The Alliance of Area Business Publishers presented 112 Editorial Excellence awards to newspaper and magazine business periodicals this weekend during its three-day annual Summer Conference in Des Moines.
The divisions were revised this year to include fewer Magazine/Newspaper only categories and put an emphasis on core journalism categories to showcase more of the journalistic excellence. Divisions include Design, Journalism, Online and Best of Show.
Design categories
Best cover: magazine
This a daring choice for a cover photograph about Dallas tech, but the results are fantastic. It feels like it should illustrate a Hollywood issue or a fashion story. Sophisticated type treatment integrates with a strong, distinct nameplate. Muted colors contrast well with the bold red.
Best feature layout: magazine
Gold: Columbus CEO; “Data Hotspot: City’s Critical New Sector”; Yogesh Chaudhary
Clever design details, and use of a progressive, eye-popping color palette made this layout feel appropriately “techie.” Color also related well to the equally bright and colorful photography. The close attention paid to the typography and typefaces were noted and appreciated. Making headlines resemble code added a nice touch. Overall, the design was deftly handled and complemented the story well.
Best overall design: magazine
Gold: D CEO Magazine; Hamilton Hedrick
D CEO does it all. Typography and decks are sophisticated, and designers seamlessly and consistently integrate illustrations, graphics and photography throughout the magazines. Art and data are combined well in the many strong infographics. Portraits are fun, making readers stop to take time with the story, such as the barefoot entrepreneur in “The Software Giant.” Finally, the stellar article “The New Faces of Dallas Tech” impressed judges with its fresh visual style.
Best front page: newspaper
Gold: Crain’s Cleveland Business; “The Right Mix”; Rebecca R. Markovitz
This cover is choreographed perfectly. The irregular round shape contrasts nicely against the white page format. The decision to use the expert illustration in a dominant position is perfect and was a bold decision that creates a powerful impact. It is evident great thought went into the design, the shape and the text.
Best feature layout: newspaper
Gold: Crain’s Chicago Business; “Goodbye Moto”; Jason McGregor, Michael Arndt and John Pletz
In what may be the first use of a graphic novel format in a business journal, Chicago explains the rise and fall of Motorola. It’s an innovative use of the format. Researchers have found that graphic novels, when used to explain real things and events, leave a longer impression in readers. The color scheme and the variety of box sizes add to the success.
Best overall design: small tabloids
Gold: San Fernando Valley Business Journal; Sally Jones and Tia Seifert, Kristin Skaggs-Kirby
This is a buttoned-down publication. The fundamentals—such as spacing, labeling and typography—are consistent. The front-page feature windows are enticing and interesting. The end-of-theyear photo package recycled used and unused photos from throughout the year. It was presented beautifully. The high quality paper and printing shows off every design decision nicely.
Best overall design: medium/large tabloids
Gold: Crain’s Chicago Business; Jason McGregor, Thomas J. Linden, Karen Freese
Crain’s Chicago Business is a great book from front to back with consistent attention to detail and design fundamentals throughout. The covers are well executed with large, impactful imagery that still leaves room for secondary stories. Lead art for the major stories is sharp, smart and played for impact. A highlight is the clever graphic journalism approach to the Goodbye Motorola story – engaging, surprising and nicely done. Other notable packages include the large and small dog visual metaphor for the big and small story; the strong charts, maps, charts and photos for the schools story; the map illustration for the craft brews story; the concept and execution of cool workplaces; and the Facebook case study. Readers also benefit from a lively editorial page with topical editorial cartoons.
Best use of photography/illustrations
Gold: D CEO Magazine; Hamilton Hedrick
The variety and quality of D CEO’s submission made it a clear winner. The portraits for “The New Faces of Dallas Tech” were unexpected, taking a softer approach than a traditional tech story. They had the tasteful, ethereal feel of post-processed photographs, in the style of fashion photography. Likewise, the portrait of Fehmi Karahan surrounded by blurred bodies is wonderfully conceived and used. D CEO uses illustrations equally well, most notably “Critical Condition,” which is conceptually strong and engaging.
Online categories
Best bylined commentary
Gold: Georgia Trend; “Business Casual”; Susan Percy, writer, Neely Young, editor, Ben Young, editor
As its name suggests, “Business Casual” explores important societal and business matters with a conversational style that makes it easy to read and accessible. Ms. Percy is unafraid to take on topics such as race that stir readers’ emotions and challenge them to think hard about their perspectives.
Best use of multimedia
This is a fresh way to approach a complicated issue. The graphic-novel has a very “of the moment” feel to it, and its format also forces the content to be fed in bite-sized pieces. A long narrative of Motorola’s downfall wouldn’t have been as entertaining. The option to go through with audio on or off and not lose any content makes a real difference for an audience that might be reading this at their desk in a crowded office.
Best daily email
Gold: Business News; Charlie Gunningham, Elton Swarts
Excellent use of images plus easily scannable headlines and readouts give a full picture of the day’s business news that is extremely comprehensive. The email really sets up someone to get the day started in the Australian business community.
Best specialty newsletter
Gold: Business News; “Business News Weekender”; Charlie Gunningham, Elton Swarts
Business News Weekender lets readers review the week’s top business news through a clever interface. Subscribers can listen to a podcast while they wade through a variety of news, analysis and networking tools. Particularly impressive is the customization functionality that gives the reader control over what they see, hear and read.
Journalism categories
Best scoop: small
Gold: Des Moines Business Record; Kent Darr
This scoop gave readers an advance look at an $85 million proposal for a 32-story residential tower and movie theater in downtown Des Moines. Lots of detail and pertinent comments from key players.
Best scoop: medium
Gold: Hartford Business Journal; Greg Bordonaro
Good source cultivation by the journal’s editor paid off with a page-one story revealing the identities of leading Connecticut business executives who invested in a start-up TV media company that promised glamour but instead collapsed.
Best scoop: large
Gold: Greater Baton Rouge Business Report; Stephanie Riegel
Report editor Riegel didn’t give up when the LSU public relations office wouldn’t respond to questions about the future of football coach Les Miles. So she tracked down the university president and got an exclusive explanation of how and why the decision to keep the coach was made. Local competitors and national media were forced to follow and credit the Business Report.
Best feature: small
Gold: Business North Carolina; “Palate Loader”; Matthew Burns, David Mildenberg and Ben Kinney
This is much more than a story about Golden Corral. The writer infuses the piece with rich context – about obesity in America, about franchising and about the buffet restaurant business. Sidebars add complementary detail, and this well-written and deeply reported feature truly engages.
Best feature: medium
Gold: Hawaii Business; “Our Water World”; Lavonne Leong
With thorough reporting, helpful graphics and compelling photos, this exhaustive feature brings to light the intricacies and issues related to fresh water in Hawaii. The history, the challenges, the costs, the management – it’s all here in this wonderfully executed package.
Best feature: large
Gold: Florida Trend; “The Cuba Factor”; Jason Garcia
Kicking off with a first-person narrative that grabs the reader, this extensive feature covers a lot of ground as is examines the economic possibilities of a reopened Cuban market. With thoughtful and well-reported writing, it answers a lot of questions about business sectors to watch.
Best personality profile: small
Kinney
In the land of NASCAR, Gene Hass is betting a billion dollars that his team can crack the Grand Prix. This is a comprehensive look why Hass and his team and attempting to make the jump to Grand Prix racing and why they just might be able to pull it off from a North Carolina headquarters. Graphics add a lot and make the statistics easily digestible.
Best personality profile: medium
Gold: Virginia Business; “A New Look”; Richard Foster, writer
A compelling profile about former CIA master of disguises, Bob Barron, who has now re-purposed his skills to help cancer survivors, accident victims and the disabled. This is a rich source whose story is told with equally rich writing and scenes.
Best personality profile: large
Gold: Crain’s New York Business; “Parking lot and storage king of New York is looking for an heir”; Daniel Geiger, writer; Jeremy Smerd, editor
Manhattan Mini Storage is a name known by every New Yorker, partly because of the company’s sarcastic, audacious ads. But this story profiles the man who created the business, Jerry Gottesman and how he’s trying to sift through family politics to chart his company’s future. The resulting narrative is hard to put down.
Best body of work, single writer: small
Gold: D CEO Magazine; Matt Goodman
Goodman’s authoritative, engaging reporting on the business of health care informs and entertains. He deftly uses court records to untangle complicated stories, draws readers in with compelling anecdotal leads and keeps their attention with seamless writing.
Best body of work, single writer: medium
Gold: Virginia Business; Jessica Sabbath
Kudos to a journalist who can show how real people are affected by such a seemingly nebulous concept as the Export-Import Bank. Sabbath’s highly accessible stories offer clear explanations and strong descriptions, allowing the average reader to join her in becoming an expert on her topics.
Best body of work, single writer, large
Gold: Crain’s New York Business; Aaron Elstein
A master storyteller, Elstein immerses readers in the worlds and characters he introduces. What might be a dry business story in one writer’s hands becomes a fascinating tale with amazing details and context whether Elstein is writing about meatpackers, a church group or the JFK Airport.
Best recurring feature: small
Gold: D CEO Magazine, “Bottom Line”; Steve Kaskovich, Glenn Hunter
A knowledgeable voice, thoughtful analysis and superb editing elevate this column to must-read status. The topics are well-chosen and bound to resonate with a sophisticated audience — from subprime auto loans to the billionaire funding research for his own degenerative disease.
Best recurring feature: medium
Gold: BizTimes Milwaukee, “Real Estate Spotlight”; Corrinne Hess
Extensive reporting and capable writing take this real estate column to the level of excellence. Each column deftly weaves financial and market data with elements of history, architecture, trends and lifestyle. The result is an expansive look at an always fascinating subject.
Best recurring feature: large
Gold: Florida Trend, “ICON”; Art Levy
Surprising characters and their answers to terrific questions populate this wonderful column. The NFL linebacker, the famous entertainer and the alligator wrestler become real and accessible when you learn about their childhoods, their faith, favorite food and the way they raise a family. These interviews are just brimming with humanity, compassion and wit.
Best coverage of local breaking news: small
Gold: Columbia Regional Business Report; “Flooding disaster leaves Midlands in misery”; Chuck Crumbo, Chris Cox, Matthew Clark, Licia Jackson
The staff of the business report recognized immediately that a weather disaster would have far-reaching implications in the state, and they reacted both efficiently and effectively. Rolling news reports paired with sensible advice about insurance, unemployment assistance and service interruptions kept the
publication at the forefront of the story.
Best coverage of local breaking news: medium
Gold: Central Penn Business Journal; “Walgreens-Rite Aid merger”; Roger DuPuis, Larry Portzline
Central Penn Business Journal owned the breaking story about the merger of Walgreens with the locally based Rite Aid drugstore brand. By assembling graphics, data, history, reaction and impact, the publication surrounded the topic quickly and comprehensively.
Best coverage of local breaking news: large
Gold: Indianapolis Business Journal, “Anthem’s $54.2 billion merger with Cigna”; J.K. Wall, Scott Olson, Jared Council, Mason King
The extensive multiplatform coverage of the Anthem-Cigna deal is an outstanding example of maximizing the potential of breaking news. The level of detail and analysis showed authority, and the reach for impact was a model of smart sourcing.
Best investigative reporting: small
Gold: D CEO Magazine; “The Shocking Collapse of Dallas’ Go-Go Luxury Hospital Chain”; Matt Goodman, Glenn Hunter
The reporter pieces together the demise of a high-end hospital chain by tapping into documents and internal company emails. The compelling narrative writing keeps the reader interested in a complicated story.
Best investigative reporting: medium
Gold: Arkansas Business; “Goodson’s New Game”; Mark Friedman, senior editor
Friedman mines court documents to show how local plaintiff’s’ lawyers attempted to keep certain class-action lawsuits out of federal courts, violating the spirit of a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling. The reporter breaks this complex story down in a way that’s easy to digest.
Best investigative reporting: large
Gold: Crain’s Chicago Business; “Running on Empty”; Kristen Schorsch, reporter, Jason McGregor, graphics editor
Top-notch work by Schorsch in uncovering a critical glut of hospital beds in Illinois. Her analysis of state hospital data gave her solid footing in reporting on the vacancy rates. Visualizations from graphics editor McGregor help present the story in more detail, as does a searchable database of all the state’s hospitals’ data.
Best explanatory journalism: small
Gold: D CEO Magazine; “Critical Condition: When Ebola Hit”; Matt Goodman, Glenn Hunter
The social and medical drama of an Ebola outbreak at a hospital in Texas provides the narrative drive for this gripping account set against the backdrop of management changes at the hospital. Original reporting and strong sourcing anchor this accessible account written with authority and clarity.
Best explanatory journalism: medium
Gold: Hartford Business Journal; “CT’s Silver Tsunami”; Greg Seay, Matt Pilon, Brad Kane, John Stearns, Greg Bordonaro
Great example of ‘what’s happening’ versus ‘what happened’ journalism. This adventure in demographics turns on personal perspectives and unusual angles overlooked by others.
Gold: Crain’s Chicago Business; “What Went Wrong? The Illinois Pension Disaster”; Dave McKinney
An engaging and definitive autopsy of how the Illinois pension system came unraveled. McKinney takes the reader by the hand in this original report as he methodically unpacks a complex and long-standing problem one step at a time. The result is a valuable contribution to the public conversation.
Best local coverage of a national business/economic story: small
Gold: Twin Cities Business; “All In: Hiring Women Executives”; Liz Fedor, writer
Studies have shown that companies with better gender balance, which generally adds women to the executive ranks, do better on the bottom line. This piece lays out the compelling rationale for hiring more female leaders, while focusing on local companies and their progress. This goes beyond daily needs to take a needed step back to look at industry trends.
Best local coverage of a national business/economic story: medium
Gold: Virginia Business; “A Comeback for Ex-Im Bank”; Jessica Sabbath, writer
Several publications looked at what would happen if the charter for the U.S. Export-Import Bank was not renewed, but this story really brought it home. In plain speak, it details the story of a distiller who risked payment after the Ex-Im charter expired. This piece contributed to better understanding of why and how the controversial federal bank exists.
Best local coverage of a national business/economic story: large
Gold: Crain’s Detroit Business; “When ALICE’s problems become your problems”; Lindsay VanHulle, writer
The working poor are trapped, and this piece pulls back the curtain on the daily stresses that undermine low wage workers in staying employed. This is an examination of workers described as ALICE (asset-limited, income-constrained, employed) and how that class of working affects the national economy. This series of stories pulls back the lens to show that the churn of these low-wage workers cost companies. It’s also prescriptive on how help for low-wage workers, including transportation and childcare, has a bigger economic payoff.
Best ancillary publication: small
Gold: D CEO Magazine, “Real Estate Annual,” Christine Perez, Hamilton Hedrick
The annual real estate report from D CEO covers an impressive array of topics, including millennials and workplace design. “The Top Real Estate Stories of the Year” opens the book with solid writing and design. Overall, it has clean design, packaging and typography as well as contemporary content.
Best ancillary publication: medium
Gold: BizTimes Milwaukee, “WisconsinBiz” BizTimes Staff
The writing and topics overall are strong in this publication, with a mix of staff written and sponsored reports. It has well-thought out packages and is visually strong. The education section is deep and solid, providing massive insight into the state’s current status, progress and plans for the future.
Best ancillary publication: large
Gold: Crain’s Detroit Business, “Detroit 2.0”; staff
Crain’s “Detroit 2.0” is solid gold from start to finish with good leads and solid reporting and engaging photos and design. The table of contents is lively and comprehensive, offering strong navigation guide to readers. The key feature bringing this ancillary publication to the top spot is the “Waiting for New Life” pullout graphic, which is terrific.
Best editorial: small
Gold: Worcester Business Journal; “Baker, Legislature Need to Encourage Large Solar Installations;” Brad Kane, Peter Stanton
This entry presents the nuanced case for a long-term approach for public support for solar power. Solid reporting on the complicated subject of solar power contributes to that nuance. And the editorial makes clear that Massachusetts, as with the rest of the United States, still needs to find ways to provide incentives for solar power, especially when compared to early solar adopters such as Germany.
Best editorial: medium
Gold: Virginia Business; “Diversity is good for business”; Bernie Niemeier
Opening his editorial with the artful use of a personal, anecdotal narrative, Bernie Niemeier calls forth his 1960s experiences as a Richmond schoolboy newspaper carrier in a time of racial and societal tumult. He uses specific, telling details to take the reader to a place and a time. Then, with clarity he draws a direct line to today’s racial and cultural strife. In doing so, he argues that equal opportunity fosters innovation and makes “both economic and social sense.”
Best editorial: large
Gold: Florida Trend; “More Than Water”; Mark Howard
In prose that’s clear and compelling, Mark Howard outlines why the water supply for Florida remains the single most important issue for the state as it grows beyond 20 million residents. He uses the rhetorical strategy of a striking sense-of-place comparison: arid Israel with lush Florida. In this way, he points to innovative strategies that provide a template for water supply sustainability and economic growth.
Best of Show categories
Most improved publication
Providence Business News took a giant leap from its previous design to a new look that’s filled with light, content, context and a crisper presentation. The most striking change is the switch from a newspaper-style cover to a magazine layout, adding emphasis to a strong cover story. And the nameplate has been modernized as well, making an attractive display. The Table of Contents reflects a major improvement with more details and visuals to help readers make their way through content.
Best website
Gold: Crain’s Chicago Business; staff
Readers of Crain’s Chicago Business can see that the site is not just trying to be Chicago’s best source of business news; they are working to be the city’s best overall news source. The website is a lively, engaging and well-organized collection of business and city news. The home page is a curated must-read for Chicago residents, but the real depth of this site is revealed behind the drop-down menus. Here readers find a collection of news, politics and opinion stories that is hard to match.
Best magazine
Gold: D CEO Magazine; Glenn Hunter, Christine Perez, Hamilton Hedrick, Matt Goodman and Lauren DeLozier
The unexpected visuals and compelling stories of D CEO make for a strong magazine that is smartly edited and has a solid sense of place. This is a clean, attractive publication with a great balance of personality-based stories and in-depth features.
Best newspaper: small tabloids
Gold: Daily Herald Business Ledger; Kim Mikus, editor; Rich Klicki, director of content development; Rick Kirby, design/copy editor
In addition to writing strong stories, this publication adds interesting and relevant facts via helpful infographics. Each page is well designed and allows the eye to move easily through the sections. The publication also does a good job of showing the city’s diversity with faces and stories within each issue.
Best newspaper: medium/large tabloids
Gold: Los Angeles Business Journal; Staff
A strong mix of photos, graphics and art begins on the covers and carries on throughout the book. There are entry points on each page, and those pages are filled with some of the best writing in the competition. The story and display hierarchy is easy to follow. It shows that the editors and staff work to understand their audience and to deliver highly relevant material.
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