were presented at the annual dinner Thursday night at Fantasia in North Haven.
The following is a list of all winners in the independent web categories.
Branford Eagle Editor Marcia Chambers.
WEB INDEPENDENT : BREAKING NEWS COVERAGE
(1) The murder of Annie Le; newhavenindependent.org; Marcia Chambers; Melissa Bailey; Paul Bass; Thomas MacMillan
(2) Praying for him at the morgue; valleyindependentsentinel; Eugene Driscoll
(H) Tragedy on Fifth Street; valleyindependentsentinel; Eugene Driscoll
WEB INDEPENDENT : GENERAL EXCELLENCE
(1) westportnow.com; westportnow.com; David Matlow; Gordon F. Joseloff
(2) Valley Independent Sentinel; valleyindependentsentinel; Eugene Driscoll; Jodie Mozdzer
(H) East Haven racial profiling claims; newhavenindependent.org; Thomas MacMillan
WEB INDEPENDENT : ONLINE FEATURE
(1) Generator tested: Neighbors concerned; valleyindependentsentinel; Jodie Mozdzer
(2) Recession slams middle class; branfordeagle.org; Sally E. Bahner
(H) The green thumb of Short Beach; branfordeagle.org; Diana Stricker
WEB INDEPENDENT : VIDEO STORYTELLING
(1) Ansonia church for sale, Memories not included; valleyindependentsentinel; Jodie Mozdzer
For a full list of print and broadcast winners, visit www.ctspj.org.