1999 News: Best in Business Winners Announced

Society of American Business Editors and Writers Inc.
Contact: Frank Brill,
(914) 694-5021

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The Society of American Business Editors and Writers has named the winners in its fifth annual Best in Business and Spot News contests.

More than 230 entries from daily newspapers, business weeklies and wire services entered the contests, which recognized the best overall publications and deadline reporting in business journalism during 1998.

Eighteen newspapers were named Best in Business for overall excellence, and seven were recognized for certificates of merit.

Eight news organizations were named Best in Business for spot news coverage. Five were recognized for honorable mentions. The category recognizes news organizations that produced superior work under tight deadlines.

The SABEW Best in Business contest was started in 1995 to help set standards and recognize role models for outstanding business journalism.

Awards will be presented Sunday, May 2, at the Freedom Forum in Arlington, Va., during SABEW's Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. Winning sections will be on display throughout most of the conference at the Wyndham Washington Hotel. Additional information about the conference and SABEW is available on the Internet ( www.sabew.org).

Best in Business winners for overall excellence, by category and in alphabetical order are:

I. Newspapers with circulation 350,001 and above
-- The Boston Globe
-- The Dallas Morning News
-- Los Angeles Times
-- USA Today

Judges: John Brecher, page one editor, The Wall Street Journal; Robert Safian, managing editor, Money magazine; and Mark Vamos, business editor, Newsweek magazine.

II. Newspapers with circulation 225,001-350,000
-- Rocky Mountain News (Denver)
-- San Antonio Express-News
-- SunSentinel (Fort Lauderdale)

Certificate of Merit Winners: The Detroit News, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Omaha World-Herald, The Tampa Tribune.

Judges: Joseph Winski, Chicago bureau chief, Bloomberg News; Jane Light, editor-in-charge/equities, Reuters America; Jim Siepman, financial copy chief, Chicago Tribune.

III. Newspapers with circulation 100,001-225,000
-- Hartford Courant
-- The Montreal Gazette

Certificate of Merit Winners: Austin American-Statesman, Contra Costa Times.

Judges: Bill Roberts, Washington bureau chief, The Journal of Commerce; Jon Talton, executive business editor, The Charlotte Observer; Thomas F. O'Boyle, assistant managing editor/features, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

IV. Newspapers with circulation under 100,000
-- The Bakersfield Californian
-- The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, Calif.)
-- Reno Gazette-Journal
-- The Times of Northwest Indiana

Certificate of Merit Winner: The Durham Herald-Sun

Judges: Bob Hetherington, business editor, Memphis Commercial Appeal; Brahm Resnick, business editor, Rochester Democrat & Chronicle; Jessica Korn, adjunct professor, Columbia University School of Journalism.

V. Business Weeklies
-- Atlanta Business Chronicle
-- Cincinnati Business Courier
-- Los Angeles Business Journal
-- Philadelphia Business Journal
-- San Francisco Business Times

Certificate of Merit Winners: Denver Business Journal, Puget Sound Business Journal

Judges: Scott Fagerstrom, business editor, Union-Tribune (San Diego); Cathy Taylor, vice president/editorial director, Orange County Register, Santa Ana, Calif.; Mike White, business reporter, The Associated Press (Los Angeles); Wesley Mann, editor, Investor's Business Daily.

Best in Business Spot News winners, by category and in alphabetical order are:

I. Newspapers with circulation over 350,001
-- The Wall Street Journal ("New World Order")

Honorable Mentions: Philadelphia Inquirer ("Bankruptcy and Sale for Allegheny"); Star Tribune, Minnesota ("Tobacco Settlement")

II. Newspapers with circulation 225,001-350,000
None

III. Newspapers with circulation 100,001-225,000
-- The Birmingham (Ala.) News ("Bruno's Chapter 11")
-- Richmond Times-Dispatch (two awards) ("Flue-cured Leaf Quota Cut
by 18 Percent" and "Motorola Puts Chip Plant on Hold")

Honorable Mention: The Gazette, Colorado Springs ("West Pac Workers Wait")

IV. Newspapers with circulation up to 100,000
-- Durham (N.C.) Herald-Sun ("Mitsubishi Semiconductor to Close")
-- The Times of Northwest Indiana ("Inland Sold")

Honorable Mention: The Register-Guard, Eugene, Ore. ("Monaco will add 200 jobs")

V. Weeklies
-- Crain's Detroit Business ("Rising Son Casts Shadow")
-- Investment News (New York city) ("Yacktman Battling to Dump Directors")

VI. Wire Services
-- Bloomberg News ("Travelers/Citicorp Merger")

Honorable Mention: Reuters ("Former Employee Says Acer Bowed to Microsoft")

Spot News Judges: Becky Bisbee, business editor, Austin American-Statesman; Steve Dinnen, finance editor, Family Money; Ralph Vartebedian, deputy business editor, Los Angeles Times; Jim Schachter, Sunday business editor, The New York Times.

The Society of American Business Editors and Writers, Inc., headquartered at the Missouri School of Journalism, is an association of more than 3,000 business journalists in North America. Formed in 1964 to promote superior coverage of business and economic events and issues, it is the only business journalism association for editors and writers.