By Chris Metinko, The Chauncey Bailey Project

The Chauncey Bailey Project won three significant awards this past weekend from two notable journalism organizations.

The project, a collaboration of two dozen news organizations to investigate the 2007 killing of Oakland Post Editor Chauncey Bailey, took top honors at the Online Journalism Awards dinner, winning the Knight Award for Public Service and the Investigative Journalism Award in the Small Site Category.

“We were all extremely proud to be a part of the Chauncey Bailey Project,” said Robert Rosenthal, who served as the project’s executive editor and is executive director of the Center for Investigative Reporting. “It’s especially meaningful to be honored by your peers, and we are proud to be part of the team that investigated this story.

“We want to thank the Online News Association for shining a light on the importance of quality investigative journalism in America and congratulate everyone who worked so hard to deliver a story with such impact.”

The project also received a special recognition award from the Bay Area Black Journalists Association, the organization’s first ever Community Service Award.

“To receive this award the same night (Bay Area news legend) Belva Davis was honored was very special,” Oakland Tribune Editor Martin G. Reynolds said of the BABJA award. “This collaboration showed despite difficult times in the news business, investigative journalism is still alive.

“I am proud this newspaper dedicated the kind of resources it did and am grateful to the many individuals and organizations who worked so hard to make the Bailey Project a model for the future.”

The project had not submitted an entry for the Knight Award; however, contest judges nominated the project for the award.

Knight Foundation judges stated, “The Chauncey Bailey Project is absolutely exemplary — a type of investigation that we wish more organizations could pursue. Its role is necessary, the reporting great.”

Maynard Institute President Dori Maynard, who has strongly supported the project, called the recognition fabulous.

“If the Chauncey Bailey Project had not existed, the people we believe are responsible for his murder might not be held accountable for what they did,” Maynard said. “This project has solved a murder, created a new model and won some awards. It’s amazing.”

The Chauncey Bailey Project is a coalition of Bay Area reporters, editors, photographers, researchers and artists from the following participating agencies: Bay Area News Group; Bay Area Black Journalists Association; CBS 5; Center for Investigative Reporting; Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc.; KCBS-AM; KGO-AM; KGO-TV ABC 7; KQED Public Radio; KTVU-TV; Maynard Institute for Journalism Education; National Association of Black Journalists; New America Media; New Voices in Independent Journalism; Oakland Post, San Francisco State University Journalism Department; San Francisco Bay Guardian; San Jose State School of Journalism and Mass Communications; Sigma Delta Chi Foundation; Society of Professional Journalists — Northern California Chapter; UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.