BizTimes Milwaukee won six national journalism awards in the annual Alliance of Area Business Publishers Editorial Excellence Awards competition. The awards were presented Friday at the AABP’s summer conference, held this year in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
The award entries are judged by faculty from the University of Missouri School of Journalism.
Reporter Cara Spoto won three awards for her work in 2023. That included a gold award (first place) for medium-sized publications in the Best Feature, Single Story category for her June 5, 2023, cover story “Family Farms adapt to survive.” Judges’ comments were: “Superb scene-setting draws the reader in to tell a broader story of changes in the farming industry through the eyes of three families. The deeply reported piece flows well and shows the extraordinary evolution wrought by technology.”
Spoto also won a silver award (second place) for medium-sized publications in the Best Explanatory Journalism category for her Sept. 24, 2023, cover story “Survival 101: Colleges adapt amid shrinking pool of high school grads.” Judges’ comments were: “Challenging the assumptions of what smaller high school graduation class sizes ‘must’ mean for college enrollments, the reporter skillfully illustrates different strategic responses from six area institutions, while also weaving in human perspective from current students.”
Spoto also won a silver award for Best Body of Work, Single Writer for medium-sized publications.
BizTimes Milwaukee journalists won three AABP awards for beat reporting.
Managing editor Arthur Thomas won a gold award in the Best Beat Reporting, Economics and Finance for medium-sized publications. Judges’ comments were: “The economy and banking were big news in 2023, and local business got the scoop on how larger issues affected them. When Silicon Valley Bank collapsed, local readers wondered if that could happen in Wisconsin. The coverage gathered bank data to show how the local banks stacked up with the issues that took down Silicon Valley Bank. Another piece helped locals navigate higher interest rates for businesses. A third story looked at the strategy of Wisconsin’s largest bank. Strong sourcing and solid writing made these stories valuable to subscribers.
Reporter Hunter Turpin won a gold award for Best Beat Reporting, Real Estate for medium-sized publications. Judges’ comments were: “Be it about an effort to make Milwaukee’s airport competitive as a viable cargo hub or adding up the exact square footage of unoccupied industrial space about to hit the commercial market, the real estate beat is expertly – and creatively – covered in a holistic way that goes much deeper than acreage and asking prices.
Reporter Ashley Smart won a silver award in the Best Beat Reporting, Tech and Innovation category for medium-sized publications. Judges’ comments were: “There is a thread of entrepreneurial thinking and dogged reporting weaving through this collection of stories. From updating readers on the region’s role in the move to electronic vehicle use to creating a roadmap to the local venture capital landscape, the stories cover it all with great focus and detail.
