WRAL.com has been honored with an Edward R. Murrow award for excellence in journalism.

RTNDA, a national professional association for electronic journalists, announced Monday, June 29, 2009, that WRAL.com had won the award for best broadcast-affiliated website among large-market TV stations (markets 1-50). Raleigh-Durham-Fayetteville is 27th in market size with just more than 1 million households.

Contest judges evaluated websites based on depth and quality content, innovation, use of audio and video, visual design, functionality and usability, interactivity and storytelling techniques.

WRAL.com, operated by Capitol Broadcasting Company’s New Media Group, qualified for the award after winning a regional competition for large-market broadcast sites earlier this year.

“This a high honor for WRAL.com,” said General Manager John Clark. “The Murrow is a prestigious national award, and it confirms that we’re giving our visitors quality news and information.”

WRAL-TV Vice President and General Manager Steven D. Hammel said, “We have a talented staff of journalists who work around the clock to keep our community informed of important news and useful information. We’re honored to be recognized for that quality work.”

RTNDA has honored outstanding achievements in electronic journalism with the Edward R. Murrow Awards since 1971. The award is named for the late broadcast journalist best known for his radio broadcasts during World War II and his TV reports that led to the censure Sen. Joseph McCarthy.

The Murrow Award is the latest in a string of awards for WRAL.com. The site also has received awards in 2009 from The Associated Press in North Carolina and the Midsouth Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. WRAL.com was a finalist for a fourth year for Editor & Publisher’s international EPpy Award for best local TV Web site.

Launched in 1996, WRAL.com is the most popular media site in the Triangle area and one of the most popular TV Web sites in the country. More than half of adults in the Raleigh-Durham metro area visit the site each month, according to The Media Audit. Only Google and Yahoo have higher market penetration rates.

Thanks to WRAL-TV’s Debbie Strange for this capcom story.