LititzDailyNews.com won four top honors in the 2016 America East Digital Media Contest, including Best Overall Digital Experience for the second year in a row.
The independent, woman-owned digital newspaper was published by one photojournalist who wrote all of its original content, shot most of the photos, managed the social media accounts and sold the ads. Community members contributed photos, videos and news tips.
“A distinct creative vision”
“I am honored that LititzDailyNews.com has been recognized once again for its commitment to providing Lititz readers the best experience in digital media, and I praise God for this accomplishment,” said Lynn Rebuck, editor and publisher. “I set out with a distinct creative vision for a news site, and it’s been truly remarkable to see its reception.”
The publication had received 12 awards since it began publishing in fall 2014, including a national 2015 EPPY Awards honorable mention for Best Photojournalism.
The winning categories
Along with Best Overall Digital Experience, the site won first place for Best Use of Video, Best Use of Multimedia and Best Overall Use of Social Media, in two divisions. Judges with broad digital publishing experience selected winners using detailed criteria. It was the first year the site’s videos received separate America East recognition.
“I share these awards with the members of the community who have contributed to the success of LititzDailyNews.com, including those who have contributed amazing cutting-edge videos,” Rebuck said.
Video stories published that year had been viewed more than 6,400 times. They included a reader-submitted drone video of sledding on a local hill and an aerial video of the town’s Fourth of July fireworks shot by two local pilots.
Galleries that drew readers
The multimedia category judged creative use of video, photo galleries, slideshows and graphics, as well as community involvement and ease of use.
Popular galleries that year included prom and graduation selfies and coverage of the Star Wars premiere in Lititz, the Fourth of July celebration, the U.S. Women’s Open, the Community Days air show and the Fire and Ice Festival. Sledding on Bomberger’s Hill and the recurring feature “A Walk in the Park,” which caught visitors enjoying Lititz Springs Park, were also reader favorites.
“From a little girl’s spontaneous choreography at an outdoor Christmas caroling event, to a local car dealer’s dream of flying a Navy jet, LititzDailyNews.com seeks new ways to use multimedia to tell the stories of long-established events in the community,” said Rebuck, who published video to the site’s YouTube channel and broadcast live from events on Periscope.
Social media and the White House
Social media was another strength. The site won Best Use of Social Media for the second straight year for its Facebook, Twitter and Instagram feeds, which had more than 3,500 combined followers.
In October 2015, Rebuck was invited to the White House on the strength of the site’s Instagram account to photograph the building on a special tour. She was one of only 40 photographers from around the country invited to the social media event.
Competing above its weight
Although LititzDailyNews.com entered the division for news websites with fewer than 50,000 average monthly unique visitors, it also won first place in Division II, for sites with up to 250,000.
“It is truly an honor to receive this recognition, especially in light of the larger and distinguished publications against which we competed,” Rebuck said.
The awards were presented at a ceremony on April 4, 2016. LititzDailyNews.com is published by Lititz Media Group LLC.
About America East
The America East Digital Media Contest is run by the America East Newspaper Association, a regional organization serving news publishers in Pennsylvania and neighboring states. Its annual awards recognize innovation in digital news, from websites and mobile apps to video and social media.
This article was originally published in March 2016.