The Corridor Media Group, parent company of the Corridor Business Journal and the Quad Cities Regional Business Journal, took home seven total Editorial and Design Excellence awards from the Alliance of Area Business Publishers’ annual international competition, this year hosted by Greater Wilmington Business Journal in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Both the Corridor Business Journal and the Quad Cities Regional Business Journal competed in the small publications category.
The Corridor Business Journal (CBJ) was awarded silver in Best Newspaper.
“This entry offers deep dives into local issues facing the business community, such as renewable energy, tariffs and AI,” the judges stated. “The cover story on how youth sports and the complexes needed for them offers an interesting perspective and strong local reporting. Covers are branded, providing a consistent look, while interior design is clean and easy to navigate.”
The CBJ also brought home four first place gold awards:
- Best Scoop: “$28M foreclosure ruling sends iconic Iowa City properties to auction”; Annie Smith Barkalow, reporter
Judges commented: “The story was published four days prior to official announcement, with other outlets following their coverage. The article was well written and clearly identified barriers that prolonged the project and outlined how innovative the company’s strategy was. In addition to highlighting property discussions, the piece did an excellent job of wrapping in critical housing discussions concerning mixed used development for these structures that many cities face.” - Best Feature Story Series: Corridor Business Journal; “Energy in Iowa Story Series”; Richard Pratt, senior reporter
Judges commented: “This well-researched, well-sourced series digs deep into Iowa’s growing energy needs. Journalists looked in unpredictable corners to uncover the causes behind energy shortages, and they examine emerging practical solutions to meet demand and secure the state’s energy future.” - Best Beat Reporting, Tech and Innovation: Corridor Business Journal; Richard Pratt, senior reporter, Annie Smith Barkalow, reporter
Judges commented: “Pratt and Barkalow deliver a clear-eyed and deeply relevant exploration of how artificial intelligence is moving from hype to practical application in a regional economy. Their reporting stands out for its range—from local governments deploying chatbot tools to improve public service, to major infrastructure investment from global players like Google, to businesses testing real-world uses of AI beyond the buzzwords. What distinguishes this package is its balance of scale and specificity. The reporters connect billion-dollar investment trends with on-the-ground adoption, showing how smaller municipalities and regional companies are navigating both the promise and limitations of emerging technology. The result is nuanced, authoritative journalism that cuts through the noise around AI and delivers a grounded understanding of how innovation is actually unfolding in communities—not just in theory, but in practice.” - Best Bylined Commentary: Corridor Business Journal; “Iowa City Community School District must protect our teachers”; John Lohman, CEO
Judges commented: “We often hear talk of school safety and violence prevention, but seldom do we hear it from the vantage point of teachers and staff as we do in this piece. This commentary is well written with plenty of facts and details to back up its stance that there is a lack of consequences when the students are the offenders of workplace violence.”
The CBJ’s original podcast, Real Success with Nate Kaeding, earned a silver award for Best Podcast. This award included all AABP member publications, regardless of size or circulation category.
“The standout element of this podcast is host Nate Kaeding’s affable personality and his ease with the show’s guests,” the judges said. “While the podcast features a wide variety of voices from the Iowa business community, Kaeding is able to seemingly effortlessly connect with each, leading to conversations that feel not just insightful, but candid and genuine.”
The Quad Cities Regional Business Journal was recognized with one award: Silver in Best Beat Reporting: Tech and Innovation.
This competition is coordinated and judged by faculty in the University of Missouri School of Journalism. The purpose of the competition is to encourage a high level of journalistic performance and service to communities by recognizing editorial excellence and outstanding visual presentation in regional business publications.
