National recognition for Atacama Stories multimedia documentary

Atacama Stories, a multimedia documentary about the Chilean desert known as the driest place on Earth, won second place in the National Press Photographers Association’s Best of Photojournalism 2007 competition in the Best Multimedia Package category for independent sites.

Atacama Stories (www.atacamastories.org ) was a collaborative project among faculty and students at the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media and Chilean universities Universidad de los Ándes, Universidad Gabriela Mistral and Universidad del Desarrollo.

Knight Professor Rich Beckman was the executive producer for Atacama Stories. Assistant Professor Alberto Cairo was the project’s director of infographics. A full listing of credits for the project is available at www.atacamastories.org/credits_eng.html. Judges remarked that the photography, audio, interactive maps, and design were “top rate” and “featured fantastic interactivity and information.”

This is the second major award in professional competitions for the project in recent weeks. Atacama Stories also won second place in the Pictures of the Year International competition for small markets in the Best Use Interactive Publication category.