News Summary
The Business Journal achieved a historic milestone at the California Journalism Awards 2024, securing 10 first-place and 7 second-place awards. Recognized for its excellence in various categories, the publication highlighted its diverse reporting, including best newsletter and in-depth agricultural coverage. The awards reflect The Business Journal’s commitment to high-quality journalism in California.
California – The Business Journal achieved a historic milestone at the California Journalism Awards in 2024, winning a record total of 10 first-place awards and 7 second-place awards for its exemplary journalism published throughout the year. The prestigious awards were announced at a ceremony hosted by the California News Publishers Association over the weekend, highlighting the publication’s impact and dedication to high-quality reporting.
The accomplishments of The Business Journal extended beyond first-place recognition, as the publication also received various third-place accolades and additional honors. Competing against weekly newspapers with a circulation between 4,301 and 11,000, The Business Journal demonstrated a diverse range of reporting excellence across various categories.
Notably, the publication excelled in the “Best Newsletter” category, securing a first-place award for its “Executive Dining Guide.” Other newsletters, such as “Real Estate Weekly” and “Daily Update,” also garnered recognition, finishing third and fourth, respectively. In the “Agricultural Reporting” category, The Business Journal was particularly dominant, winning first place for in-depth coverage of significant events at Central Valley Meat and layoffs at the Cargill beef plant in Fresno. The publication also earned third and fourth places for its stories concerning avian flu and farmland selloffs.
In the “Technology Reporting” category, The Business Journal’s insightful articles on artificial intelligence secured first place, while a story featuring the Black-owned tech company Quiq Labs earned second place. The publication’s online presence was recognized as well, with the website winning first place in “Home Page Layout & Design.” Additionally, Cecilia Lopez, the lead graphic designer, received first place for her illustrations related to the Farmer’s Almanac and INC 5000.
In terms of print design, the team claimed second place for “Print Front Page Layout & Design.” Reporter Frank Lopez showcased his reporting prowess, winning first place in the “Coverage of Business and the Economy” category for his work on employment issues for individuals on the spectrum. He also secured third place for another report on the Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation, with additional recognition for his coverage of a global IT outage in 2024, which earned fifth place.
Lopez further triumphed in the “Labor Reporting” category, winning first place for a piece examining union membership dynamics during ‘Labor Summer,’ utilizing data from local labor unions. His reporting on cooperation between a Fresno engineering firm and Fresno State won first place in the “Coverage of Youth and Education” category, while Estela Anahi Jaramillo, a former reporter for The Business Journal, received third place for her story on college partnerships.
Another significant highlight was the first-place win for the “Made in the Central Valley 2024” manufacturing supplement in the “Print Special Section” category, along with an award for the publication’s “Print Special Section Cover.” In the “Tourism/Travel Writing/Reporting” category, Ben Hensley earned second place for his article on local tourism spending, while he also received second place in the “Fine Arts Writing/Reporting” category for his coverage of local music teachers.
The series chronicling the Scannell warehouse project in Fresno placed second in “Housing and Land-Use Reporting.” In the realm of food writing, the publication earned third place for a story on Yolked Kitchen and fifth place for a piece on a former journalist’s return to their family donut shop. Additionally, The Business Journal secured second place in the new “Audience/Community Engagement Award” for its annual program “60 Ideas in 60 Minutes.” The publication’s sports coverage also stood out, with reporter Dylan Gonzales earning second place for a piece about a local developer’s nostalgic trip to a baseball game, while Jaramillo’s story about a Fresno State athlete’s experience with Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights captured fourth place.
Lastly, Lopez’s story titled “From Clovis to Paris, via Egypt: Local manufacturer to make Olympic debut” won third place in “Breaking News.” The Business Journal also garnered third place for the new “Social Media Innovation Award.” Other local news teams including Fresnoland, Valley Voice, and GV Wire also received awards, illustrating a robust field of journalism in California.
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