Congratulations to Prof. David Rummel for his 2012 Online Journalism Award nomination of “Punched Out: The Life and Death of a Hockey Enforcer,” a multimedia project he oversaw for The New York Times.
“Punched Out” tells the story of the NHL player Derek Boogaard, who moved up the ranks in the Canadian Western League and was groomed to be an “enforcer” – a role that, sadly, led to his untimely death at the age of 28 due to an accidental overdose of prescription medication and alcohol.
Rummel helped set up the video unit of NYTimes.com, and this three-part series was the final project he worked on before coming to teach at UBC’s Graduate School of Journalism.
The OJA, presented by the Online News Association, is the top award for multimedia journalism in North America. “We are so proud to have our faculty recognized in this emerging field of journalism,” said Peter Klein, Director of the Graduate School of Journalism.
Last year, a UBC student project, “Cheap Shrimp, Hidden Costs,” was nominated for an OJA.
“Punched Out” is nominated for an ONA in the large feature category. The project documents both the life of Boogaard and the scientists who analyzed his brain in order to examine the role that repeated head trauma and resulting chronic pain played in his addiction to prescription painkillers.
This is the second nomination “Punched Out” has received. It was also nominated for an Emmy Award, in the digital media category.
