Miami, May 23, 2007

I'm happy to announce that Placeblogger.com has won one of the Knight 21st Century News Challenge Awards. read more

Through the Knight 21st Century News Challenge, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation pledged to invest up to $5M to fund an array of projects aimed at using digital technology to transform how news is delivered online. The awards were announced today at Editor & Publisher Interactive in Miami.

Placeblogger.com, the largest directory of local blogs on the web, was launched on January 1, 2007. Founder Lisa Williams developed the site as a way to understand the scope and growth of community sites that allow the residents of a neighborhood, city, town, or region to connect and grow the civic conversation. Built on open-source technology in partnership with The Center for Citizen Media and Bryght, a leading developer of community sites, Placeblogger surfaces thousands of items from local communities every day. The site allows visitors to find nearby blogs and subscribe to blogs across their city or region.

As one of the winners of the Knight 21st Century News Challenge, Placeblogger will recieve funding for two years to develop and enhance its technology and fund the site's continuing expansion and operation.

I'm grateful to the many people who gave very generously of their ideas, encouragement, and time to bring Placeblogger to this point. My thanks to:

Evan Williams | Dave Winer | Susan Mernit | Dan Gillmor | The Center for Citizen Media | Jay Rosen | Meg Spohn | Boris Mann | Richard Eriksson | Kris Krug | David Ayre | Barry Parr | Jarah Euston | Jessica Baumgart | Erica George | The Berkman Center for the Internet and Society | Tish Grier | Jory Des Jardins | Elisa Camahort | Lisa Stone | Jane Eisner | Jan Schaeffer