Transport Topics Captures Awards for National, Regional Excellence
ASHINGTON — Transport Topics captured two national awards for journalism excellence in 2002, plus two regional awards.
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(Michael James - TT) |
“We were all extremely pleased at capturing not just some first-place awards, but top honors that reflect this newspaper’s drive to deliver the sharpest possible coverage of government and business news for the trucking industry,” said TT Publisher and Editorial Director Howard S. Abramson.
“During 2002 we pushed a wide range of government coverage all year long, led of course by our treatment of the diesel engine emissions issues that turned the truck equipment market upside down.
“Our readers are greatly interested in what Congress does and the actions that state legislatures take because it greatly influences their businesses. This information can be critical for trucking companies facing further environmental regulations, the possibility of another tax on diesel fuel and new taxes or fees from states trying to supplement their own coffers,” he said.
Abramson added that while TT had won the government coverage award before, “we were proud that ASBPE has also recognized the quality of our overall news section. The reporters, editors and production crew at Transport Topics have tried hard each week to craft a news section that covers the top news and trends our readers should know about, and deliver it in an interesting way.”
At American Trucking Associations, which owns Transport Topics Publishing Group, TT’s parent company, ATA President Bill Graves said that “Transport Topics has long been recognized as the national newspaper of the trucking industry. These awards recognize and add further weight to this statement.
This is a real honor and stands as a tribute to the hard work and dedication of the entire Transport Topics staff.”
Abramson also said “our readers have come to rely on a newspaper of high quality that even our peers among business editors can see, and going forward we intend to keep up the good work.”
Robert Freedman, ASBPE’s national vice president and senior editor for Realtor magazine, said the 2002 awards competition drew 2,200 submissions for editorial and design awards, and nearly 1,400 editorial entries.
Freedman, one of 39 judges, said “our judges know good work when they see it. We had a good story mix.”
Those judges included two university professors, an editor from the Chicago Sun-Times, editorial consultants and editors from business publications throughout the country. Judges, as they have in the past, are not permitted to evaluate their own submissions or discuss them with other judges, said Abramson, who was one this year.
TT had won a national gold for its government coverage in 2000, and picked up seven ASBPE awards in 2001 after being recognized for outstanding contributions in the categories of essays, editorials, columns, graphics and design.
Abramson said the new award plaques would join the others that are displayed at the ATA headquarters in Alexandria, Va.
This story appeared in the June 30 edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.
