Best in Business
March 2020
Monday, March 30th, 2020
March 2019
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Markets; Large
Winner - The New York Times: Explaining the financial markets Contributors - Matt Phillips, Peter Eavis Judges’ Comments - These stories showed the value of explanatory journalism in highlighting areas of the financial markets that are often overlooked in daily coverage. They were well-timed reports, written with extraordinary clarity and simplicity. The deft use of charts consistently helped ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
International Reporting; Small
Winner - A collaboration of ICIJ, Norbert Zongo Cell for Investigative Journalism in West Africa (CENOZO) and 11 media partners from West Africa: West Africa Leaks Judges’ Comments - This impressive series, which shows how government officials, corporations and others in West Africa used offshore tax havens to divert millions of dollars from poor countries, is the very definition of impact journalism. ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Travel/Transportation; Medium
Winner - CNN Business: Uber sexual assault investigation Contributors - Sara Ashley O’Brien, Nelli Black, Curt Devine, Drew Griffin Judges’ Comments - Over seven months of stories, reporter Sara Ashley O’Brien and her CNN Business colleagues documented and exposed that 103 Uber drivers and 18 Lyft drivers in 20 major U.S. cities had been accused of sexually assaulting or abusing their ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Feature; Small
Winner - Nashville Business Journal: Mapping the new Nashville Contributor - Eleanor Kennedy Judges’ Comments - Census data was the launching point for this feature package (and interactive map) about the areas of Nashville that experienced the most change as well as those slated for the most change. It was an ambitious effort with several well-written stories by reporter Eleanor Kennedy ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Innovation; Medium
Winner - GateHouse Media: Failure to deliver Contributor - Emily Le Coz, Josh Salman, Lucille Sherman, Tony Elkins, Mara Corbett, Tyson Bird, Jennifer Borresen Judges’ Comments - Midwifery and out-of-hospital births are often held up as a solution to high maternal and infant mortality rates in the U.S. In other countries, midwives are fully integrated into the medical system. But as the reporting ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Newsletter; Medium
Winner - Barron’s: Review & Preview Contributors - Alex Eule, Nicholas Jasinski Judges’ Comments - This series of daily updates provided subscribers with a crisply written briefing that skillfully balances depth and breadth. An informative update with a snappy, engaging tone, these examples were well presented with a nice mix of data, visuals, sourced and original content....[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Explanatory; Large
Winner - Reuters: Ocean shock Contributors - Maurice Tamman, Matthew Green, Mari Saito, Sarah Slobin, Maryanne Murray Judges’ Comments - Impressive use of data, graphics, illustrations, video and writing to explain the many ways climate change is impacting our oceans. Comprehensive and compelling, this package delivered story after story. In this category, the judges selected two honorable ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Real Estate; Small
Winner - Nashville Business Journal Contributors - Adam Sichko, Meg Garner Judges’ Comments - Both are outstanding enterprise features. For the “Project Stella” piece, there’s a wonderful narrative led and great sourcing. Nice use of infographics, ranging from the map, the bar chart to the sidebar graphic. Honorable Mention - Realtor.com: Life in the flood zone Contributor - ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Technology; Medium
Winner - Politico: The least connected people in America Contributor - Margaret Harding McGill Judges’ Comments - Politico, with painstaking detail gleaned from consummate on-the-ground reporting, highlights how the lack of broadband internet access is disproportionately harming Native American populations and how — once again for this historically oppressed group — poor federal policy ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Small Business/Management/Career; Medium
Winner - Fortune: Second to none, but still number two Contributor - Leigh Gallagher Judges’ Comments - Fortune tackled a sensitive, important question with nuance, reached out to the often-slighted world of women experts to inform its analysis and told the story in a precise but approachable way. It was all packaged in a vibrant layout with engaging photography. It deftly used humor here ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Complete list of BIB winning entries and newsrooms
Review the names of the winning contributors. Audio; All News Organizations Winner - Indianapolis Business Journal: The IBJ podcast Honorable Mention - The Wall Street Journal: The next battlefield Banking/Finance; Large Winner - Bloomberg: Sign here to lose everything Honorable Mention - Los Angeles Times: The hidden costs of high-interest rate installment lending Banking/Finance; Medium Winner ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Government; Large
Winner - Reuters: Ambushed at home Contributors - Joshua Schneyer, Michael Pell, Andrea Januta, Deborah Nelson Judges’ Comments - Dogged reporting paid off for this team of Reuters reporters who didn’t stop at one story. The team published over a dozen stories on how military families, who shouldn’t have to worry about the roofs over their heads, have battled top brass and the contractors ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Energy/Natural Resources; Large
Winner - Reuters: Ocean shock Contributor - Maurice Tamman Judges’ comments - This in-depth look at global warming’s effect on ocean life was well reported and written. The multimedia presentation was graphically intense. The series goes beneath the surface of the sea for its examination of what’s going on in that 70 percent of our world. Could the dramatic effects on sea creatures be ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
General Excellence; Industry/Topic-Specific Publications
Winner - American Banker Contributors - Editorial Staff Judges’ Comments - American Banker’s effort on Comerica was clear, deeply reported and well-organized. The online presentation has a look that shows it knows who its audience is and demonstrates firm command of the subject matter....[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Media/Entertainment; Large
Winner - The New York Times: Moonves and CBS exposed Contributors - Rachel Abrams, James B. Stewart, Ellen Gabler, Edmund Lee, John Koblin Judges’ Comments - This story continues to reverberate in the media word — exposing how the powerful chief of CBS tried to silence a woman accusing him of sexual misconduct. It was packed with amazing detail, damning text messages and rich storytelling. ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Retail; Small
Winner - Capital & Main: The ‘Amazon Tax’ Ruling: Disrupting the Disruptors? Contributor- David Dayen Judges’ Comments-The reporter cuts through the popular perception that Amazon has become a responsible corporate citizen on the sales tax front, illustrating both how easy it would be for the company to make its third-party sellers comply and the obstacles states face in ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
International Reporting; Large
Winner - The Associated Press: China’s internment camps Contributors - Dake Kang, Martha Mendoza, Yanan Wang Judges’ Comments - This series offers a compelling narrative that exposes the impact of slave labor by tracing sportswear produced by Chinese detainees to the sales racks of American college bookstores. The reporters employed an impressive array of digital journalism tools along ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Investigative; Large
Winner - The Wall Street Journal: The fall of Steve Wynn Contributors - Alexandra Berzon, Chris Kirkham, Elizabeth Bernstein, Kate O'Keeffe Judges’ Comments - The Wall Street Journal’s reports on Steve Wynn’s “decades-long pattern of sexual misconduct” laid bare what had been an open secret among those working for the Wynn Resorts CEO. It took the Journal’s meticulously documented ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Student Journalism; Stories produced for Student News Organizations
Winner - Cronkite News by ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication: Hurricane provides opportunity for Puerto Rico’s battered tourism industry Contributor - Cronkite News is the news division of Arizona PBS. The daily news products are produced by the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at ASU. Contributor - Andres Guerra Luz, Arizona State ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Travel/Transportation; Small
Winner - The Information: The limits and dangers of self-driving cars Contributor - Amir Efrati Judges’ Comments - Amir Efrati’s work on the state of self-driving cars is enterprising, enlightening and, most importantly, a little frightening. It demonstrated the depth of his sources inside the companies that are trying to bring autonomous driving to our streets and the problems facing the ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Health/Science; Medium
Winner - ProPublica: Health Insurance Hustle Contributor - Marshall Allen Judges’ Comments - Kaiser Health News’ incisive reporting and use of its proprietary database brought an important issue to light and moved politicians to action. It showed a depth and breadth that made it a clear winner in this category. Marshall Allen's series used narrow, gripping stories to tackle some of the ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Real Estate; Large
Winner - The New York Times: Trump taxes Contributors - David Barstow, Susanne Craig, Russ Buettner Judges’ Comments - “Trump taxes” was a superior example of great reporting in the realms of public records, private documents and interviewing hard-to-find subjects on an extremely competitive topic, the president’s finances. Follow-up stories showed the impact of the stories and provided ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Markets; Medium
Winner - Bloomberg Law: SEC Wall Street cops see staff drop since Trump election Contributors - Andrew Ramonas, Jennifer Bennett Judges’ Comments - The story sheds light on changes to one aspect of the regulatory/enforcement environment. The fact that the reporters used a FOIA request to unearth non-public information demonstrates reporting initiative. The story is important because there ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Small Business/Management/Career; Small
Winner - McClatchy DC Bureau: Merchant cash death spiral Contributor - Ben Wieder Judges’ Comments - “Merchant cash death spiral” investigates a little-known, unregulated world in business and finance. Journalists at McClatchy DC reviewed hundreds of court and bankruptcy cases and interviewed business owners to both get at the scope of issues arising in the industry and put human faces ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Newsletter; Small
Winner - Communications Daily on 911 Contributor - Adam Bender Judges’ Comments - Top honors go to coverage that exposed that in 2016, six states diverted 911 call fees to fund budget items unrelated to public safety. The reporting had great impact, leading state legislators and regulators to convene hearings to address the problem....[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Technology; Small
Winner - The Weekly Standard: Telemarketers, ahoy Contributor - Tony Mecia Judges’ Comments - A fresh look at a ubiquitous annoyance that addressed the question: Why, after all these years, does the problem seem to be getting even worse, and isn’t there anything else that can shut this down? This was a story in the true sense of the word, with a top section that grabbed and held you, and ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Government; Medium
Winner - Politico: Investigation of Ryan Zinke Contributors - Ben Lefebvre, Nick Juliano Judges’ Comments - Politico’s Ben Lefebvre and Nick Juliano used business records, lobbying disclosure forms, IRS documents, business registrations, FEC filings and source interviews to describe a Montana real estate deal that pointed to a conflict of interest by then Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Media/Entertainment; Medium
Winner - Fortune: Tronc chairman sexual harassment Contributors - Kristen Bellstrom, Beth Kowitt Judges’ Comments - “Breach of Trust” is a deeply reported story that brings to life the devastating #MeToo struggles of two women at the hands of Tronc’s Michael Ferro. The twist here is that the women are high-powered executives in their own right, but they suffer personally and professionally ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
General Excellence; Large
Winner - Financial Times Contributors - Arash Massoudi, James Fontanella-Khan, Madison Marriage, Steven Bernard, Sujeet Indap, Amy Kazmin Judges’ Comments - Top honors go to the Financial Times for the skill and breadth of its reporting and effectiveness of its presentation. The President’s Club story exposed in detail a tawdry exploitation of young women as a way of helping draw leading ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Explanatory; Small
In this category, the judges selected two winners and two honorable mentions. Winner - InsideClimate News: Harvesting peril Contributors - Georgina Gustin, Neela Banerjee, John H. Cushman Jr., Paul Horn, Anna Belle Peevey Judges’ Comments - This stunning series takes you inside agriculture’s role as perpetrator and victim of climate change. Exceptionally well done, including a look ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Health/Science; Small
Winner - Kaiser Health News: Drug price shenanigans Contributor - Jay Hancock, Sarah Jane Tribble, Emily Kopp, Sydney Lupkin, Elizabeth Lucas Judges’ Comments - Kaiser Health News’ incisive reporting and use of its proprietary database brought an important issue to light and moved politicians to action. It showed a depth and breadth that made it a clear winner in this category. Honorable ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Retail; Large
Winner - The New York Times: The human side of the retail shakeout Contributors - Michael Corkery, Nelson D. Schwartz Judges’ Comments - Three engaging stories about the widespread impact of the shift to online retail and slow demise of brick-and-mortar shopping. This was the human aspect covered in a fresh way — how a former worker now “lives” at the closed Macy’s store that’s ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Personal Finance; Medium
Winner - The Chronicle of Higher Education: Drew Cloud is a well-known expert on student loans. One problem: He isn't real. Contributors - Chris Quintana, Dan Bauman Judges’ Comments - The Chronicle of Higher Education breaks news with impact on a beat where it is very hard to score a scoop. It was enjoyably clever, and shows intrepid reporting in exposing a widely quoted source on student ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Video; Medium and Small
Winner - The Story Exchange: A Sandy Hook mom’s nonprofit hopes to stop school shootings Contributors- Victoria Wang, Sue Williams, Christina Kelly, Jerry Risius, Noel Flego, Colleen DeBaise Judges’ Comments - This Story Exchange video addressed the Sandy Hook tragedy in a meaningful way. The story was heartfelt and personal. The visuals were engaging — they drew you into this mom’s ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Student Journalism; Projects and Collaborations
Winner - Baruch College, City University of New York (CUNY) and Dollars & Sense of Maine Contributors - Caroline Leddy, Victoria Merlino, Anne Ehart, Andre Beganski, Anderson Calderon, Bruce Dent, Polina Fishof, Edgar Llivisupa, Rommel Ojeda, Jonathan Sperling, Phoebe Taylor-Vuolo Judges’ Comments - The pieces hung together, were well written and had some interesting graphic elements ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Investigative; Small
Winner - A collaboration of The New Republic and Type Investigations: Political corruption and the art of the deal Contributor - Anjali Kamat Judges’ Comments - Anjali Kamat’s fresh and groundbreaking reporting on corrupt practices in Trump Organization real-estate projects in India dove deep into the murky world of Indian politics and business. It emerged with a colorful and compelling ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Video; Large
Winner - Bloomberg: The drone delivery operator in Rwanda Contributor - Aki Ito, Gloria Kurnik, Leila Hussain, Alan Jeffries, Victoria Blackburne-Daniell, David Nicholson Judges’ Comments - This beautifully shot and artfully edited story explains how Rwanda uses drones to deliver critical medical supplies to remote hospitals. It also illuminates the role of the young man who trained to operate ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Travel/Transportation; Large
Winner - The Wall Street Journal: The middle seat Contributor - Scott McCartney Judges’ Comments - Scott McCartney’s “The middle seat” stands out because it is creative, engaging and fun for readers. The writer clearly owns the airline transportation beat and his stories are so polished and well done that you have to marvel at what you are reading. The entry includes a wonderful first-person ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
General Excellence; Medium
Winner - The Dallas Morning News Contributor - The Dallas Morning News staff Judges’ Comments - The Dallas Morning News entry excelled in a category of strong entries by showcasing an impressive range of well-reported and written stories on Texas business and state government policies. The entry includes a searing account of the death of an ailing two-year-old foster child, showing how Texas ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Feature; Large
Winner - The New York Times: The itsy-bitsy, teenie-weenie, very litigious bikini Contributors - Katherine Rosman Judges’ Comments - Katherine Rosman of The New York Times takes a seemingly dry, out-of-the-news topic and writes it into an international yarn threading together glamour, industrial espionage, wealth, poverty, global trade and angry lawyers — about a bikini made of, well, yarn. ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Government; Small
Winner - InsideClimate News: Dangers without Borders Contributor - Neela Banerjee, Sabrina Shankman, Nicholas Kusnetz, Paul Horn and Anna Belle Peevey Judges’ Comments - Judges were impressed by InsideClimate News’ sheer scope and ambition with this project. Stories were written clearly and in real, not hypothetical terms — a difficult feat considering this is about a threat often discussed ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Technology; Large
Winner - The Wall Street Journal: Elon Musk Contributors -Tim Higgins, Susan Pulliam, Liz Hoffman, Tripp Mickle, Rolfe Winkler Judges’ Comments - The Elon Musk feature proves the old newspaper adage that people make the best stories, something that’s too often forgotten in business news. In this case, the remarkable attention to detail and story flow made it impossible to put down. Just ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Small Business/Management/Career; Large
Winner - The Wall Street Journal: GE: Burned out Contributors - Thomas Gryta, Ted Mann Judges’ Comments - General Electric helped to build modern America, and commanded special status — both for its financial success and also because it generated a management system emulated widely as the standard for grooming the best in business leadership. The Wall Street Journal’s story chronicled ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Newsletter; Large
Winner - Financial Times: Due Diligence Contributors - James Fontanella-Khan, Arash Massoudi, Sujeet Indap, Mark Vandevelde, Eric Platt, Javier Espinoza, Don Weinland, Jennifer Bissell-Linsk, Neil Munshi and Lindsay Fortado Judges’ Comments - The Financial Times newsletter FT Due Diligence showcases deep, insightful reporting, innovative use of graphics and stylish writing as it casts a skeptical ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Personal Finance; Large
Winner - Financial Times: Click to donate Contributor - Barney Jopson Judges’ Comments - Barney Jopson’s “Click to donate” story was a refreshingly contrarian challenge to the conventional wisdom presented by the highly favorable press that crowdfunding has attracted. Dashed-off valentines to crowdfunding campaigns — so often about how they help needy patients cope with medical concerns ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Real Estate; Medium
Winner - The Globe and Mail: Inside the fall of Fortress Contributor - Janet McFarland Judges’ Comments - This superb investigative piece exposed a real estate scam that preyed on thousands of small, unsophisticated investors to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars — siphoning off life savings through a maze of companies that resembled an octopus perpetually growing new arms. It ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Innovation; Large
Winner - The New York Times: Visual narratives Contributors - Nicholas Confessore, Gabriel Dance, Richard Harris, Mark Hansen, Jennifer Valentino-DeVries, Natasha Singer, Michael Keller, Aaron Krolik, Matthew Goldstein, Robert Gebeloff, Ross Mantle, Matt Ruby Judges’ Comments - Very clever use of data and graphics, but what set The New York Times apart was how the data and graphics intertwine ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
International Reporting; Medium
Winner - A collaboration of ProPublica and Time Magazine: Unprotected A collaboration of ProPublica and Time Magazine Contributors - Finlay Young, Kathleen Flynn Judges’ Comments - Talk about journalism that makes an impact — this story uncovered a scandal (and its cover-up) of a charity that was supposed to save Liberian girls from the sex trade but instead exposed them to sexual assault ...[Read More]
Tuesday, March 26th, 2019
Retail; Medium
Winner - Fortune: Michelle Gass is cracking the code at Kohl’s Contributor - Phil Wahba Judges’ Comments - Much has been written about the Amazon effect on brick-and-mortar retailers, but Phil Wahba at Fortune found a fresh angle on the battle for consumers. Kohl’s new CEO Michelle Gass is changing strategies at all levels, such as precise inventory tracking and beefing up beauty sales ...[Read More]SABEW - Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication,
Arizona State University
555 North Central Ave, Suite 406 E, Phoenix, AZ 85004-1248
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (602) 496-7862
©2001 - 2020 Society of American Business Editors and Writers, Inc.