The Corridor Media Group, parent company of the Corridor Business Journal and the Quad Cities Regional Business Journal, took home nine total Editorial and Design Excellence awards from the Alliance of Area Business Publishers’ annual international competition.
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.
“An exuberant Caitlin Clark cover photo provided a great entry point for a compelling feature on Clark’s impact on sports marketing,” the judges noted. “Each issue highlighted important trends, such as the increased need for orthopedic health care, as well as entertaining features on small businesses and now wildly successful businesses.”
The CBJ’s story “The Caitlin Clark effect” by Richard Pratt, was awarded gold in Best Feature Single Story.
“The inspirational value of this story is enormous, and the writer accomplishes this by deftly capturing the personality, drive, skills, accomplishments and extraordinary promise of Caitlin Clark, the rising superstar out of Iowa. Not only is the scope of the reporting about her impressive, but the writing is thoroughly engaging. To have produced such a comprehensive, perceptive profile before Clark even reached her prime is a class act,” the judges noted.
Mr. Pratt’s story “Linn County Gaming, Peninsula Pacific to again seek gaming license for Cedar Rapids casino” was awarded silver in Best Coverage of Local Breaking News.
“The reporter did a wonderful job of showing how the community has remained steadfast in their position, beliefs and desires to bring more revenue to the town despite opposition,” the judges noted. “The story clearly articulates the tensions between the community and government.”
The CBJ’s story “Striking curiosity: Union support grows, membership numbers decline” by Annie Smith Barkalow, also was awarded silver in Best Explanatory Journalism.
“The reporter does a great job localizing national trends about Gen Z workers,” the judges noted. “Clear writing and nice selection of anecdotes make this a fun read.”
The CBJ earned another gold award Best Beat Reporting: Tech and Innovation. This award is a reflection of the CBJ newsrooms’ teamwork in covering a specific beat.
“Clear structure, strong storytelling and good sourcing allow this package to make difficult stories look easy,” the judges noted. “The articles stretch across the state to report on a nurses’ innovation program, dive decades into the past to uncover local innovations in radio and satellite communications, and make the nexus of medical insurance and AI understandable to the layperson.”
The CBJ’s original podcast, Real Success with Nate Kaeding, earned a bronze award for Best Podcast. This award included all AABP member publications, regardless of size or circulation category.
“This is down-to-earth podcast illuminates the character of the movers and shakers in Iowa. Nate Kaeding’s persona on mic is approachable and conversational, fostering candid conversations with the guests, ” the judges noted. “Kaeding’s connection with the Midwest shines through, and the familiarity serves the mission of the podcast well.
This is the podcast’s third award in the last 10 months, having won Best Business Podcast at the 2024 Iowa Podcast Awards and second place in Best Podcast at the 2025 Iowa Newspaper Associations Awards.
The Quad Cities Regional Business Journal was recognized with three awards: Silver in Best Beat Reporting: Tech and Innovation and bronze in Best Newspaper and Best Overall Design.
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.
