Vermont Business Magazine was honored with three national journalism awards earlier this summer. The Alliance of Area Business Publishers (AABP) presented a total of 116 Editorial Excellence awards to newspaper and magazine business periodicals on June 29, 2019, at the closing celebration of its three-day annual Summer Conference in Atlanta, GA.
These are the highest journalism awards available to regional business publications.
VBM won a Gold award (first place) for a piece by C.B. Hall on a national story that he broke in which the president of Amtrak suggested that rural service – in Vermont and elsewhere – could be cut if expensive upgrades in communications were not made (Amtrak could suspend Vermont service, 2/23/2018). The reaction to this news in many congressional districts has kept the service on track, literally.
Another story which VBM broke won the second Gold award, as authored by Timothy McQuiston. The story was on Vermont’s fragile, rural cell phone service called CoverageCo. Underfunded and the victim of cell carrier in-fighting, it ultimately failed. But in March 2018 when the first of several VBM stories appeared, it was still hanging on by the thinnest of fibers (CoverageCo rural cell service could go dark, 3/16/2018. Stakeholders cautiously hopeful for ‘new’ CoverageCo, 10/14/2018).
But not all of VBM’s winning stories were dire. Maia Segura, now with Marlboro College, penned a story on treehouses. But not any backyard treehouse. These are tiny palaces in the sky, which offer the adventurous traveler a promised-for “something wild.” Almost. The story (Treehouse Masters adds roots to Vermont’s eclectic hospitality options, 10/9/2018) was one of VBM’s most popular in both print and online.
“Winning three Alliance awards is a phenomenal accomplishment,” VBM Publisher John Boutin said. “I congratulate all three authors. With so many warnings about the demise of long-form journalism, it is alive and well right here in Vermont. I couldn’t be more proud.”
This is the second time VBM has received three awards in the same year and the second time in just the last three years.
With 511 entries from 41 publications in the US, Canada and Australia, the competitive field was both impressive and diverse.
As in past years, the most popular categories were Best Feature and Best Explanatory Journalism. This year, submissions for Best Ancillary Publication and Best Scoop also topped the list, with superb pieces from writers in all circulation categories.
“The high-quality journalism being done by these publications keeps readers thoroughly up-to-date and, importantly, includes a lot of data, context and historical perspective that are especially important as truth increasingly gets drowned in a flood of social media snippets,” said Reuben Stern, who coordinated the judging by faculty members at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. “The winning entries once again combine solid research, great sourcing, excellent on-the-ground reporting, deep community knowledge, and creative thinking.”
By uncovering news of business expansion and related economic impacts, keeping an eye on how public dollars and tax incentives are allocated, and providing guidance for businesspeople trying to navigate a host of modern complexities, regional business publications continue to offer a vital information resource in print and online.
The annual AABP Editorial Excellence competition recognizes excellence in journalism, photography and design achieved by regional business publications. Twenty-four judges, faculty members from the University of Missouri School of Journalism, bring their expertise to the selection process.
Some highlights from this year’s awards include: Best Magazine to Hawaii Business; Best Newspaper: Small Tabloids to Greater Wilmington Business Journal; Best Newspaper: Medium Tabloids to BizTimes Milwaukee; Best Newspaper: Medium Tabloids to Crain’s Detroit Business; Best Cover: Magazines to Hawaii Business; Best Front Page: Newspapers to Crain’s Cleveland Business; Most Improved Publication to Hartford Business Journal; Best Website to Crain’s Chicago Business; Best Daily E-mail to Business North Carolina; and Best Specialty E-newsletter to Indianapolis Business Journal. A complete list of award winners and the awards presentation can be found at www.bizpubs.org/awards.
Headquartered in Norwalk, CT, the Alliance is a nonprofit national organization representing 55 independent magazine and newspaper members in the United States, Canada and Australia. For more information about the visit www.bizpubs.org.
2019 EDITORIAL EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS
DESIGN CATEGORIES
1. Best magazine cover
Bronze: Insight on Business
Silver: Twin Cities Business
Gold: Hawaii Business
2. Best feature layout – magazine
Bronze: Florida Trend
Silver: Twin Cities Business
Gold: Hawaii Business
3. Best overall design – magazine
Bronze: Business North Carolina
Silver: dbusiness
Gold: Hawaii Business
4. Best front page – newspaper
Bronze: Crain's Chicago Business
Silver: Crain's New York Business
Gold: Crain's Cleveland Business
5. Best feature layout – newspaper
Bronze: Crain’s Chicago Business
Silver: BizTimes Milwaukee
Gold: Crain’s Cleveland Business
6a. Best overall design: small tabloids
No bronze or silver award.
Gold: Greater Wilmington Business Journal
6b. Best overall design: medium tabloids
Bronze: Mainebiz
Silver: San Fernando Valley Business Journal
Gold: BizTimes Milwaukee
6c. Best overall design: large tabloids
Bronze: Indianapolis Business Journal
Silver: Crain’s Detroit Business
Gold: Crain’s Chicago Business
7. Best Use of Photography/Illustrations
Bronze: D CEO
Silver: Crain's Chicago Business
Gold: Hawaii Business
ONLINE CATEGORIES
8. Best use of multimedia
Bronze: Des Moines Business Record
Silver: Indianapolis Business Journal
Gold: Crain’s Chicago Business
9. Best daily email
Bronze: Journal of Business
Silver: Des Moines Business Record
Gold: Business North Carolina
10. Best specialty e-newsletter
Bronze: Crain’s Detroit Business
Silver: Des Moines Business Record
Gold: Indianapolis Business Journal
JOURNALISM CATEGORIES
11. Best scoop
SMALL
No awards.
MEDIUM
Silver: Hartford Business Journal
Gold: Arkansas Business
LARGE
Silver: Indianapolis Business Journal
Gold: Crain’s Detroit Business
12. Best feature
SMALL
Silver: Vermont Business Magazine
Gold: Corridor Business Journal
MEDIUM
Silver: BizTimes Milwaukee
Gold: Worcester Business Journal
LARGE
Silver: Crain’s New York Business
13. Best personality profile
SMALL
Silver: The Business Journal, Fresno
Gold: dbusiness
MEDIUM
Silver: Columbus CEO
Gold: Rochester Business Journal
LARGE
Silver: D CEO
Gold: Florida Trend
14: Best body of work, single writer
SMALL
Silver: GSA Business Report
Gold: dbusiness
MEDIUM
Silver: Twin Cities Business
Gold: Business North Carolina
LARGE
Silver: Baton Rouge Business Report
Gold: Crain’s New York Business
15. Best recurring feature
SMALL
Silver: dbusiness
Gold: Insight on Business
MEDIUM
Silver: BizTimes Milwaukee
Gold: Biz New Orleans
LARGE
Silver: Florida Trend
Gold: D CEO
16. Best coverage of local breaking news
SMALL
Silver: No award.
Gold: Vermont Business Magazine
MEDIUM
Silver: Virginia Business
Gold: Worcester Business Journal
LARGE
Silver: Crain's Detroit Business
Gold: Indianapolis Business Journal
17. Best investigative reporting
SMALL
Silver: New Hampshire Business Review
Gold: dbusiness
MEDIUM
Silver Hartford Business Journal
Gold: Worcester Business Journal
LARGE
Silver: Indianapolis Business Journal
Gold: Crain’s Chicago Business
18. Best explanatory journalism
SMALL
Silver: New Hampshire Business Review
Gold: dbusiness
MEDIUM
Silver: Providence Business News
Gold: Biz New Orleans
LARGE
Silver: Florida Trend
Gold: Crain’s Chicago Business
19. Best local coverage of a national business/economic story
SMALL
Silver: dbusiness
Gold: Vermont Business Magazine
MEDIUM
Silver: Mainebiz
Gold: Providence Business News
LARGE
Silver: Hawaii Business
Gold: Indiana Business Journal
Category 20: best auxiliary publication
SMALL
Silver: Delaware Business Times
Gold: Insight on Business
MEDIUM
Silver: BizTimes Milwaukee
Gold: Arkansas Business
LARGE
Silver: Indianapolis Business Journal
Gold: Baton Rouge Business Report
21. Best bylined commentary
SMALL
Silver: No award.
Gold: Columbia Regional Business Report
MEDIUM
Silver: San Fernando Valley Business Journal
Gold: Twin Cities Business
LARGE
Silver: Crain’s Detroit Business
Gold: Baton Rouge Business Report
22. Best editorial
SMALL
No awards.
MEDIUM
Silver: BizWest
Gold: Hartford Business Journal
LARGE
Silver: Indianapolis Business Journal
Gold: Crain’s Detroit Business
BEST OF SHOW CATEGORIES
23. Most improved publication
Winner: Hartford Business Journal
24. Best website
Bronze: Providence Business News
Silver: BizTimes Milwaukee
Gold: Crain’s Chicago Business
25. Best magazine
Bronze: Florida Trend
Silver: D CEO
Gold: Hawaii Business
26A. Best newspaper: small tabloids
Bronze: The Business Journal, Fresno
Silver: Daily Herald Business Ledger
Gold: Greater Wilmington Business Journal
26b. Best newspaper: medium tabloids
Bronze: San Fernando Valley Business Journal
Silver: Worcester Business Journal
Gold: BizTimes Milwaukee
26C. Best newspaper: large tabloids
Bronze: Indianapolis Business Journal
Silver: Crain’s Chicago Business
Gold: Crain’s Detroit Business
Source: (South Burlington, VT. August 11, 2019) – Vermont Business Magazine