FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 31, 2006

CONTACT:
Diana Porter
Morris DigitalWorks
706-828-4337
diana.porter@morris.com

 

Morris DigitalWorks Announces First Offshore Launch of Photo Blogging Tool

AUGUSTA, Ga. - Morris DigitalWorks announced today the first offshore launch of its photo blogging tool, Spotted.

The Royal Gazette in Bermuda has added the tool to its Web site, www.theroyalgazette.com.  Called Spotted on the Rock, it launched during the Centennial biennial Newport-Bermuda sailboat race in June.

"The Royal Gazette is a fairly heavy picture-oriented paper and the Spotted section drew over 5,000 views in its first week," said Jeff Arnst, manager of e-business at The Royal Gazette.  "Having Spotted on the Rock online in time for the Newport-Bermuda Race was an exciting coincidence as well as an added bonus.  It just happened to be ready at the most opportune time."

Spotted is an interactive photo blogging tool powered by a user-contributed format.  Newspapers develop the We Spotted area of the Web site by uploading photos of local interest.  Users who attend events are encouraged to add their pictures to the photo gallery in the You Spotted area of the site.  Photos can be uploaded online or submitted as e-mail attachments from cell phones or desktop computers.

"We are very pleased to have this opportunity to extend Spotted's reach beyond our native shores," said Michael Romaner, president of Morris DigitalWorks.  "Launching a Spotted site in Bermuda helps to validate the sustaining role we feel online photo-sharing will have in the emerging culture of user-contributed content and citizen journalism."

The Royal Gazette, founded in 1828, is Bermuda's only daily newspaper, publishing every day except Sunday and public holidays.  With daily circulation of more than 16,000 copies, the newspaper reaches more than 90 percent of the adult market.

The Royal Gazette and the Mid-Ocean News weekly, are owned by The Bermuda Press (Holdings) Ltd., which in addition to owning the island's leading media group also owns Bermuda Press Ltd., the leading commercial printer in Bermuda; office supplies companies and real estate.  Both The Royal Gazette and the Mid-Ocean News are published on www.theroyalgazette.com.

Morris DigitalWorks (MDW), the online division of Morris Communications Co., LLC, provides tools, technologies, consulting and Web development services to Morris newspapers and external clients.  For more information, visit www.morrisdigitalworks.com.