ABC News, Ross Win Online Award for Foley Investigation

ESPN.com, Discovery Channel Also Recognized by Online News Association

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 10/22/2007 1:27:00 PM

Brian Ross and the rest of ABC News' investigative team Friday won the 2007 Online News Association's award for investigative journalism by a major news organization for breaking and continuing reporting on the Mark Foley congressional-page scandal story.

Ross and company reported on e-mails sent to a former page by then-Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.), which led to the discovery of more instant messages to other pages and, eventually, Foley's resignation.

The ABC team beat out some stiff competition, including The Washington Post's coverage of Walter Reed Veteran's Hospital's deteriorating facilities and co-owned ESPN.com for its coverage of former National Football League player Pat Tillman's death from friendly fire in Afghanistan.

Also among the online journalism winners was Discovery Channel's Everest: Beyond the Limit for best use of digital media.

The awards are given out for outstanding online journalism by the Online News Association and the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School of Communications.