A client of Flow Communications and a staff member have been nominated for the 2008 South African Blog Awards.
The SA Blog Awards, in their fourth year, “showcase the very best of South African independent web publishing in various categories”. Voting for the top contenders in each category will take place until March 19. Winners will be announced at a ceremony in Cape Town on April 3.
Earth-Touch.com’s blog,which was designed and is maintained and updated daily by Flow, has been nominated in three categories: Best SA Podcast, Best Group Blog and Best Green Blog.
The Best Green Blog category is for “weblogs covering mainly environmental, organic or enviro-friendly related content”.
Earth-Touch.com showcases the best wildlife and environmental stories from around the world, in high definition video within a few days of it being filmed. The blog,an offshoot of the website, has regular posts of featured videos, pictures and interesting environmental facts which readers can commenton.
Flow develops content for the blog, updating the site with carefully researched information about the natural world and with personal experiences shared by the field crews, among other things.
Kate Thompson, a content developer and journalist for Flow who works on the Earth-Touch project, is excited about the nomination. “We thought we had a good chance because we work hard on original material, but I am so glad that the blog readers agree enough to nominate us.”
Thompson says that Earth-Touch.com’s blog deserves to win as “the website is constantly updated, interactive and interesting to all types of Internet users”.
Flow Communication’s media developer Richard Frank says Earth-Touch’s podcast should wow the judges. “The podcast has over 40000 subscribers which shows that there is an appetite for environmental and wildlife stories. Our podcasts are available in high definition and standard formats, so we cater for both our local and international audiences.”
Flow staff member, Jackie Bischof, has been nominated in four categories for her blog: Jackie Bischof’s Weblog.The categories are: Best Original Writing on a South African Blog, Best New Blog, Best Undiscovered Blog and Best South African Personal Blog.
Her blog was developed for an online Journalism Honours course run by Flow director Tara Turkington at the University of the Witwatersrand last year.
Bischof describes the blog as a ” collection of musings on what it is like to live and work in Johannesburg. Most of all, it’s an exploration of life in this crazy, complex and amazing city.”
Bischof says of the nomination: “I’m really surprised, but very excited! Blogging is a new adventure for me, and it’s great to be recognised for my attempts.”
Flow Communications wants to congratulate the Earth-Touch.com Blog team and Jackie for impressing the blogosphere. Go team!