The Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business earned three awards at the Alliance of Area Business Publishers’ 2024 Editorial Excellence Awards on June 21 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

The annual competition, coordinated and judged by faculty in the University of Missouri School of Journalism, recognizes editorial excellence and outstanding visual presentation in regional business publications throughout North America.

The Journal of Business received the following journalism awards in the small publication size category:

Sara Schilling

Best Explanatory Journalism — gold: “Bitter Legal Battle Forces Roasters Ownership Change” by Sara Schilling, reporter.

Judge’s comments: “One local coffee chain changes hands, twice, in short order. Why? Pulling from court documents across two counties, the reporter deftly explains two years of costly legal wrangling in an easy-to-understand way, satisfying the caffeinated curiosity of readers.”

Best Beat Reporting, Real Estate — silver: Sara Schilling, reporter.

Judge’s comments: “Out-of-control housing prices are squeezing Americans across the country, and this region is no different. The reporting here is detailed and creative, especially when it comes to the discussion of accessory dwelling units. Some think they’re the solution to a housing shortage while others say they’ll add too much density to crowded neighborhoods. As the debate heats up in the region, this publication covered it doggedly.”

Best Ancillary Publication — silver: Focus: Agriculture + Viticulture in the Columbia Basin. 

Judge’s comments: “Informative content and unobtrusive design are condensed into a powerful package. With clear display text and headlines, it is clear how each story broadens the readers’ understanding of the area’s agriculture industry. Each story felt deliberate, informative and rooted in the context of the area. The design feels refreshingly, invitingly clean.”

Work submitted for the contest must have first appeared in 2023.