Journalists celebrating their achievements at the California Journalism Awards.
The Business Journal achieved a remarkable feat at the 2024 California Journalism Awards, winning 10 first-place awards, the highest in its history. Along with other recognitions, the publication demonstrated its commitment to quality journalism across various categories, including newsletters, agricultural reporting, and technology. With a focus on impactful stories that resonate with the community, The Business Journal continues to set standards in local journalism, engaging audiences and addressing significant regional concerns.
California – The Business Journal achieved a record-breaking recognition at the 2024 California Journalism Awards, securing a total of 10 first-place awards during the annual ceremony held over the weekend. This marks the largest number of accolades received by the publication to date, reflecting its commitment to quality journalism and excellence in various categories.
In addition to the ten first-place awards, The Business Journal also earned seven second-place awards, along with additional third-place and other recognitions, showcasing a broad range of achievements in journalism. The competition for these awards was intense, with The Business Journal competing against other weekly newspapers boasting a circulation of 4,301 to 11,000.
One of the standout categories was “Best Newsletter,” where The Business Journal excelled. The “Executive Dining Guide” newsletter won first place, demonstrating its impact and prominence. Other newsletters like “Real Estate Weekly” and “Daily Update” also received recognitions, with third and fourth places, respectively. This success highlights the publication’s strong engagement with its audience through compelling content.
In the realm of agricultural reporting, The Business Journal distinguished itself by winning first place for its thorough coverage of significant issues such as Central Valley Meat’s acquisition and layoffs at a local Cargill beef plant in Fresno. The publication’s commitment to key local concerns was further evident, as it received third place for its reporting on avian flu, along with fourth place for articles discussing farmland selloffs.
The technology sector was another area of recognition, with The Business Journal winning first place for a detailed story package focused on artificial intelligence. This was complemented by a second-place win for a feature on the Black-owned tech firm Quiq Labs, highlighting the publication’s commitment to inclusive coverage of important technological advancements.
Website design also received accolades, as the businessjournal.com earned first place in the “Home Page Layout & Design” category. Cecilia Lopez, the lead graphic designer, secured first place for her creative illustrations associated with the Farmer’s Almanac and INC 5000. The design team’s efforts were acknowledged in the “Print Front Page Layout & Design” category as well, where they received a second place recognition.
Reporting on business and the economy, Frank Lopez, a notable reporter for The Business Journal, took home first place for his impactful story focusing on employment opportunities for individuals on the spectrum, as well as third place recognition for an article about the Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation. Lopez’s coverage of a global IT outage also garnered fifth place honors in the same category, emphasizing the diversity of topics covered by the publication.
Lopez further showcased his journalistic prowess by winning first place for his work in labor reporting, focusing on union membership during ‘Labor Summer,’ supported by data from local labor unions. In the “Coverage of Youth and Education” category, Lopez earned first place for a story detailing collaborative efforts between a Fresno engineering firm and Fresno State University. Additionally, former Business Journal reporter Estela Anahi Jaramillo received third place for her story on college partnerships, indicating The Business Journal’s broad reach across educational topics.
Further acknowledging the publication’s excellence, the “Made in the Central Valley 2024” manufacturing supplement won first place in the “Print Special Section” category, along with first place for its cover. In travel and tourism writing, Ben Hensley’s article garnered second place for discussing tourism spending in the local area. Hensley also earned second place in “Fine Arts Writing/Reporting” for profiling local music teachers.
The Business Journal’s ongoing coverage of the Scannell warehouse project in Fresno led to a second place finish in the “Housing and Land-Use Reporting” category, showcasing the publication’s dedication to important community developments. Additionally, in food writing and reporting, it received recognition for a piece on Yolked Kitchen and another story about a former journalist returning to a family donut shop.
The publication’s engagement initiatives were recognized as well, as it secured second place for the new “Audience/Community Engagement Award” for its annual program “60 Ideas in 60 Minutes.” In the sports feature story category, reporter Dylan Gonzales earned second place for his nostalgic take on a local developer’s trip to a baseball game, while Jaramillo’s coverage of a Fresno State athlete’s experience with NIL rights received fourth place accolades.
Lastly, Lopez’s breaking news piece titled “From Clovis to Paris, via Egypt: Local manufacturer to make Olympic debut” won third place in the breaking news category, and The Business Journal garnered third place for its innovative use of social media in a new award category. The recognition awarded to The Business Journal at the California Journalism Awards serves to validate its strong impact on the local community, reinforcing the importance of quality journalism in today’s fast-evolving media landscape.
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