HamletHub Founder Wins Connecticut Press Club Award

Kerry Anne Ducey, Editor in Chief of the HamletHub news website in Ridgefield and sister sites in communities throughout Connecticut, has won a prestigious Connecticut Press Club Award for original journalism published to the Web. Ms. Ducey will accept her award at a Connecticut Press Club dinner ceremony honoring the 2012 winners on May 8, from 6 to 9 pm, at the Shore and Country Club in Norwalk. 

The press club award, the first for HamletHub, puts a spotlight on the Ridgefield-based news site, which won after less than three years in existence and is defining a new kind of online journalism. Ms. Ducey’s prize puts her in the company of established winners like Morris Media Group, Moffly Media and print and online publications from around the state.

HamletHub (www.hamlethub.com) is a network of “hyper-local” sites that provide locally sourced news about a community. Ms. Ducey, a Ridgefield resident, launched the first “Hub” in 2009 as a blog initially called “Ridgefield Talk of the Town.”  The site quickly earned a cadre of loyal visitors and sold out its advertising positions. Ms. Ducey, working with talented local editors, began launching new HamletHub sites in other towns, presently including Redding, Bethel, Danbury, Newtown, Easton, Wilton, Norwalk, Fairfield, Westport, Stamford, Darien, Greenwich, Wethersfield – all in Connecticut – and Garden City, N.Y., and the list keeps growing.

 “What began as a small blog has become a phenomenon – a new kind of online community journalism written exclusively by and for local residents,” Ms. Ducey said. “We empower people to tell their own stories. HamletHub has proven to be an effective vehicle for delivering local news. It gives businesses a much-needed platform to market efficiently, connects residents to their town, and brings awareness and support to charities and town governments. ”

Ms. Ducey’s award is for her article, “Living the Message of Faith, Hope and Charity,” written about The Reverend Robert Ross, Chaplin of Wooster School in Danbury. It was a winner in the category of Electronic Communications Feature Article Written for the Web. 

At the awards dinner on May 8, the Press Club will honor Charley Monagan, author and Editor-in-Chief of Connecticut Magazine, and present him with the 11th Mark Twain Award. Admission for the evening is $45 before May 1, or $50 at the door. For tickets, please call (203) 968-8600.

To reach Ms. Ducey for information about HamletHub, contact press@hamlethub.com