News.com won in the online category for its coverage "MSBlast echoes across the Net." The report focused on the August 2003 worm that exploded onto more than 100,000 computers across the world. The judges cited the coverage for its "informative reporting about vulnerable technology and how the virus spread."
Other recipients of the SPJ's 2003 Sigma Delta Chi Award for Excellence in Journalism included The Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, The Associated Press and Business Week magazine. In the contest, 49 winners were named from 1,350 entries.
Started in 1932, the SPJ's Sigma Delta Chi Award is one of the most prestigious national awards programs for professional journalists. It is the second-oldest national journalism awards program in the United States after the Pulitzer Prizes.
Among the CNET site's other honors this year:
News.com is a second-time finalist for a National Magazine Award from the American Society of Magazine Editors in the "general excellence online" category. The winners will be announced May 5 in New York.
News.com is a finalist for a national "Eppy" award from Editor & Publisher and Mediaweek magazines, honoring the best new media work by media companies. News.com is a finalist, along with the Wall Street Journal online and MSNBC.com, in the "Best Internet Business Service" category. The winners will be announced May 12 at a conference in Atlanta.
News.com staffers Ina Fried and Zoë Barton will be honored in a ceremony on June 22 in New York for being named to TJFR Group's 2004 honor roll. TJFR Group is a leading source of information about business journalists and business news organizations. Its coveted "30 Under 30" accolade recognizes top up-and-coming business journalists under the age of 30 who demonstrate the highest standards of professional performance. Other winners included reporters from The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Fortune and Forbes.