Webby Honoree: "The Cigarette Diaries"

I grew up loving Ken Burns documentaries and many of my early pieces for NEWSWEEK were heavily influenced by Burns' style.

At the time, most of Newsweek’s video was produced as Web accompaniments to magazine articles. One of my job duties was to listen to the stories being discussed in editorial meetings, and ideate pitches for their multimedia companions online. For the release of Ken Burns’ "The War", Newsweek.com published diaries kept by a World War II vet during his German captivity—many of which were written on the backs of paper wrappers from cigarette packs. I jumped at the chance to bring the written word to life in a video profile of the former soldier, while paying homage to the famed documentarian. The series was designated a 12th Annual Webby Honoree for Documentary Series.

On Sept. 13, 1944, the B-24 with bombardier Second Lt. Frank J. Pratt was shot down by the Germans over Poland. The vet looks back at the diaries he kept in captivity—many of which were written on the backs of paper wrappers from cigarette packs.

On Sept. 13, 1944, the B-24 with bombardier Second Lt. Frank J. Pratt was shot down by the Germans over Poland. The vet looks back at the diaries he kept in captivity—many of which were written on the backs of paper wrappers from cigarette packs.

On Sept. 13, 1944, the B-24 with bombardier Second Lt. Frank J. Pratt was shot down by the Germans over Poland. The vet looks back at the diaries he kept in captivity—many of which were written on the backs of paper wrappers from cigarette packs.