DBusiness Repeats as No.2 Regional Business Magazine in U.S., Seven AABP Awards Overall

The Alliance of Area Business Publishers presented DBusiness with the Silver Award for Best Magazine in the country, along with six other medals, as part of the annual Editorial and Design Competition for 2021 coverage. The winners were announced on June 11 at AABP’s Summer Conference in Columbus, Ohio.
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Tim Keenan, managing editor of DBusiness, received Gold for Best Body of Work, Single Writer and the Silver Award for Best Personality Profile of Roger Penske at the The Alliance of Area Business Publishers 2022 awards. // File Photo
Tim Keenan, managing editor of DBusiness, received Gold for Best Body of Work, Single Writer and the Silver Award for Best Personality Profile of Roger Penske at the The Alliance of Area Business Publishers 2022 awards. // File Photo

The Alliance of Area Business Publishers presented DBusiness with the Silver Award for Best Magazine in the country, along with six other medals, as part of the annual Editorial and Design Competition for 2021 coverage. The winners were announced on June 11 at AABP’s Summer Conference in Columbus, Ohio.

It was the second year in a row DBusiness received the Silver Award for Best Magazine in the U.S.

The regional magazine awards included two Gold and five Silver medals for DBusiness, including Silver for Best Overall Design; Gold for Best Body of Work, Single Writer to Tim Keenan, managing editor of DBusiness; and Gold for Best Explanatory Journalism to Norm Sinclair for his report on Michigan’s auto insurance legislation called “Short on Reform.”

DBusiness also received Silver awards for Best Personality Profile of Keenan’s feature of Roger Penske called “The Captain;” Best Investigative Reporting for Sinclair’s “The Flint Settlement” which covered the Flint lead water pipe crisis; and Best Bylined Commentary to DBusiness Editor R.J. King for his “Letter From the Editor” columns.

For the Best Magazine Silver award, the AABP judges stated about DBusiness: “Clean, compelling covers open into a magazine that is robust in content and tone. The magazine displays incredible range — with lively CEO profiles, intelligent analysis of Michigan’s economy, introductions to venture capitalists, and deep dives into the Flint water crisis. The Ticker section and recurring departments such as Commentary, Compendium, and Closing Bell help complete a full picture of Detroit business life. Page after page offers impressive depth, authority, and creativity.”

For Keenan’s Gold medal for Best Body of Work, Single Writer, the judges wrote: “Writing stories that are reader favorites is an art and science. Detroit’s biggest sports story was the aftermath of the Lions trading quarterback Stafford to the Rams. But reporter Tim Keenan looked beyond the Lion’s perennial poor performance into the value of the franchise itself — resulting in a lot of grist for sports talk radio.

“In Keenan’s hands, a report on the notoriously mum financial community turned surprising — that despite COVID-19, venture capitals were able to do 70 deals totaling $514 million. And showing versatility, his interview with Roger Penske showed the vulnerable side of the racing giant. A further example of his adaptable style was a well-researched and easy-to-read report on the future of the Michigan economy in a post-COVID-19 world.”

The magazine’s other Gold Medal for Best Explanatory Journalism by Sinclair called “Short on Reform,” was noted for the following: “Covering insurance reform certainly can be challenging. In this article, the reporter uses anecdotes, interviews, and documents to show why Michigan’s no-fault auto insurance law has been so difficult to change without causing further harm to injured drivers.”

Former DBusiness Art Director Austin Phillips was cited for Best Overall Design. The judges stated: “A typographic design fit for billionaires, a retro illustration, and a bright and engaging photograph of a motorsports legend provide a wonderful variety of design solutions. Impactful department splash pages, strong page compositions with a plethora of visual entry points, fun illustrations, and unique feature designs all delight readers and provide a noteworthy visual experience from cover to cover.”

Keenan’s Silver award for Best Personality Profile of Penske called “The Captain” included the following: “A story beyond the racing industry, this profile shows a behind-the-scenes of the legendary Roger Penske. Through an easy-to-follow timeline and descriptive adjectives, the writer does a great job explaining how and why “The Captain” made a difference in the racing business. The descriptive, supporting quotes and untraditional portraits set this story apart from typical personality profiles.”

Sinclair was selected for the Silver medal for Best Investigative Reporting on the settlement of the Flint Water Crisis. The judges wrote: “This story provides tons of great context and is clearly written and well told. It covers a lot of ground clearly and with great details.”

Another Silver award went to King for his “Letter From the Editor” column that appears in every issue. The judges provided the following summation: “The commentaries on green spaces downtown, getting people back to work, and the Ford Innovation Complex provide interesting visions of what the future could bring to the city. The articulate and fact-based articles champion solutions and ideas to move the business community forward, leaning on optimism to approach possibilities.”

Below are links to the features cited by the judges.

—  Gold for Best Explanatory Journalism, “Short on Reform” by Sinclair

Silver for Best Personality Profile, “The Captain” by Keenan

Silver for Best Investigative Reporting, “The Flint Settlement” by Sinclair

Last year, DBusiness magazine received three Gold, three Silver, and one Bronze awards in the 2021 Alliance of Area Business Publishers Editorial and Design Excellence Competition for its work in 2020. The citations included the Silver medal for Best Magazine in the country.

DBusiness magazine is part of Hour Media in Troy. Hour Media and its related entities are multi-media companies that publish and produce more than 150 magazines and custom titles, 40 consumer websites, and 70 shows and events throughout the United States. Hour Media Group is the largest publisher of city and regional magazines in the country. The company has offices in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio, with more than 300 employees across the country.