BizTimes Milwaukee wins six national journalism awards

BizTimes Milwaukee won six national journalism awards annually Area Business Publishers Alliance Editorial Excellence Awards Competition. The awards were presented Friday at the AABP Summer Conference, held this year in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Entries for the awards are judged by faculty at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. Reporter Cara Spoto won three awards for his work in 2023. This included a gold award (1st place) for medium-sized publications in Best movie, one story category for her June 5, 2023, cover story “Family farms adapt to survive.” The judges’ comments were: “The gorgeous setting draws the reader in to tell a larger story of changes in the farming industry through the eyes of three families. The deeply reported piece flows well and shows the tremendous evolution of technology.” Spoto also won a silver award (second place) for medium-sized publications in Expository journalism at its best category for her story of September 24, 2023 “Survival 101: Colleges Adapt Amid Shrinking High School Graduation.” The judges’ comments were: “Challenging assumptions about what smaller high school graduating classes ‘should’ mean for college enrollments, the reporter deftly illustrates different strategic responses from six area institutions while weaving together a humane of today’s students.” Spoto also won a silver award for Best body of work, single writer for medium-sized publications. BizTimes Milwaukee journalists have won three AABP awards for beat reporting. (caption id=”attachment_590458″ align=”alignleft” width=”300″) Arthur Thomas(/caption) Managing Editor Arthur Thomas won a gold award in Best Beat Reporting, Economics and Finance for medium-sized publications. The judges’ comments were: “The economy and banking were big news in 2023 and local businesses found out how the bigger issues affected them. When Silicon Valley Bank collapsed, local readers wondered if it could happen in Wisconsin. The coverage collected banking data to show how local banks dealt with the problems that destroyed Silicon Valley Bank. Another piece helped locals navigate higher business interest rates. A third story looked at the strategy of Wisconsin’s largest bank. Strong sources and solid writing made these stories valuable to subscribers. (caption id=”attachment_590461″ align=”alignright” width=”300″) Hunter Turpin(/caption) Reporter Turpin the Hunter won a gold award for Best Beat Reporting, Real Estate for medium-sized publications. The judges’ comments were: “Be it about an effort to make the Milwaukee airport competitive as a viable cargo hub or gathering the exact square meter of unoccupied industrial space about to hit the commercial market, the real estate beat is covered expertly – and creatively – in a holistic way that goes much deeper than the surface and asking prices. (caption id=”attachment_590453″ align=”alignleft” width=”300″) Ashley Smart(/caption) Reporter Ashley Smart won a silver award in The best Beat reporting, technology and innovation category for medium-sized publications. The judges’ comments were: “There is a thread of entrepreneurial thinking and dogged reporting that weaves through this collection of stories. from updating readers on the region’s role in the transition to e-vehicle use to create a roadmap to the local venture capital landscapethe stories cover everything with great care and detail.