WBJ named best business journal in country
The industry group Alliance of Area Business Publishers on Thursday judged the Worcester Business Journal as the best newspaper of its size, besting business publications from around the U.S., Canada and Australia in the annual journalism competition.
WBJ took home four awards during the annual AABP Editorial Excellence awards, including the Gold award for Best Newspaper in the midsize category. WBJ also was honored for its investigations, editorials and design.
"This award reflects the tireless work of a small staff operating at the top of its game," WBJ Editor Brad Kane said. "Every day, we strive to report insightful and eye-opening news for the Central Massachusetts business community, and to be judged as the best among all the excellent AABP publications is truly an honor."
In awarding the Gold in the Best Newspaper category, the judges from the University of Missouri School of Journalism praised WBJ's in-depth features and design.
"Well-written and well-reported, this publication is captivating and smartly designed," the judges wrote. "Writers construct stories that keep readers engaged throughout the section. Story choices are thought-provoking and thorough, whether examining the male-female gap in the boardroom or looking at the impact (or lack of impact) of tax breaks given to local businesses."
Last year, WBJ was awarded the Silver in the Best Newspaper midsize category, after previously competing in the small tabloid category. AABP awards are broken down into large, medium and small newspaper categories, with magazines in their own category.
In all, 34 publications from the three countries vied for the awards, and all WBJ's awards came in the midsize category. For the Best Newspaper award in the midsize category, the business journals from Milwaukee and Northern Colorado came in second and third after WBJ.
WBJ "is well-edited from the cover to the last page, and it’s apparent that lots of discussion occurs before the start of reporting, photography and design," the judges wrote.
In addition to the Best Newspaper award, WBJ won two Golds in journalism categories and a Silver in the design categories. The AABP annual conference, originally slated for Detroit, was held virtually in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
WBJ News Editor Grant Welker took home the Gold for Best Investigative Reporting, a category he has won three years in a row. This year, Welker won for his "Tax Breaks: Paying for Growth" series researched over six months, looking at tax-increment financing agreements in 19 Central Massachusetts communities given over 20 years.
"The writer examined the data from several perspectives, demonstrating which businesses and municipalities were among the winners and losers," the judges wrote. "This is a blueprint for investigating a complex subject and returning a series that is clearly written and extremely readable."
WBJ Publisher Peter Stanton and Kane won the Gold award for Best Editorial, for their opinion piece calling for greater diversity in the marijuana industry. This is the third time in five years Stanton and Kane have won this category.
"This very relevant piece is out front on an important emerging issue in the region’s economy, and tackles the issue with urgency and eloquence," the judges wrote.
WBJ Art Director Mitchell Hayes was awarded a Silver for Best Overall Design. This is the third time in the last four years Hayes has taken home a Gold or Silver in this category.
"Inside content is easy to read, with open, modular design and restrained typography. 'The Younger Crowd' and 'Outstanding Women in Business' covers are particularly inviting, and the Focus package on women continues inside with solid feature design. Large photographs establish dominance on pages," the judges wrote.
WBJ's sister publications in Hartford, Conn. and Portland, Maine (all subsidiaries of New England Business Media) took home four awards at the AABP ceremony. Hartford Business Journal won Gold awards for its explanatory journalism and recurring feature and a Silver award for its local coverage of the national story, regarding healthcare pricing. MaineBiz won a Bronze award for its design.
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