Salon's first nomination is for "General Excellence in Online Journalism: Original to the Web." This category honors a Web site that "successfully fulfills its editorial mission, effectively serves its audience, maximizes the unique abilities of the Web and represents the highest in journalistic standards."

Salon was also nominated twice in the category of "Enterprise Journalism: Original to the Web". This category honors those stories that either break news or are based on a reporter's own exclusive investigations.

Salon reporter Dan Forbes, in his investigative piece "Prime-time propaganda" ( http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2000/01/13/drugs/ ), revealed that TV networks, in exchange for financial incentives, cut deals with the White House Drug Office to insert anti-drug messages into popular programs like "E.R." and "The Drew Carey Show."

The story provoked an outcry in the press and soul-searching in the TV industry, and after initially denying such an arrangement existed, the White House changed its policy.

Salon reporter Dave Cullen was also nominated in the same category for his reporting on the Columbine High School massacre. His piece "Columbine martyr" ( http://www.salon.com/news/feature/1999/09/30/bernall/ ) revealed that the Colorado press knew the truth about student Cassie Bernall's killing, which became the basis for the bestselling book "She Said Yes," but chose not to publish it.

"We're very proud of being nominated by OJA's distinguished panel of journalists," said Salon editor-in-chief David Talbot. "Salon's work, and that of our fellow nominees, demonstrates that the Web has come of age as an important news medium."

The winners will be announced Friday, Dec. 1. For more information on the conference go to http://www.journalists.org .

About Salon
Founded in 1995, Salon.com is a leading Internet media company that produces a network of 12 award-winning, original content sites; maintains Salon Shop, an e-commerce gateway; and hosts two communities -- Table Talk and The WELL. In May 2000, Salon acquired MP3Lit.com, the pioneering Web site offering quality spoken word and audio literature recordings. In October, 2000, Salon.com launched Salon Audio, a site offering 24 hour music programming, daily downloads and streaming audio from Salon's favorite columnists, as well as hundreds of downloadable versions of short stories, poems and interviews in MP3 and Real Audio formats. Over 450 companies have advertised on Salon.com including IBM, Lexus, Microsoft, EDS, AskJeeves, Virgin Megastore Online, Kimberly Clark, and Intel. In December 1999, Salon.com announced a content and equity agreement with Rainbow Media Holdings, Inc., a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corporation and NBC. Strategic distribution partners include America Online (AOL), Reuters, TheStreet.com, CNN.com and CNET as well as wireless innovator AvantGo. The site had 2.5 million unique visitors in June 2000 as audited by ABC Interactive, a subsidiary of the Audit Bureau of Circulations

SOURCE Salon.com