BDN has best news Web site in N.E.

BOSTON – The Web site of the Bangor Daily News was named Friday as the best New England newspaper site in the first award of its kind given by the New England Newspaper Association.

Judges selected www.bangordailynews.com as the site that best covered its community and tried to push the envelope in trying new things. It was lauded for its interactivity, strong video presence and special features, including a look at ethnic Bangor and the “great adventure” of Meg Adams to the South Pole for the “summer season.”

The award was presented Friday at the annual publishers spring meeting in Boston.

Executive Editor A. Mark Woodward said the newspaper was honored to be the award’s first recipient.

“It’s a direct reflection of the technical skill, creativity and teamwork within our Web group,” said Woodward, who accepted the award in Boston. “And it’s a reflection of their interest in serving the readers and advertisers on our site.”

Judging the award were Katie Allison Granju, senior online producer at WBIR.com in Knoxville, Tenn., and Jack Lail, managing editor of multimedia at the Knoxville News-Sentinel.

“News sites need to focus on the local, and the Bangor Daily News is,” Granju wrote in her evaluation.