The Quad Cities Regional Business Journal received three prestigious awards from the Alliance of Area Business Publishers (AABP) annual Editorial and Design Excellence Competition.
The QCBJ, part of the Corridor Media Group in North Liberty, Iowa, won Silver in the Best Newspaper – Small Tabloids category as well as Gold for Best Beat Story, Economics and Finance, and Gold for Best Beat Reporting, Tech and Innovation.
The QCBJ’s sister publication, the Corridor Business Journal, received two awards including the Most Improved Publication overall and a Silver in the Best Explanatory Journalism category for Richard Pratt, CBJ business reporter. The 2023 Editorial Excellence Awards marked the first time the startup QCBJ was eligible to compete.
The awards, presented this week at the AABP’s annual conference in Detroit, were accepted by the company’s founders and owners, John and Aspen Lohman. The AABP represents 57 regional and local business publications in the United States, Canada and Australia.
“The QCBJ is one of the most experienced newsrooms in the entire Quad Cities,” Mr. Lohman said. “These awards just validate the tremendous reporting that our news staff has accomplished since we launched the publication in 2021.”
In the Best Newspaper category, the QCBJ took Silver behind San Fernando Valley Business Journal, which won Gold. The Greater Wilmington Business Journal won Bronze.
Earning the QCBJ’s Best Newspaper Award was: Jennifer DeWitt, editor; Kenda Burrows, senior reporter; Dave Thompson, content editor; Becky Lyons, vice president of operations and design; and Julia Druckmiller, graphic designer.
In their remarks, the judges said: “This newspaper, launched last year by an independent family-owned company, shows how an upstart can excel with local community coverage and strong use of photos. Printing this on glossy, high-quality paper ensures that each issue will have a longer shelf life.”
The Best Beat Story, Economics and Finance category included stories written by Ms. Burrows, Ms. DeWitt and freelancer Steve Tappa. “Strong pieces explain the economic impact of events, such as the economic impact of a local hockey franchise, the upgrade of a new dam, and a thorough examination of what benefit would come from a new film commission effort,” the judges noted. “All pieces provide ideas for area business owners on how to profit from change.”
The Best Beat Story, Tech and Innovation, included stories by Ms. Burrows, Ms. DeWitt and freelancers Jan Touney and Jim Elias.
The judges said this about the QCBJ: “Who’s to say 16th Century technology isn’t innovative? Excellent explanatory reporting on the upgrades to locks and dams along the Upper Mississippi River anchors a strong collection of enterprise stories that demonstrate the publication’s broad definition of innovation.
“The beat is well covered by a diverse team of staff and freelance journalists enterprising meaningful stories about everything from modernizing waterways to immersive technologies, to the transformation of an abandoned library into one of Iowa’s cutting-edge buildings,” the judges wrote.
The AABP competition is coordinated and judged by faculty at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. The competition’s purpose is to encourage a high level of journalistic performance and service to communities by recognizing editorial excellence and outstanding visual presentation in regional business publications.
