Small newspapers
Each winning entry is followed by judges' comments
A8. Business reporting
30 entries
Judge: Ron French, enterprise reporter for The Detroit News, won the Society of American Business Writers and Editors 2005 Best in Business for Enterprise (large newspapers) for his story “Driven Abroad." French also won awards from the American Association of Sunday and Features Editors and the Society of Professional Journalists Detroit Metro Chapter.
First place
Felicia Megdal, The Payson Roundup: "Housing costs outpace local middle class"
“This story explains in a thorough and conversational tone a phenomenon affecting everyone who lives in Arizona. Instead of settling for the obvious angle — skyrocketing home values helping the economy — the reporter talked to people who were being priced out of the market. Numbers may spark a story idea, but people make a story.”
Second place
Laura Newpoff, The Business Journal: "Running on empty"
“A good example of explanatory journalism, telling readers why gas prices differ from station to station and how high prices are hurting independent owners as well as consumers.”
No third place
Mid-sized newspapers and magazines
B8. Business reporting
12 entries
Judge: Jeff Kosseff, Washington, D.C. reporter for The Oregonian and Newhouse News Service, has been honored for business writing in the Best of the West contest, and was published in the 2004 Best Business Stories of the Year anthology.
First place
Chris Limberis, Tucson Weekly: "Running on empty"
“Upon discovering that a local business leader had filed for bankruptcy with her
husband, Limberis wrote an exceedingly fair story. This wasn't a gotcha story — instead, Limberis provided a human angle that both educated readers and informed the public.”
Second place
Anita Mabante Leach, Latino Perspectives: "Chavez, Inc."
“Mabante Leach's article is a perfect example of taking a local news item and broadening it into a fascinating national story.”
John Dickerson, The Scottsdale, Gilbert and North Phoenix Times: "Auction action"
“Dickerson brought an auction house to life with colorful and sharp writing.”
Any publication
C28. Business breaking news reporting
9 entries
Judge: Michael Riley, national reporter for The Denver Post, has been honored nationally by the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, the Best in the West competition, and Columbia University.
First place
Robert Anglen and Dawn Gilbertson, The Arizona Republic: "Feds look at Taser's actions"
“While most of the other entries in the category followed events, this story breaks news. It's an important follow-up on key developments stemming from the paper's investigative series on the company and its management. A strong effort at keeping readers informed on an important story.”
Second place,
Ed Taylor, Le Templar, Chris Markham and Ed Gately, East Valley Tribune: "'Fab'-ulous: Chandler lands Intel plant"
“This is a great package that goes farther and deeper than the paper's competitors at explaining the event and its context. The 'closing the deal' sidebar did a terrific job of showing how Arizona beat out its competitors and the costs of that victory.”
Third place
Thomas Stauffer, Joe Burchell, Lynda Edwards: "Security lapse laid to Tucson company"
“Working on a tight deadline, the reporters of this well-explained piece took the extra step of tracking down two former employees of the company who, each in their own way, could provide insight into how such a massive security breach might have occurred.”
C29. Business enterprise reporting
22 entries
Judge: Rex Seline is Managing Editor/News for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and immediate past president of the Society for American Business Editors and Writers.
First place
Jane Larson, The Arizona Republic: "State losing ground in
technology”
“This is an ambitious, thoroughly reported, well-told package that lays out challenges facing the state's economy. It suggests that simply having a sunny and warm climate is not enough to sustain economic growth. It not only defines the problem, it identifies potential solutions. I would suspect that it made the typical Arizona reader think more deeply about the future, even in the midst of a go-go real estate market.”
Second place
Staff, The Arizona Republic: "When will it stop?"
“This report on home sales in the Valley offers lots of very useful detail and perspective. Homeowners and prospective homeowners surely scoured it, looking for information and insight.”
Third place
Joseph Barrios, Arizona Daily Star” "Foreclosure 'rescue' can be risky, costly"
“This is solid and engaging watchdog reporting. It details a problem — companies preying on people facing foreclosure — that hasn't been in the spotlight much. It does a good job explaining and exploring the issue.”
Honorable mention
Stephanie Paterik, The Arizona Republic: "Hotels try bridging generation gap"
“Good enterprise reporting doesn't arise from press releases or handouts, and it tends to surprise. This was an interesting and surprising feature about how a generational divide is creating problems for hotels.”
C30. Business beat reporting
14 entries
Judge: Becky Bisbee, business editor for the Seattle Times, is on the executive committee of the Society of American Business Editors and Writers. She also has served as business editor for the Modesto Bee and the Austin American-Statesman, and her sections have been honored as among the nation’s best by SABEW.
First place
Judy Nichols, The Arizona Republic
“Nichols wrote about a variety of business issues and events. Her ledes grabbed the reader with interesting people or descriptions that took the reader to places like Bisbee and the AmWest open house. She wrote strong nut graphs and included telling details. Her reporting was solid.”
Second place
John Yantis, East Valley Tribune
“Yantis provided Tribune readers with strong continuing coverage of the America West-US Airways merger. His articles captured the importance of the merger for the state and its hometown airline and conveyed to readers in simple terms the myriad issues the combined company faced without a hint of boosterism. Excellent sense-of-place story-telling.”
Third place
Joseph Barrios, Arizona Daily Star
“Barrios covered the Tucson residential real estate market from a variety of vantage points: buyers, economists, the builders. His coverage captured the hot, hot, hot nature of real estate last year as well as the impending cooling off, giving readers a look ahead as well.”
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