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E-mail Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2008 > April > 02 > Entry
It’s been a good ride for GOTB
Just a quick note to pass on some more good news about the blog. Last night, GOTB was named Best Blog for 2007 by Cox Newspapers, the company that owns the Dayton Daily News.
This is another very nice honor for this blog. Cox owns about 40 newspapers, big and small, across the country. The company has been a leader in Internet journalism and boasts several hundred blogs, and among them are many very, very good ones. Our flagship paper, the Atlanta Journal Constitution, has more than 60 blogs, for instance, including several excellent ones. And our own DDN website has at least a dozen outstanding blogs among its online offerings.
This is GOTB’s second journalism award this year and fourth overall. I have always said the key ingredient that makes this blog interesting is the particular community of intelligent readers and thoughtful commenters that are regulars here. It was particularly gratifying this time to see the judges specifically cite quality reader comments as a reason for making the award.
So once again, congratulations to YOU. Here are the judges’ gracious comments about GOTB:
“Scott Elliott’s “Get on the Bus” blog puts local education in the broader context with fearless posts that address kidnapping, sex education, race and other issues that face Dayton and the rest of the nation.
Elliott brings focus to these issues with a unique blend of facts and observation. His post on kidnapping included statistics that put the chances of kidnapping in context to being struck by lightning and other singular events. His post on racial division included a history of “white flight” and a post about challenges to Dayton schools revealed the emotional story of “Ciara” a child unable to speak at a public school. Each post is as compelling as it is unique.
In short, Elliott sees larger stories in the commonplace events of our lives. Equally as important, the audience responded with insightful and thought-provoking comments far beyond any other entrant in this category. Some of the posts ran about as long as Elliott’s original, building upon points he had made.”
Permalink | Comments (7) | Post your comment | Categories: Journalism
Comments
By Connie E
April 5, 2008 12:00 PM | Link to this
Congratulations, Scott! I’ve been an avid reader from the beginning, though have to admit I have slacked off a bit lately. I will try to do much better to stay on top of reading every day. You deserve all the honors—your stories are always great.
By Scott Elliott
April 3, 2008 11:48 PM | Link to this
Sorry about the headline. I didn’t realize it would read that way. I have no plans to give up the blog anytime soon.
By Riverdale Ghost
April 2, 2008 10:50 PM | Link to this
Like Rich, based on the headline I, too, thought the message would be an announcement of the end of the weblog. (Crap. Another one gone. Alla time it keeps happening.) You’ll have to work on your headlines a bit.
By Colleen
April 2, 2008 7:55 PM | Link to this
Scott, I read 35-40 education-related blogs daily and GOTB is consistently among the best.Congratulations.
By Mark
April 2, 2008 3:57 PM | Link to this
Well done, Scott! And I do like Mary’s ideas: An ownership piece in Cox, a handsome pay raise, an editor’s position, your own education section daily, your own staff …
By Rich
April 2, 2008 2:38 PM | Link to this
Congratulations, Scott. You choose good topics, and present issues in honest ways that provoke plenty of interesting comments. Have to admit, though, when I read this item’s title, I was afraid your GOTB blog was ending, and it upset me! Glad to see that wasn’t the case after all.
By Mary
April 2, 2008 2:27 PM | Link to this
Congratulations, again Scott. However, I still think the blog, itself, is more important than the awards. Have you got enough certificates to wallpaper your office yet? Do they give you Cox stock or a payraise? Are you editor yet? What about getting your own section of pages every day about education? Your own staff? Just some ideas to throw out. I guess recognition has some intrinsic rewards, anyway.