TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Dateline Alabama, the news web site of the College of Communication and Information Sciences at The University of Alabama, received five awards — two first places, a second and two third places — in the 2003 Society of Professional Journalists’ recent Mark of Excellence competition in Tampa, Fla.

The site is operated by C&IS’s journalism department and is an integral part of the department’s curriculum. Dateline Alabama was launched as a prototype web site under the name of Alabama Journalist during the week of Feb. 14, 2000.

Dateline Alabama claimed first place in the online category of Spot News Reporting for its 2002 package on the resignation of former UA president Andrew Sorensen. The site also was named second best independent online student publication.

Current Dateline Alabama staff members Kathleen Penton and Emily Kornegay each received individual awards for outstanding writing. Penton was named 2002 national first place winner in the Online Opinion and Commentary category. Kornegay won third place in the Online Feature Writing category for her article “City Café remains small town success.” UA claimed third place in Television Sports Photography for John Huddleston’s work “Warriors on the Warrior,” about the UA crew team.

The 2002 Mark of Excellence awards were selected from more than 2,000 collegiate entries from newspaper, radio, television, photography, magazine and online student work.

Dateline Alabama provides a publication outlet for the best work of students studying journalism and mass communication in the College; it also allows the College to present the best work of faculty, alumni and others. The site receives technical support from Northstar New Media. NNM provides Dateline Alabama with this technical support and the ARK Content Management System, the database publishing program that is the engine behind Dateline Alabama.

The College of Communication & Information Sciences is among the largest and most prestigious communication colleges in the nation.

C&IS has graduated more than 12,000 students and consistently is ranked among the top 10 in number of doctoral degrees awarded and in many of its research programs. C&IS graduates have won four of the six Pulitzer Prizes awarded to University of Alabama alumni, and the forensics and debate squad, housed within the College, has garnered 14 national championships.