Peabodys

Question: what is the most prestigious honor for broadcast journalists?

Answer: It's not a Grammy. It's not an Emmy. And of course it's not a Tony. It's a Peabody, and many don't realize that the Peabody Awards are headquartered at the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication here in Athens. The list of past Peabody winners includes most of the legends of broadcast journalism and some of America's most well known television programming, including everything from Sesame Street to the Sopranos.

On Monday, Eric O'Brien and I had the opportunity to represent Jackson Spalding at the Peabody Awards Gala at the Waldorf=Astoria in Manhattan. It was a remarkable event for a number of reasons.

First of all, the diversity of the honorees. Everyone from 30 Rock to Project Runway to NPR were among the 30+ award winners. We heard acceptance speeches from television anchors who covered the Virginia Tech tragedy with calm, skill and dignity. We heard a moving tribute from Bob Woodruff after he was honored for his production about injured veterans of the Iraq war. And we had the pleasure of hearing from Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, and Heidi Klum (although, I must say, she had an unusual new look going on). While the winners came from across the electronic media spectrum, they all had one thing in common: absolute excellence with their craft.

The event was a first class production in every way with the glitz and glamour of your typical televised award show. It made me proud to be a supporter of the University of Georgia to see the respect and honor given to our flagship institution in New York City.

A sample of some of the media coverage is below (note my closest brush ever with Perez Hilton); notably the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Athens Banner-Herald (fair disclosure: the ABH did highlight the winners back in the spring when they were announced) have no mention of the event or its honorees. My former employer the Rome News-Tribune did a wonderful locally driven story on the event, as they typically do.

--L.A. Times
--Washington Times
--Perez Hilton
--Media Bistro story and a good summary of winners

Overall, this is a great example of another one of "those things" that the University of Georgia does that it gets very little credit for in the local community that help establish it (and by association, Athens) as a national leader.

Dawg Food Gives the Right Bark for Eats

Ever since I started school at UGA in fall 2005, my favorite characteristic of Athens has been its wide array of restaurants. Really. You can order anything in this town.

It took me a little over two years to figure out how I could thank the Athens restaurant business, and I finally found a way. In my social media class this past fall, I created Dawg Food, a blog about my dining experiences in Athens.

I thought Dawg Food would be an appropriate title, given the demographic and the area-wide obsession with Georgia athletics, and it has been quite the learning experience.

When I first started Dawg Food, I searched and searched for a Web site that mentions and reviews Athens restaurants from a real perspective. Of course, the Flagpole and the Athens Convention and Visitors Bureau contribute their fair share of restaurant information, but I didn’t find exactly what I wanted.

This told me it was my time to step up and give back to the culinary community that had filled my tummy so many times. Originally, I started Dawg Food for the UGA community, but I have slowly developed an older, more “townie” following.

People ask me, “So what do you do with it? Do you just eat and then write about it?”

I could answer with a simple “yes,” but I tend to want to make my job sound more important.

In addition to just “writing about it,” I also try to take pictures, video and interview employees. Blogs are an effective way of bringing a business off the page, and that’s what I’ve tried to do.

Wouldn’t it make you want to go to Jot ‘Em Down Barbeque if you could see an interview with one of their cooks? What about a detailed picture of blackened salmon from The Basil Press? Did you know the Bluebird Cafe serves apple butter?

I get a lot of criticism for my “too niceness.” People say I need to be more critical in my reviews. So, I have desperately tried to provide a more well-rounded view of my dining experiences- good and bad.

Just like Athens Inbox, I believe the Athens community has some qualities that set it apart from any other small town, and I want others to know about it.

So, the next time you’re hungry or are feeling indecisive about where to eat, check out Dawg Food! If you go to one of my restaurants, go back to the Web site, and write about your experience. I always welcome user comments.

Since I’m interning at Jackson Spalding this summer, you will most likely see posts from lunches with the JS crew. Stay tuned for some great reviews!