Texas Tribune Nabs Two Edward R. Murrow Awards

For a fledgling nonprofit effort still in its first year, the Texas Tribune has done a stellar job covering Texas politics with a mix of online reportage, data porn and offline events—and it appears that people are paying attention.

The site was today awarded a pair of coveted Edward R. Murrow Awards in their "Online News Operation - Local" category. Elise Hu, who previously served as KVUE's political reporter before joining the Tribune as one of their first hires, was recognized for best "Use of Video" for her ongoing series, Stump Interrupted, which overlays traditional (and often soporific) political stump speeches with zany factoid bubbles and quirky clipart (a la VH1's Pop-Up Video). TexasTribune.org as a whole was awarded the second-ever "Best Non-Broadcast Affiliate Website," which recognizes sites that exemplify an ideal blend of news coverage, innovation, and use of Internet technologies.

Congratulations, guys! We've reposted a few episodes of Stump Interrupted after the jump, featuring Governor Perry, Bill White, and former contenders Hutchison and Shami. You can read Editor-in-Chief Evan Smith's post about it here.

Kay Bailey Hutchison: