MousePlanet's Big Thunder coverage selected as finalist in Online Journalism Award

[Lani]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

MousePlanet's breaking-news coverage of Disneyland fatality selected as finalist in 2004 Online Journalism Award

Anaheim, California (MousePlanet) October 7, 2004 - MousePlanet.com, an unofficial Disney news site, was recognized by the Online News Association today for its extraordinary breaking-news coverage of last year's fatal accident at Disneyland.

When Disneyland's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad experienced a catastrophic and fatal derailment last Sept. 5, MousePlanet provided up-to-the-minute coverage as the aftermath unfolded. The Online News Association and the USC Annenberg School for Communication have recognized this coverage by selecting it as a finalist in the "Breaking News: Small Sites" category in its fifth annual Online Journalism Awards (OJAs) contest, which honors excellence in digital journalism. Judging was conducted by a team of distinguished journalists during a two-day event on the USC campus on Oct. 1-2.

"We're extremely pleased and honored that the Online News Association has recognized our work," said MousePlanet CEO Alexander Stroup. "You hope that such a terrible accident would never occur at the Happiest Place on Earth, but we felt compelled to provide focused coverage for our readers even after the mainstream TV news and newspaper crews left for the day."

The winners will be announced at the OJA Awards Banquet during the fifth national conference of the Online News Association, which will be held Nov. 12-13 at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles.

For additional information about MousePlanet, contact: Alexander Stroup or Anthony Phoenix at 714-776-7447.

The original breaking-news coverage about the accident is available at http://www.mouseplanet.com/btmrr_acc...30905btmrr.htm, and the official announcement from the Online News Association is available at http://journalist.org/news/archives/000072.php.

MousePlanet.com is an Internet magazine publishing daily content about the Walt Disney Company and its theme parks. Its Web site includes features, news, reviews and editorials. It also provides travel-planning guides, reader-submitted trip reports and hotel and restaurant reviews, as well as discussion forums where members can interact in an online community.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Anthony Phoenix
MousePlanet, Inc.
714-776-7447

http://www.mouseplanet.com

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