SABEW 2006 Best in Business contest award winners
Overall excellence, sections or publications(in alphabetical order, by publication, for each size category)
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Giant newspapers (average daily circulation 375,001 and above)
The New York Times
Judges Comments
For an exceptionally well reported and smartly written section with an unparalleled variety of stories, analysis, and commentary on finance, economics, and business. The Times effectively uses its vast resources to give readers in-depth coverage of Wall Street and corporate deal making as well as a true global perspective on business.
The Star-Ledger (Newark, N.J.)
Judges Comments
For a sharply written and edited section with a highly appealing balance of local and national news and personal finance information. A potential business-school case study on what one can do with limited resources, this section consistently produced top-rate enterprise reporting, reader service and infographics.
USA Today - Download electronic copy - PDF1, PDF2, PDF3
Judges Comments
For a consistently interesting and informative business section that used straight-forward no-nonsense writing, innovative graphics and a smart-looking presentation to provide a quality experience for the reader.
Certificate of merit: The Arizona Republic
Judges Comments
For consistently strong coverage of local business and the local economy.
Certificate of merit: Houston Chronicle
Judges Comments
For blanket spot, sidebar and column coverage of the trials of Enron executives Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling, a hometale tale that was also one of the country’s most important business stories in 2006.
Judges - Section: Giant
Rob Doherty - Reuters America
Glenn Coleman - Financial Week
John Byrne - Business Week
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Large newspapers (circulation from 250,001 to 375,000)
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Judges Comments
For its excellent enterprise reporting, as shown by the paper’s investigation into Radio Shack’s CEO and a series of stories about a complicated regulatory issue, the Wright Amendment. These are just two examples of the paper’s smart, explanatory news coverage as well as engaging, narrative storytelling. This is a business section that understands how to make local company stories come alive for average readers, and distill complex issues down to news consumers can use. These sections also make clear that the paper’s reporters reflexively ask hard questions of the companies they cover (e.g. the Alcon story) and that they have a deep reserve of inside sources/contacts.
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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Judges Comments
For its ability to tell compelling, local business stories that have broader, national implications (wine and spirits coverage) as well as its general coverage that hits on all levels of the business community. A profile of Tower Automotive does a nice job of mirroring larger factory layoff trends, while the Superior refinery piece paints a vivid picture of the tough tradeoffs businesses face today. The Black Gold feature is a powerful example of how a regional paper can find, and skillfully tell, a local story as it relates to a much bigger international theme. Well-researched art and story summaries further elevate the section.
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San Jose Mercury News - Download electronic copy - PDF1, PDF2, PDF3
Judges Comments
For outstanding business coverage that looks both ahead and back (Apple), giving readers deep insights into the tech-heavy market in which they live. Sophisticated writing, graphics and packages make the paper sing verbally and visually. The coverage, notably, is far from limited in its tone. The paper proves how cultural trends, consumer behavior - as well as changing job markets and human folly (HP leaks) - are all topics that can shine brilliantly through a business prism. The number of entries with starts on A1 is impressive, and demonstrates all of the above.
Judges - Section: Large
Shelly Branch - Wall Street Journal
Sylvia Nasar - Columbia University
Hal Ritter - USA Today
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Medium newspapers (circulation from 125,001 to 250,000)
Des Moines Register
Judges Comments
We chose this paper because of its clear dedication to serving its audience: Farm Belt readers, with most stories targeted to such topics as agriculture, crop prices and energy. The writing was solid, the layout generally clean, and the reporting focused and highly localized. Such columns as the “Washington Farm Report” showed that this business section knows its audience and its needs. The business staff also regularly produced solid A-1 offerings, including an attention-grabbing A-1 feature on a “virtual businessman,” operating from Iowa.
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Detroit News
Judges Comments
This paper had a great deal of breaking news and analysis on last year’s developments in the auto industry, which led to very strong local section fronts and A-1 packages, both on mandatory dates as well as those their editors selected. While the paper had a built-in advantage because of auto industry turmoil, they made very good use of the opportunity with smart reporting, photography and graphics. The writing had an authoritative voice on developments, and they went beyond these to offer useful Personal Finance advice for those considering whether to take buyout packages, for instance, and on the overall economic effects that the auto industry changes would likely produce. The business fronts also used headlines boldly and weren’t afraid to “grade” the importance of news for readers.
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The Hartford Courant
Judges Comments
We chose this paper in part because of their smart, comprehensive coverage of the insurance, aerospace and defense industries in their region, both in the Business section and on A-1. The paper “owned” the Allstate story, a story breaking in their backyard. The Business section layouts were clean, graphics often compelling, solid writing and we saw good evidence of project reporting. And the section kept a business-trained eye on the statehouse and Congress, as evidenced by a smart Business front story written just after the November election by the paper’s Washington bureau chief on the interesting role Connecticut’s Chris Dodd will play as chairman of the Senate Banking Committee as he tries to still win backing from the state’s insurance and banking interests as he considers a run for the White House.
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The Seattle Times
Judges Comments
This paper did it all: Covered the region’s technology, aerospace and other industries comprehensively and with creativity in the Business section and on A-1, made good use of graphics, photo and layout, provided useful Personal Finance and Personal Technology coverage and had some A-1 enterprise work as well. The layouts were clean and crisp and the writing was clear and decisive. The Business staff also did a good job of covering the potential implications of geopolitical and global economic events - particularly in China and the Far East - on Seattle’s businesses and economy. One judge put it well: “The paper used graphics to augment its reporting, lift-out quotes and other devices that really gave the readers a lot of information in a way that wasn’t overwhelming.”
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South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Judges Comments
This paper impressed the judges by its coverage of two national issues in a highly localized way that brought home the importance of the story to readers. The first issue was the housing bust. Through stories on the section front, the paper’s Monday business section and on A-1, the paper covered the effects of the slump through real stories and by the numbers, but also were ahead of the curve on discussing the potential implications for the overall economy. The second national story the paper effectively localized was white-collar crime, which it covered from a consumer perspective in its Monday section, and then through a twice-monthly column on the subject. The paper’s section fronts were generally attractively designed, made good use of photos and graphics, and were highly local.
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Certificate of merit: Salt Lake Tribune
Judges Comments
For its Feb. 16 A-1 story on Questar subpoenas going out to customers and shareholders who criticized the company over high heating bills. The lede said it all: “If you’re a concerned Questar Gas customer or shareholder, don’t be surprised if late one night a sheriff shows up on your porch, hammering on the door with one fist and gripping a subpoena from the company in the other.”
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Certificate of merit: St. Paul Pioneer Press
Judges Comments
For its April 14 revealing and forward-thinking centerpiece story (and continuing coverage of) of what will likely happen to 1,900 workers and the local economy when the Ford assembly plant in St. Paul closes in two years.
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Certificate of merit: The Tennessean (Nashville)
Judges Comments
For its comprehensive and spirited coverage (taking up the top half of A-1 and four pages inside) on July 25 of HCA going private. The paper looked at the key players, including the family of then Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist; the effects on shareholders, workers and patients, and the larger implications for the industry and the local economy.
Small Newspaper Category
Judges - Section: Medium
Jodi Schneider - Congressional Quarterly
Alec Klein - Washington Post
Kevin Hall - McClatchy-Tribune News Service
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Small newspapers (circulation 125,000 and below)
Florida Today (Melbourne, Fla.)
Judges Comments
The depth and breadth of business coverage published throughout the newspaper demonstrated a clear commitment to financial journalism that exceeded all other entries. The story selection showed a clear understanding of their audience and an effort to tailor the news to their readership. The public service quality of many reports stood out, in particular the report on 9-11 loans that ended up going to many companies with no clear impact from the terrorist attacks and the series on hurricane insurance costs. The diverse and abundant coverage was enhanced with presentation that was newsy yet appealing. The design of pages and story packages offered a good balance of graphics and photos that helped create a lively and inviting reader experience. From comprehensive analysis pieces to daily fare on the housing market, development and consumer issues, the Florida Today team somehow managed to deliver more local news than you’d expect from a paper their size.
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The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, Calif.) - Download electronic copy - PDF1, PDF2, PDF3
Judges Comments
This business section delivers an intelligent mix of national and local stories, so that readers don’t need to go anywhere else to know what’s happening in the business world. Yet they are clearly in tune with the interests of their local readership. Their section covers and overall design complement their solid news judgment by offering a clean and attractive presentation. The details and supporting information is readily available and accessible and the packages have an appropriate balance of images and stories. And they demonstrated an instinct for originality that gives readers a reason to turn to their pages for national news - such as the archive photo presentation of Bill Gates to remind readers of the “kid” behind the empire.
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Roanoke Times (Roanoke, Va.)
Judges Comments
The reporters and editors of the Roanoke Times take an ambitious approach to reporting and writing that goes well beyond the press releases and takes a deeper look at the issues and news from their business community. Writing is clearly their strength. The compelling details stood out in their coverage of the use of restraints in nursing homes and the storytelling in the Burned Alive package captured the suffering behind a work-related accident without sensationalizing the case. The Roanoke Times business team clearly makes a consistent effort to humanize business news and make it relevant to everyday readers.
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Certificate of merit: The Post and Courier (Charleston, S.C.)
Judges Comments
The Post and Courier team delivered two standout entries that deserve recognition. Their coverage of the expansion of the Panama Canal did an outstanding job of explaining the local relevance of an international issue. And the storytelling that went into the train tragedy transition piece delivers a powerful narrative that is on par with some of the best writers in the country.
Judges - Section: Small
Glenn Hall - Orange County Register
Mark Lachter - Los Angeles Observed
Dawn Chmielewski - Los Angeles Times
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Weekly Business newspapers
Advertising Age
Judges Comments
This splashy weekly is fun to read, full of color, graphics and crisp writing. Advertising age offers an entertaining blend of must-read insider stories with topical industry news about advertising winners and losers and what it will cost to advertise on NBC during the 2008 Summer Olympics. “Unruly Julie and the scandal that rocked the ad world” dissected in detail the rise and fall of Julie Roehm, Wal-Mart’s unlikely marketing chief whose firing was first disclosed in Ad Age.
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Baltimore Business Journal
Judges Comments
This journal appealed not only to CEOs but also to average Joes. Its series, “Higher wages, higher risks,” astutely looked at the risks and rewards that illegal immigrants face as they work in manual labor jobs in the United States at an increasing rate. Another piece, “Riding the rails,” wove together personal stories of commuters who have eschewed cars for public transportation. The journal has a bright and breezy page 2 (Girl Scout cookie sales down; video rentals up with the onset of winter) and useful standing features. Crisp headlines and a clean design make it visually appealing, too.
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Business First of Louisville
Judges Comments
It’s tough to keep a business weekly in a small market fresh and interesting, but Louisville Business First rises to the challenge. Its ambitious, three-part series on the inner workings of UPS, Louisville’s largest employer, is one example of enterprising, well-written and edited stories that consistently appear in Business First. The journal’s design is clean, centerpieces are strong, and inside features, such as “What’s in Store” and “BizTrends” are entertaining and colorful. A story on minority entrepreneurs and a special section on business women in Louisville show a commitment to reporting on diversity in the local business community.
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Crain’s Chicago Business - Download electronic copy - PDF1, PDF2, PDF3
Judges Comments
This journal was very polished and readable. It had a solid grasp on key industries and companies in Chicago and paid particular attention to those in flux, like United Airlines and Tribune Co. Particularly noteworthy was its focus on corporate giving, “Too many mouths to feed?” which looked at recent drops in charitable giving in Illinois. Other good work included its in-depth examination of doing business in China, a piece about Target’s expansion in Chicago, and a story on the battle between Crate & Barrel and a company created by the son of its founder. Its design was clever with strong graphics and good headlines.
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Certificate of merit: Boston Business Journal
Judges Comments
This weekly offers a good mix of news and features highlighting the key economic drivers of Boston: higher education, health care, high-tech and real estate. The writing is a cut above many other business journals, but what distinguishes the Boston Business Journal most is an intentional focus on women, minority and young businesspeople. One front page featured two stories about women - one an up-and-coming Hispanic banker, the other a failed dot.com CEO.
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Certificate of merit: Puget Sound Business Journal
Judges Comments
This weekly consistently published enterprising stories. Its “Bold Flight” series took a thoughtful look at the creation of Boeing’s 787 jetliner. Its technology startups special section used clever “Light bulb moments” to spotlight interesting innovations in easy-to-read nuggets. The journal also did a good job covering real estate and the University of Washington as a business.
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Certificate of merit: Street and Smith’s Sports Business Journal - Download electronic copy - PDF1, PDF2, PDF3
Judges Comments
This journal dissects the sports business, examining the far-flung and competing commitments of NASCAR drivers and whether NFL games could resuscitate NBC’s ratings. This glitzy publication has an elegant cover with an appealing index, but it was sometimes a little busy inside. And it had a good plan for reader interaction, even devoting an issue to reader favorites (game analyst, sport-themed movie) and least favorites (Tampa Bay Devil Rays uniforms, for example). It was perhaps more fun than insightful, but it let the readers know they mattered.
Judges - Section: Weekly
Charles Ornstein - Los Angeles Times
Mary Leonard - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Barbara Zumwalt - The Stockton Record
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