MyBallard recognized nationally for community collaboration

Last Updated on Sunday, 4 October 2009 07:25 Written by Steve Sunday, 4 October 2009 07:25

Seattle continues to be a national leader in the post-newspaper world. MyBallard.com, our local neighborhood news blog, just got recognized nationally. I know more about the goings on in my neighborhood than I ever have, and MyBallard is a big part of that. All my friends read it, because it is throughly awesome.

We’re excited to announce that My Ballard has just won an Online Journalism Award for community collaboration, edging out the LA Times and Miami Herald. This is an incredible and surprising honor, and the accolades go to you, our Ballard neighbors who have made this site a special place.

We’ve said from the beginning that My Ballard and the rest of the Next Door Media sites are powered by the neighborhood, not by us. While many journalists over the years have found that idea to be inferior to traditional news coverage, tonight My Ballard was applauded by a packed ballroom of journalists who recognize a new kind of community-powered news that gives the neighborhood a voice. And we have you to thank for your contributions and support.

The only downside with MyBallard is that the comment threads can have great info but can also turn into troll-fests. I think this might have something to do with them reaching an audience who hasn’t participated online in this way before. Or maybe it’s just the way the world works. DailyKos and Slashdot sometimes devolve similarly. Both have developed systems to dampen trolls. It might just be there isn’t a large enough signal to drown out the noise in a neighborhood audience.

Kudos to MyBallard. I love the reportage, and I’m really glad they were recognized nationally.