SABEW 2006 Best in Business contest award winners
Breaking News coverage
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Category: Breaking News - Giant newspapers
Stephen Heuser, Robert Gavin, Steven Syre, Jeffrey Krasner, Erica Noonan, Emily Shartin and Bennie DiNardo of The Boston Globe: “Boston Scientific's acquisition of Guidant”
- Download electronic copy - Page A1, Page D1, Page D4, Page D5
Judges Comments
The BSX/GDT merger was a long, drawn-out affair, yet when it closed, the hometown paper put together an exceptional package. It touched on what it meant to the industry, to the region and had a bonus for readers: a profile of the CEO, ready to go on Day 1. A sound lead brought the story home to Boston readers; so did sidebars that paid attention to details, such as what this deal means to suburban Boston, how Boston Scientific is viewed by its neighbors and even what the deal might mean to charity in the region.
Greg Burns, David Greising, Susan Chandler, Susan Diesenhouse and Julie Johnsson of the Chicago Tribune: “Board of Trade-Mercantile Exchange merger”
- Download electronic copy - Section 3 p1, Section 3 p4, Section 3 p6, Section 3 p7, Section 1 p1, Section 1 p29
Judges Comments
The Tribune made this an international and local story, and kept the arcane world of futures accessible. This was breaking news two decades in the making - a veteran staff building institutional knowledge and unleashing it when the big news broke. Readers were the winners, enjoying a comprehensive package of stories that started online and carried into a print presentation that went from the obvious (how the deal was done) to the minute (how “regular” Chicagoans will feel the ripple effects). A succinct analysis of what it means to Chicago’s place in the trading world was a nice bow to the package.
Andrew Ross Sorkin, Matt Richtel, Miguel Helft and John Markoff of The New York Times: “Google's YouTube deal”
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Judges Comments
Great storytelling on a breaking-news piece put this story a cut above. It combined insider detail, depth and remarkable context, especially given the deadline pressures faced by staff writers. The Times saw this thoroughly modern deal for its cutting-edge significance, even if it wasn’t that big a deal in 2006 terms and if it had huge question marks over it. By paying attention to the details of language, the coverage captures the unique place Google and YouTube hold in today’s business news.
Judges - Breaking News: Giant
John Rich - The Fresno Bee
Randy Essex - The Detroit Free Press
David Morrow - TheStreet.com
Category: Breaking News - Large newspapers
Bruce Finley, Tom McGhee, Christine Tatum, Kieran Nicholson, Greg Griffin, Kristi Arellano, David Migoya and Christopher Osher of The Denver Post for "Raids at Swift plants” - Download PDF
Judges Comments
This coverage successfully tackled two important issues - immigration and identity theft - simultaneously. An excellent example of a national story made local, with personal stories and business effects explored.
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Mike Ellis, John Gallagher, Ron Dzwonkowski, Jennifer Dixon, Susan Tompor and Margarita Bauza of the Detroit Free Press: "GM Alliance: “Power play shakes Motor City”
- Download electronic copy - Page1B, Page 12A, Page 13A, Page 11A
Judges Comments
Strong coverage from all angles, with great presentation. This is a visually impressive package: big layouts, outstanding graphics, nice photos, tons of stores.
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Therese Poletti, Sarah Jane Tribble, Howard Mintz, Scott Duke Harris, Michelle Quinn, Mike Langberg, Michele Chandler, Donna Alvarado, Maria Shao and Kevin Wendt of the San Jose Mercury News: "Inside the HP privacy drama” - Download PDF
Judges Comments
Very strong coverage of a complicated story. Package detailed not only the events - with director profiles and a chronology to help the reader - but also explored the issue of pretexting, foreshadowing later news on the subject.
Judges - Breaking News: Large
Jack Robinson - The Fresno Bee
Russ Stanton - The Los Angeles Times
Yvette Walker - The Oklahoman
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Category: Breaking News - Medium newspapers
Steve Harrison, Rick Rothacker, Andrew Shain, Mike Drummond, Ames Alexander, Stella M. Hopkins, Christopher Kirkpatrick and Tony Mecia of The Charlotte Observer: “Creditors, feds key to air takeover bid” - Download PDF
Judges Comments
This package was very strong, especially for taking a national story and saying what it means for people in Charlotte, without losing the sophistication of the national point of view. The quotes were strong, the impact was clear and the historical points of view were well done. The examples of past instances of this sort of change were well presented. The sidebars filled in with things such as the Mr. Watchdog column that answered some of the specific questions that come up for the community.
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Bill Vlasic, Daniel Howes, Bryce G. Hoffman, Christine Tierney, Sharon Terlep and Louis Aguilar of the Detroit News: “Blue Friday”
- Download electronic copy - Page 1B, Page 6A, Page 7A, Page 8A, Page 9A
Judges Comments
The trend for the year seemed to be the shrinking center of U.S. manufacturing. This package matched the gravity and history-making nature of the event. You could not ask for a more complete coverage. You can feel the shoe leather in these stories, with reporters getting deep into the community to feel what changes in one company will do for the people, economy and city of Detroit. The writing avoids the cliché and moves easily between the global implications and the family stresses.
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Bill Vlasic, Daniel Howes, Bryce G. Hoffman, Christine Tierney, Josee Valcourt and Sharon Terlep of the Detroit News: “New Ford CEO”
- Download electronic copy - Page 2D, Page 4A, Page 5A, Page 6A
Judges Comments
This package showed off the paper’s deep sources and brought the reader into the board room. It did this without assuming any knowledge or going over the heads of more readers. The writing was strong and clear and told the story quickly and easily. The surprising nature of this move means the team had to hustle, and they did. The sidebars elaborated on points such as the differences between the auto industry and Boeing and the dangers of bringing an outsider into a club like the auto makers.
Judges - Breaking News: Medium
Gretchen Macciarella - Ventura County Star
Catherine Snapp - San Diego Union-Tribune
Eduardo Kaplan - Dow Jones Newswires
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Category: Breaking News - Small newspapers
Kathy Jumper, Andy Netzel and Mark Inabinett of the Mobile Press-Register: “Prichard wins”
- Download electronic copy - Page A1, Page A4, Page 1C
Judges Comments
“Prichard Wins” by Kathy Jumper, Andy Netzel and Mark Inabinett
Kathy Jumper’s main story Pritchard, Ala. being declared the site of a new motor sports complex was crisply written and, along with the accompanying graphic, provided the reader with all the relevant information in any easily digestible form. Jumper’s “just the facts ma’am” reporting was only enhanced by a strong sidebar by Andy Netzel. While also adhering to a straightforward style, Netzel’s story provided the “human angle” of the story, but did so in an evenhanded way. Rather than pandering to the potential “victims” of the race track, the story contained comments from several local constituencies - critics and supporters alike - while addressing the broader economic impact of the news. Mark Inabinett’s sports-section cover story took yet another angle to the story: the impact the planned new complex would have on existing area raceways. The surprising slant of the story was many of the “mom and pop” race track operators were upbeat about the news of a potential “big league” competitor.
Kurt Blumenau and Sam Kennedy of The Morning Call (Allentown, Pa..): “Agere bought out”
- Download electronic copy - Page A1, Page A3
Judges Comments
“Agere Bought Out” by Kurt Blumenau and Sam Kennedy
Kurt Blumenau’s main story was comprehensive and authoritative, demonstrating knowledge about the chip industry, individual companies involved and the local economic implications of the deal. Blumenau questioned whether the merger would have the results espoused by the two companies and was rightly skeptical about whether this truly represented a “merger” vs. a takeover. Despite including commentary about Agere’s “brief, disappointing life”, the writer included views from all of the major constituents - Agere and LSI officials, Agere employees and Wall Streets sell - and buy sides - which were presented in a balanced fashion. Sam Kennedy’s sidebar “Similarities between Agere, LSI only go so far” backed up Blumenau’s questioning of the companies’ proposed $125 million cost-saving figure target and provided good historical information about both firms. The accompanying frontpage graphics “Comparing the Companies” and Agere “Through the Years” provided quick and handy reference for readers with less familiarity with the companies and Agere’s history.
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Jerry Siebenmark and Bill Wilson of The Wichita Eagle: “Beechcraft is back”
- Download electronic copy - Page 1A, Page 6B
Judges Comments
“Beechcraft is Back” by Jerry Siebenmark
Judges were impressed by the depth of research and reporting that went into such a quick turnaround for the story of Beechcraft’s private equity deal. The overall package was impressive with just about every conceivable angle covered. The writing in the main piece was creative and clear and the accompanying graphics and pictures added to the comprehensive feel of the coverage. The Wichita Eagle’s coverage was particularly impressive given the regular beat reporter was on vacation when the story broke. The quality of the coverage in such a “scramble situation” is a testament to the professionalism and talent of all involved in putting together the package.
Judges - Breaking News: Small
Aaron Task - TheStreet.com
Cheryl Hall - Dallas Morning News
Tom Redburn - New York Times
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Category: Breaking News - Weekly newspapers
Claire Atkinson, Brooke Capps, Matthew Creamer, Alice Z. Cuneo, Mya Frazier, Bob Garfield, Jeremy Mullman, Jack Neff and Lisa Sanders of Advertising Age: "Julie and the scandal that rocked the ad world”
- Download electronic copy - Page1, Page42, Page43, Page45
Judges Comments
“Unruly Julie and the Scandal that Rocked the Ad World” by Matthew Creamer
This was such an engaging subject. And the thing you took away from this package was that this was much deeper than the news event - it was about a clash of cultures and Wal-Mart wanting to break out of itself and not being able to. The writing was not only flashy, it was authoritative. The sidebars were well-conceived and comprehensive. And how do you miss with booze, bribery and sex?
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Christine Perez of the Dallas Business Journal: "HUD secretary's blunt warning” - Download PDF
Judges Comments
“HUD Secretary’s Blunt Warning” by Christine Perez
It was gutsy that the Dallas Business Journal went with the story, and then it broke nationally. This has become part of a national conversation about cronyism in the Bush Administration. So we gave them credit for showing up and for seeing the outrageousness of what he was saying. And the story had good balance and was fairly written.
Judges - Breaking News: Weekly
Joanna Bean - The Gazette
Steve McMillan - The Denver Post
Steven Wilmsen - The Boston Globe
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Category: Breaking News - Real-time news organizations
Bill Koenig, Rachel Layne, John Lippert, James Gunsalus, Peter Robison and Gillian Wee of Bloomberg News: "Bill Ford makes way for Mulally"
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“Ford Chief Bill Ford Jr. Steps Down as Chief Executive” 16:06
Bill Koenig and John Lippert
“Ford’s Bill Ford Jr. Steps Down as Chief Executive” (Update1) 16:11
Bill Koenig and John Lippert
“Boeing Taps Carson to Replace Mulally in Jet Business” (Update3) 18:06
Rachel Layne and Gillian Wee
“Ford Names Boeing’s Mulally CEO, Replacing Bill Ford” (Update8) 22:45
Bill Koenig and John Lippert
“Mulally, Lexus User Bypassed at Boeing, Totes Budget Ax to Ford” 0:14
Peter Robison and James Gunsalus
“How Bill Ford Went From Reluctant to Former Chief Executive” 0:17
Bill Koenig
Judges Comments
“Bill Ford Makes Way for Mulally” by Bill Koenig, Rachel Layne, John Lippert, James Gunsalus, Peter Robison and Gillian Wee
Our criteria for this category included whether an entry had strong detail and analytical prescience. This entry had both. There wasn’t much redundancy throughout the package, and the Herb Kelleher interview was a score. Most of all, the package offered a peak behind the curtain. Ford is a behemoth that guards itself pretty carefully. To have a look at its power struggle within was interesting.
Judges - Breaking News: Real Time
Joanna Bean - The Gazette
Steve McMillan - The Denver Post
Steven Wilmsen - The Boston Globe
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