FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, NEW YORK, ATLANTIC AND
SPORTS ILLUSTRATED TOP LIST OF DIGITAL ELLIES FINALISTS

37 Publications to Be Honored at National Magazine Awards for Digital Media on March 18

New York, NY (March 3, 2010)—Sid Holt, Chief Executive of the American Society of Magazine Editors, today announced the finalists for the National Magazine Awards for Digital Media. Nicknamed the Digital Ellies for the Alexander Calder stabile “Elephant,” which is given to each winner, the awards will be presented at the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers in New York City on March 18, 2010.

“For nearly half a century, the National Magazine Awards have celebrated the best magazine journalism in the United States,” said Mr. Holt. “This year for the first time, ASME and the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism will recognize the outstanding work that appears on magazine-branded digital platforms by presenting National Magazine Awards for Digital Media in 12 categories.”

Held in conjunction with the Magazine Publishers of America conference “Magazines 24/7: The E-Reading Revolution,” the National Magazine Awards for Digital Media lunch will also include the presentation of the Magazine Editors’ Hall of Fame Award to the pioneering journalist and founding editor of Slate, Michael Kinsley.

One hundred eighteen magazine websites and online-only magazines entered the National Magazine Awards for Digital Media this year. Thirty-seven magazine websites and online-only magazines were nominated. Among the publications that received multiple nominations are National Geographic (5); New York (4); The Atlantic (3); Sports Illustrated (3); The Daily Beast (2); ESPN The Magazine (2); IEEE Spectrum (2); Mother Jones (2); The New Yorker (2); Newsweek (2); Runner’s World (2); and Slate (2).

Six online-only magazines were nominated: Epicurious; The Daily Beast; Life; Slate; Tablet; and Yale Environment 360.

Sponsored by the American Society of Magazine Editors in association with the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, the National Magazine Awards were established in 1966 and have long been recognized as the preeminent awards for magazine journalism. This year the awards will be presented at two events: the Digital Ellies on March 18 and the Annual Gala at Alice Tully Hall in New York City on April 22. The remaining finalists will be announced March 10.

The first National Magazine Award for digital journalism was presented in 1997; the winner was Money. ASME presented four awards for digital journalism last year: General Excellence Online, Less Than 1 Million Uniques (the winner was Backpacker); General Excellence Online, More than 1 Million Uniques (New York); Personal Service Online (Backpacker); and Interactive Feature (AARP The Magazine).

The categories and finalists for the National Magazine Awards for Digital Media 2010 are:

General Excellence, Digital Media
Recognizes editorial achievement in magazine websites and online-only magazines

The Atlantic; Martha Stewart Living; National Geographic; New York; Wired 

Mobile Media
Honors the outstanding use of mobile media, including mobile websites, mobile applications and electronic readers

Epicurious; GQ; Yoga Journal

Design, Digital Media
Honors the appearance and usability of magazine websites and online-only magazines

Billboard; The Daily Beast; Life; National Geographic; New York

Photography, Digital Media
Recognizes the use of photography that demonstrates the unique capabilities of digital media

ESPN The Magazine; National Geographic; Newsweek; Slate; Sports Illustrated

News Reporting
Honors the timeliness, accuracy and skill with which news and information are gathered and presented by magazine websites and online-only magazines

Bloomberg BusinessWeek; Mother Jones; Slate; Time; Virginia Quarterly Review

Blogging
Recognizes excellence in online reporting, commentary and criticism in the form of a blog

The Atlantic; The Economist; Foreign Policy; Mother Jones; The New Yorker

Regular Department or Section
Recognizes the distinctive voice and unified design of a department or section of a magazine website or online-only magazine

The Atlantic; The Daily Beast; Discover; New York; Sports Illustrated

Multimedia Feature or Package
Recognizes the imaginative use of interactivity and multimedia in the presentation of a single story or editorial package

 Esquire; New York; Newsweek; Poetry; Runner’s World

Interactive Tool
Honors the outstanding use of interactive tools that enable users to create or share content, participate in communities, improve the quality of their lives or enjoy recreational activities

ESPN The Magazine; IEEE Spectrum; Inc.; InStyle; Men’s Health

Podcasting
Honors outstanding audio podcasts on a magazine website or online-only magazine

Harvard Business Review; IEEE Spectrum; The New Yorker; Tablet; Vanity Fair

Video
Honors videos or video series in support of other website content or as independent news and feature stories

National Geographic; The Oxford American; Reason; T, The New York Times Style Magazine; Yale Environment 360

Community
Honors the use of proprietary content, interactive technology and social media to establish and sustain user communities

National Geographic; Runner’s World; Sports Illustrated

To view the expanded list of finalists, including links to nominated content, please click here.

The American Society of Magazine Editors is the principal organization for magazine journalists in the United States. The members of ASME include the editorial leaders of most major consumer and business magazines published in print and online. Founded in 1963, ASME works to defend the First Amendment and preserve editorial independence. ASME sponsors the National Magazine Awards in association with the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

To register to attend the National Magazine Awards for Digital Media, please go to www.magazine.org/asme.