SBJ wins 13 Missouri Press Association awards

Springfield Business Journal received 13 awards at the Missouri Press Association’s Sept. 12 Better Newspaper Contest.

The business journal won three first-place awards, five second-place awards, three third-place awards and two honorable mentions. The awards were handed out in Columbia during the 149th annual Missouri Press Association convention. SBJ falls in the Class 2 Weeklies category for a circulation of 3,001 to 7,000. Columbia-based Missouri Press Association, founded in 1867, represents more than 260 newspapers in Missouri.

SBJ’s first-place awards:
    •    Best Information Graphic: “Boom Town” - Wes Hamilton and Emily Letterman
    •    Best Business Story: “The Money Maze” - Brian Brown
    •    Best Feature Story: “High-tech Heart” - Emily Letterman

Second-place awards:
    •    Best News or Feature Special Section: Year in Review - SBJ Staff
    •    Best Columnist - Serious: Eric Olson
    •    Best Page Design - Wes Hamilton
    •    Best Photo Illustration: Technology place setting - Wes Hamilton
    •    Best Overall Design - Wes Hamilton

Third-place awards:
    •    Best News Story: “Search for the Next Southwest” - Brian Brown
    •    Best Feature Story: “The Ironworker Boomer” - Eric Olson
    •    Best Page Design - Wes Hamilton

Honorable mentions:
    •    Best Business Story: “Search for the Next Southwest” - Brian Brown
    •    Best Investigative Reporting: “Digital Dollars” - Emily Letterman

Ozark-based Christian County Headliner News took home the Gold Cup - the highest honor - for its 25 awards in the Class 2 Weeklies categories. The other Gold Cup winners were the Cassville Democrat, St. Louis Business Journal, Daily Star-Journal, Columbia Missourian and Kansas City Star.