Content of the Year Winners

The 4th Annual People's Media Awards are complete, and we at AC are proud to announce our five Content of the Year winners. These spectacular pieces aren't just the best of 2009; they stand among the best content we've ever had the privilege of publishing on AC.

Each of the five winners will receive $500.00 and, of course, lifelong bragging rights. Congratulations to all!

Galapagos Islands Threatened by the Wrong Kind of Tourism -- Brad Sylvester

This article takes on an unusual, compelling subject and its author goes above and beyond in his research. Brad Sylvester interviewed an expert and seamlessly incorporated the interview into his article.

Speech, speech!

Confessions of a Bone Collector -- Rochelle Connery

Talk about unique! This is a quirky personal narrative that you wouldn't find anywhere else on the web or in print media. Rochelle Connery takes readers on a funny, slightly grotesque tour of her unusual hobby.

Speech, speech!

Challenge for Metro Detroit Charities: Fewer Donors, More People in Need -- Michael Thompson

Michael Thompson's news writing is on par with that found in any major newspaper. Thompson's interviews, statistics and opinions create a striking snapshot of working America during a recession.

Speech, speech!

A Widow's View on the U.S. Health Care Debate -- B.L. Boitson

B.L. Boitson shares painful memories of her late husband's battle with cancer, and in the process illustrates that the health care debate isn't a matter of black and white or good versus evil.

Speech, speech!

Coping with a Child's Cancer Diagnosis -- Maria Roth

Maria has written several articles about her daughter's leukemia, but this selection was particularly poignant and useful to other families in the same situation. Far from being morbid or depressing, Maria's writing about her daughter's cancer treatment showcases the Roth family's strength and positivity.

Speech, speech!

But wait!

There's more!

I know I said we'd chosen five pieces as Content of the Year, but there's still a sixth award to announce.

Say Yes to Happiness -- Betty Malone

Betty Malone, a contributor who was very active and much loved in our community, sadly passed away on November 17, 2009. We're honoring her memory and her impact on our community with a special memorial award. Betty never got to write the biography she'd often talked about, but this article stands as a testimony to the challenges she overcame and her unique insight into the human condition. We'll make a donation in her honor to BeTheMatch.org and we're gathering loving memories of Betty from our community to share with her family. If you'd like to share your favorite special memory of Betty, please send a private message to me (AC Jelena).

Congratulations to all the winners, and here's to a great 2010 in the AC Community. Don't forget to check out our contributors of the year, too!

Associated Content 2008 People's Media Award Winners

We are very excited to announce the winners of Associated Content's 2008 People's Media Awards.

In every category, we evaluated a diverse list of talented finalists before settling on this year's distinguished honorees. It is with great pleasure that we present the following winners, who exemplify the spirit of AC's publishing platform and content community.


Content Producer of the Year

Sabah Karimi

The prolific and multi-talented Sabah Karimi is the winner of AC's top award this year. Throughout nearly three years of active participation on AC, Sabah has published over 2,000 articles on topics like e-commerce, fashion, travel and social media, which have accumulated more than three million page views overall. Her contributions to the AC Community are also numerous. Beyond her consistently supportive presence on AC, her tireless advocacy of her fellow CPs reaches deeply into the World Wide Web. On her personal blog, The AC Weekly (formerly known as The AC Daily), she profiles other CPs, rounds up some of the best AC content, provides insightful publishing tutorials and reports on the latest AC news. By harnessing social media tools like Facebook and Twitter, she's projected her positive messages even further. Visit Sabah's profile, check out her content and congratulate her on becoming the 2008 Content Producer of the Year!

Read Sabah's Acceptance Speech
View Sabah's Acceptance Video


Articles of the Year

Carol Bengle Gilbert: "Obama Advocates Change at Leesburg, Virginia Rally"

Angie Mohr: "Ending an Abusive Marriage: Important Financial and Emotional Advice"

Christopher Cudworth: "Coping with a Cancer Diagnosis"

Our 2008 Articles of the Year awards honor two of AC's most accomplished Content Producers (Carol Bengle Gilbert and Angie Mohr) along with one rising star (Christopher Cudworth). Each inspiring article evokes common and highly topical themes -- channeling hope and empowerment in periods of crisis. These authentic, original voices embody the AC spirit, eloquently translating personal experience into poignant information for the good of their audience. Be sure to read each extraordinary piece, and take some time to peruse all three of these talented writers' rich and diverse libraries of content.

Read Carol's Acceptance Speech

Read Angie's Acceptance Speech

Read Christopher's Acceptance Speech


News Provider of the Year

Connie Wilson

Throughout 2008, Connie Wilson demonstrated extraordinary commitment to covering politics for AC, professionally and ceaselessly writing about the year's biggest story: the presidential election. From campaign barnstorming in Iowa in January to Barack Obama's celebration in Chicago in November, Connie was often on scene, interviewing campaign workers and maneuvering her way into one-on-one chats with politicians. She traveled cross-country for AC, most notably to Denver and St. Paul for both parties' conventions. All along the way, she contributed an enormous number of detailed, fresh and engaging stories.

Read Connie's Acceptance Speech


Videographer of the Year

Greg Reese (aka "Greg Reese from Cincinnati")

In 2008, Greg Reese set out to "unite the political parties with hip hop," and his clever odes to Barack Obama, John McCain, Joe Biden and Sarah Palin certainly succeeded in bridging that gap. He took Associated Content by storm with infectious, affirmative rap videos about presidential politics, business moguls and even the AC publishing process. He also took his video camera around town and provided fascinating firsthand coverage of local events in his native Cincinnati. Stay tuned for more catchy, creative and informative videos from Greg Reese in 2009.

Watch Greg Reese's AC Tribute Video


Audiocaster of the Year

Judlyne Lilly Gibson (aka "Second Street Dreams")

Judlyne Lilly Gibson is a seasoned journalist with both radio and television experience, who began publishing professional-grade and highly informative audiocasts on AC in '07 using the name of her audio production company, Second Street Dreams. Since then, she has expertly tackled a wide range of topics over the AC airwaves - from entertainment and the Internet to politics and spirituality. Judlyne expertly engages her subjects in insightful, entertaining interviews that address all sides of the issues and events she covers. Follow her dynamic audio stream to stay in the loop!

Listen to Judlyne's Acceptance Speech


Top Performing Content

Mark Whittington: "John McCain vs. Barack Obama on the Issues"

Steve Thompson: "Common Causes of Left Side Stomach Pain"

Pam Gaulin: "4th of July Fireworks in Massachusetts 2008"

The recipients of this year's Top Performing Content awards were published by experienced Content Producers (including 2007's CP of the Year, Pam Gaulin) who possess an expert understanding of how to create effective and search-friendly content for the Web. Each timely, informative article has attracted a large volume of traffic since its publication, and showcases "best practices" in three of AC's leading content categories -- politics, health and local coverage.



Congratulations again to all of the winners of the People's Media Awards! Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication in 2008, we can't wait to see what 2009 brings from each of you!

The 2008 People's Media Awards from Associated Content

Courtesy of AC_Lisa

We are excited to announce the categories for the 2008 People's Media Awards - Associated Content's 3rd annual awards program, which recognizes and rewards the achievements of some of the most exceptional content and Content Producers on AC.

Please help us out by nominating worthy recipients in the Forum. All winners will be chosen by AC staff with input from our community of CPs. We'll be collecting nominations throughout December and announcing the winners in January 2009.

Content Producer of the Year

Prize: $2000

Criteria: A prolific and gifted Content Producer who published outstanding content and reached a wide audience in 2008.

Past winners: Pam Gaulin (2007) and Timothy Sexton (2006).

Post your nominations here.

Articles of the Year

Prize: 3 winners; $500 each

Criteria: Insightful, unique and poignant content published on AC in 2008. Display Only content is not eligible.

Last year's winners: Michelle Devon, Rosa Hayes and Jean Riva.

Post your nominations here.

News CP of the Year

Prize: $500

Criteria: A prolific and plugged-in CP who supplied AC readers with a year's worth of professional and topical news content.

Post your nominations here.

Videographer of the Year

Prize: $500

Criteria: A CP who published striking, original video content in 2008.

Post your nominations here.

Audiocaster of the Year

Prize: $500

Criteria: A CP who published striking, original audio content in 2008.

Post your nominations here.

Top Performing Content

Prize: 3 winners; $100 each

Criteria: This award provides a special bonus to the authors of three pieces of content that received large amounts of traffic in 2008. Winners will be determined based on 2008 page-view data.

We'll be collecting and reviewing nominees throughout December and announcing the winners in January 2009, so start nominating your favorites CPs and pieces of content!