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<DIV><SPAN class=bodytext><STRONG><FONT color=#004080>Rita Pyrillis is a member
of the Cheyenne River Sioux.</FONT></STRONG></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=bodytext></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=bodytext></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=bodytext>12 September 2008</SPAN><BR><SPAN
class=bodytextheadlines>Newsweek and Fedtech Writers Win PRSA 2008 Excellence in
Technology Journalism Awards</SPAN><BR><BR><SPAN
class=bodytextsubtitle></SPAN><BR></DIV><SPAN class=bodytext>
<P><STRONG>NEW YORK (Sept. 12, 2008) —</STRONG> Kindle, Amazon’s entry into the
e-book market, and bringing technology to the Navajo Nation are topics of two
award-winning articles selected at this year’s Public Relations Society of
America (PRSA) Awards for Excellence in Technology Journalism. <STRONG>Steven
Levy</STRONG>, senior editor, <EM>Newsweek</EM> magazine, was honored for
<STRONG>“The Future of Reading,”</STRONG> and <STRONG>Rita Pyrillis</STRONG>,
writer for <EM>FedTech</EM> magazine, published by The Magazine Group, was
honored for <STRONG>“IT Across the Navajo Nation.”</STRONG> </P>
<P>The awards were presented at a special ceremony in New York during the 2008
PRSA Technology Section Conference. The annual gathering attracts public
relations practitioners from corporations, nonprofit and governmental agencies,
and public relations firms from around the country. 2008 marked the eleventh
year the Technology Journalism Awards have been presented. The awards
competition is judged by an independent panel of 39 peer editors, writers and
reporters from the national general, business and trade press. </P>
<P>Levy’s award-winning article was published as <EM>Newsweek’s</EM> cover story
on Nov. 27, 2007. The story, based on the author’s role as the first journalist
to test and evaluate Amazon’s new “Kindle” electronic reading machine, and
extensive interviews with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, technologically and
physiologically describes the development as the first real substantive
improvement over the printed book, which has existed for the past 550 years.
Levy reported that the real breakthrough was its wireless conductivity. Kindle
works anywhere, not just in WiFi hot spots. “The vision is to be able to access
any book or tome or piece of writing that’s ever been in print, on the Kindle,
in less than a minute,” said Levy. </P>
<P>Pyrillis’ award-winning article, “IT across the Navajo Nation,” appeared in
the May 2007 issue of <EM>FedTech</EM> magazine, published by The Magazine Group
in Washington, D.C. The article describes the challenges and achievements of the
effort to bring the Navajo Nation up to speed in today’s computer age. Pyrillis
identified one of the biggest challenges — interpreting terms, such as computer,
keyboard and Internet — into the Navajo language. With 75 percent of the culture
speaking Navajo as a primary language, it was imperative that innovative methods
to communicate about technology be used. </P>
<P>“This year’s winners emerged from a tough competitive field of 77 entries for
work published in 2007, and each winning entry appears to be the product of
substantial investigative reporting,” said <STRONG>Joel Strasser</STRONG>, APR,
Fellow PRSA, who chairs the 2008 Awards committee and heads an independent
technology communications firm based in Brick, N.J. “Each of the two
winning entries is an exceptionally strong work that underscores great
technology reportage and writing style. Each follows a tradition of our earlier
award winners on the basis of their value to readers, clarity of communications
and significance in technical innovation and newsworthiness.”</P>
<P>Each winning entry received a cash award of $1,000, as well as a pair of
crystal award trophies presented to the winning writers and their
publishers.</P>
<P>The awards were judged by a distinguished panel of 39 peer judges, all
members of the national editorial community representing the types of journalism
practiced by each of the winners. Judges for this year’s competition were: Roger
Allan, contributing editor, <EM>Electronic Design Magazine</EM>; Eric Auchard,
chief technology correspondent, <EM>Reuters</EM>; Walt Boyes, editor in chief,
<EM>CONTROL Magazine</EM>; Bettina H. Chavanne, pentagon reporter, <EM>Aviation
Week’s Aerospace Daily & Defense Report</EM>; Nicholas Cravotta,
contributing technical editor, <EM>EDN Magazine</EM>; Esther D’Amico, managing
editor, <EM>Chemical Week</EM>; Olaf de Senerpont Domi, west coast bureau chief,
<EM>The Deal/Tech Confidential</EM>; Trisha Drape, managing editor,
Aircraft Electronics Association; Gregg Early, executive director, KCI
Communications; Nan Fornal, editor, The Home Entertainment Group; Rich Friedman,
senior editor, <EM>Storage Magazine</EM>; Paul Guinessy, senior online editor,
<EM>Physics Today Magazine</EM>; Kevin Heslin, editor, <EM>Mission Critical
Magazine</EM>; Deanne Holis, editor in chief, <EM>Computer Technology
Review</EM>; Lauren K. Hoyt, senior editor/ SEO Strategist, Tech Target
Networking Media; Dr. W. Jeffrey Hurst, co-editor, <EM>The Chemist</EM>; Saundra
Kinnaird, founding editor, <EM>Digital Times</EM>; Amy Kucharik, site editor,
Tech Target Networking Media; Glenn Letham, managing editor, Spatial Media LLC;
Don Loepp, managing editor, Plastic News, Crain Communications Inc.; Michele
Manafy, editorial director, Enterprise Group Econtent, Intranets, & the
<EM>Enterprise Search Sourcebook</EM>; Jay Nelson, editor & publisher,
<EM>Design Tools Monthly</EM>; Frederic Paul, publisher/editor in chief, Tech
Web/ United Business Media; Evan Schuman, editor, Storefrontbacktalk.com; Rob
Spiegel; John Sprovieri, editor, <EM>Assembly Magazine</EM>; David Strom,
technology editor, <EM>Baseline Magazine</EM>; Warren R. True, Ph.D., chief
technology editor, <EM>Oil & Gas Journal</EM>; Joyce Ward, CNMT, RT, senior
technical editor, ADVANCE for Imaging and Oncology Administrators; Joshua
Weinberger, managing editor, <EM>CRM Magazine</EM>; Sandra Wendelken, editor,
Radio Resource Media Group; Angela Wilbraham, chief executive officer, A-Team
Group, Timothy Wilson, editor, <EM>Tech Media Reports</EM>.</P>
<P><STRONG>About the PRSA Technology Section<BR></STRONG>The PRSA Technology
Section (<A
href="http://www.prsa.org/Sections/tech">www.prsa.org/Sections/tech</A>) is an
organization of communications professionals who develop, implement and counsel
regarding public relations or marketing communications programs for technology
companies, and practitioners who work at technology organizations or who use
emerging technologies to conduct their routine business. </P>
<P><STRONG>About the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)<BR></STRONG>The
Public Relations Society of America (<A
href="http://www.prsa.org/">www.prsa.org</A>), headquartered in New York City,
is the world's largest organization for public relations professionals with
nearly 32,000 professional and student members. PRSA is organized into 109
Chapters and 10 Districts nationwide, and 19 Professional Interest Sections and
Affinity Groups, which represent business and industry, counseling firms,
independent practitioners, military, government, associations, hospitals,
schools, professional services firms and nonprofit organizations. The Public
Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) has 296 Chapters at colleges and
universities throughout the United States, and one Chapter in Argentina.</P>
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