What's Your Favorite Media Site of 2009? #openwebawards

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It's been an interesting year for traditional and non-traditional media. The newspaper industry continued to see its ad revenue -- both in print and online -- freefall and a number of longstanding properties either closed shop or moved all content online. As publishers grapple with an uncertain future, some are using social media to stay the course, while others are planning on charging for all online content.

And while the newspaper situation seems dire, there's no shortage of good ideas and historical lessons to learn from in order for publications to soldier onward.

As traditional platforms struggle, social media tools like Twitter and Facebook are playing a larger and larger role in breaking mainstream news. As evidenced by the death of Michael Jackson, big events can often start spreading online using tools like Twitter and Facebook before hitting all traditional news outlets. In June, Twitter was far ahead of traditional news channels in terms of breaking stories and keeping Iranians connected and updated.

Video continued to evolve on the web in 2009. Users can watch more TV online now (legally) than ever before and online promotion and buzz can lead to box office gold.

Media is at a crossroads as more and more channels intersect with one another, often embodying Marshall McLuhan's famous quote, "the medium is the message."

Vote for your favorites

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Media is one of the most evolving areas of the social web and we'd like to know your choices for Best Breaking News Site, Best Local News Site, Best Online Music Label, Best Political News Site, Best Site for Publishers, Best Local Blog, Best Online Magazine, Best Online Newspaper, Best Site for Journalist and Best TV Network Online in this year's Open Web Awards.

The nominating process is simple, just visit the Open Web Awards site, sign in with Twitter or Facebook, and tell us your favorites. Nominations will remain open until 11:59 PM, ET on Sunday, November 15th.