The Business Journal Achieves Record Wins at California Journalism Awards

Categories: California Business NewsCalifornia News

The Business Journal celebrates its success at the California Journalism Awards.

News Summary

The Business Journal celebrated its largest haul at the California Journalism Awards, winning 10 first-place and seven second-place awards. Recognized for excellence in reporting, particularly in categories like Agricultural, Technology, and Labor Reporting, the publication showcased its commitment to quality journalism. Awards were also given for innovative digital presence and engaging print content, reinforcing the importance of local news.

California witnessed a notable achievement over the weekend as The Business Journal celebrated its largest-ever collection of accolades at the annual California Journalism Awards. In 2024, the publication secured an impressive total of 10 first-place awards and seven second-place awards for various journalistic endeavors. The honors were presented by the California News Publishers Association, emphasizing the publication’s commitment to quality reporting within the region.

The impressive award tally positioned The Business Journal among the top competitors within the category designated for weekly newspapers with a circulation ranging from 4,301 to 11,000. This year’s achievements reflect not only the efforts of the publication’s staff but also the relevance and depth of their reporting in addressing pressing local issues.

Among the standout categories was “Best Newsletter“; The Business Journal’s “Executive Dining Guide” was honored with a first place, while “Real Estate Weekly” and “Daily Update” garnered third and fourth places, respectively. In the realm of “Agricultural Reporting“, the publication triumphed with a first-place award due to its coverage of significant developments such as Central Valley Meat’s acquisition and the layoffs at the Cargill beef plant in Fresno. Additionally, it received awards for its reporting on avian flu (third place) and farmland selloffs (fourth place).

The publication also excelled in “Technology Reporting“, where it earned a first-place award for a comprehensive story package focusing on artificial intelligence. The second-place award in this category recognized a story covering the Black-owned tech firm, Quiq Labs. Recognizing its engaging digital presence, The Business Journal’s website was awarded first place in “Home Page Layout & Design“. Cecilia Lopez, a lead graphic designer, received first place for her illustrations related to the Farmer’s Almanac and INC 5000.

In the category of “Coverage of Business and the Economy“, reporter Frank Lopez achieved first place with a story highlighting employment opportunities for individuals on the spectrum. Additionally, Lopez was honored with a third-place award for his investigation into the Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation, while the publication’s coverage of a global IT outage secured fifth place in the same category. Frank Lopez also showcased his versatility by winning first place in “Labor Reporting“, drawing attention to union membership during ‘Labor Summer’ through the use of local data.

The publication’s strong coverage extended to “Coverage of Youth and Education“, where Lopez won first place for capturing the collaborative efforts between a local engineering firm and Fresno State. Estela Anahi Jaramillo, a former reporter for The Business Journal, was awarded third place for her exploration of college partnerships in the education category.

In the “Print Special Section” category, The Business Journal celebrated success with its “Made in the Central Valley 2024” manufacturing supplement, which received first place. The team’s dedication to print media was further recognized with a first-place award for the “Print Special Section Cover“.

Overall, Ben Hensley showcased his writing skills by earning second place in the “Tourism/Travel Writing/Reporting” category for his piece on tourism spending and also captured a second-place award in “Fine Arts Writing/Reporting” for highlighting local music teachers. The insightful coverage of the Scannell warehouse project in Fresno was acknowledged with a second-place award in the category of “Housing and Land-Use Reporting“.

In the food writing domain, The Business Journal placed third for a piece featuring Yolked Kitchen and fifth for a piece about a former journalist’s return to a family donut shop. The publication also received a second place in the newly introduced “Audience/Community Engagement Award” category for its annual initiative “60 Ideas in 60 Minutes”. In the “Sports Feature Story” section, reporter Dylan Gonzales earned second place for his narrative on a developer’s nostalgic baseball game experience, while Jaramillo’s story regarding a Fresno State athlete’s engagement with NIL rights achieved fourth place.

The recognition continued with Lopez’s piece titled “From Clovis to Paris, via Egypt: Local manufacturer to make Olympic debut” placing third in the “Breaking News” segment, showcasing the publication’s comprehensive coverage of significant local and global events. Furthermore, The Business Journal received third place for its innovative approach with the new “Social Media Innovation Award“, reflecting its adaptability in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

These honors not only highlight The Business Journal’s journalistic integrity but also reinforce the value of local news reporting. Other local news teams, including Fresnoland, Valley Voice, and GV Wire, also received recognition during the event, demonstrating a vibrant and committed local news community.