A screenshot from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel series "A Case of Shattered Trust."

A story by Raquel Rutledge and Rick Barrett that won the Barlett & Steele Silver Award for 2011 has been selected to be part of the “Best Business Writing 2012,” a book to be published in June by Columbia University Press.

Rutledge and Barrett, reporters at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, received the silver award in the 2011 Barlett & Steele Awards for Investigative Business Journalism for their series “A Case of Shattered Trust.”

Details in their own words about of their investigation into one of the nation’s largest manufacturers of alcohol wipes describing filthy conditions at the plant nearby are in this behind-the-story account.

Dean Starkman, editor of the Columbia Journalism Review’s The Audit and one of four editors for the Best in Business book, said this about the collection of business writing:

“The Best Business Writing 2012,” is as the name implies, the first of what we’re hoping to be an annual series that collects, well, the best. We want these books to highlight great journalism about business (and finance and
the economy) in all its diversity: from muckraking exposes (like this one) to classic corporate profiles, economics writing, business columns, blog posts, whatever. The publication or medium really doesn’t matter.

We’re now at work collecting — and soliciting — candidates for “BBW2013″. If you-all do, or see, anything we should know about, send me a note.”

Starkman’s co-editors in “The Best Business Writing 2012″ are Martha Hamilton, Ryan Chittum and Felix Salmon.

Eagle Market in Globe opened in the 1920s. This was taken in the 1950s. Photo submitted by Diana Carey Hines

• Arizona’s 100 years in business

Arizona turns 100 on Feb. 14 and a team of print and web journalists have been scurrying for months to pull together fun and educational ways to celebrate the event.

This crowd-sourced package of photos will interest business journalists … or anyone interested in business or the Southwest.

The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com turned to their readers to gather photos representing business in Arizona.

From the editors:

“Our requests for vintage business images to help commemorate Arizona’s 100th birthday on Feb. 14 resulted in a deluge of historic photo submissions from throughout the state.”

Betty Beard, who pulled the project together shared details about photos and other memorabilia that came in from residents: Old photos capture Arizona. “I was touched at how many people dug out photos from scrapbooks, closets, drawers and picture frames and took the time to scan and e-mail them,” Beard said. “Unfortunately, we can only offer a sampling of what is out there.”

Arizona became a state on February 14, 1912. It was the last of the 48 contiguous states to be admitted to the union.

Keep posted at @azcentral on Twitter. I hear that from Feb. 14, followers will be in for a historic treat.

David Brancaccio, PBS.

We’ll chat live with David Brancaccio, a special correspondent for Marketplace’s Economy 4.0 and host of the Marketplace Index, on Tuesday, Jan. 31, from 11:30 a.m-12:15 p.m. ET.

Brancaccio, a broadcaster for 33 years, was previously the anchor of public television’s NOW, an award-winning newsmagazine of investigative reporting and in-depth interviews. He also hosted California Connected.

Before joining PBS, Brancaccio was a Marketplace’s European correspondent based in London. He hosted the public radio program from 1993 to 2003. Among his beats: politics, human rights, national security, the environment, health care, and science policy.

From his Marketplace biography:

“Brancaccio specializes in telling stories important to our economy and our democracy through the eyes of the real people who live in the cross hairs of crucial issues. His accessible yet authoritative approach to investigative reporting and in-depth interviewing earned his work the highest honors in broadcast journalism, including the Peabody, the Columbia-duPont, the Emmy, and the Walter Cronkite awards.

A new version of Brancaccio’s public television special about Main Street as an engine of economic innovation called “Fixing the Future” will soon be a feature-length documentary.  He is author of a book about Americans applying their personal values to their money, entitled “Squandering Aimlessly.”

Brancaccio has a bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University and a master’s degree in journalism from Stanford University.  He has appeared on CNBC, MSNBC, and BBC television and his newspaper work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the BaltimoreSun, and Britain’s The Guardian.”

Tuesday’s chat will be on CoverItLive.  You can register below and we’ll send you a reminder as the time nears.

Come back on Tuesday with questions for Brancaccio.

“If you listen to commercial radio, this is not news: Katy Perry had a huge year. She went No.1 five times. She was the most played artist on the radio. But the record industry is so weird, it’s hard to know whether this kind of success translates into huge amounts of money.

So we asked.”

 

And ask she did.  Chace put together a very entertaining and informative radio story that was obviously sparked from her own curiosity about the music industry.   She mixed, numbers, music, humor and comes up with a smart and entertaining story that was the highlight of my drive-time today.

See what you think: Text story,  Katy Perry’s Perfect Game |  Listen to the story.

A National Post headline focused on the words of an Italian Coast Guard chief.

By some web accounts, that command translates roughly to “Get back on board, damn it!” and the man who issued it, Coast Guard officer Gregorio De Falco, appears fast on his way to becoming the Tuscan equivalent of Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, the U.S. Airways pilot who made several searches of his airship and was the last to leave the plane he had to ditch in New York’s Hudson River. 

Like Sullenberger, and in contrast to Schettino who’s being vilified for leaving his ship ahead of passengers, De Falco is being hailed as a no-nonsense, straight-talking hero and champion of maritime ethics.  Someone created a Facebook page that pays homage to him — my rudimentary Italian translates some comments as “you’re a real man,”  “I’d like to virtually shake your hand” and “You showed great professionalism.”  (There’s another Facebook page for Vada a bordo, cazzo! ) As with Sullenberger, I forsee speaking engagements, consulting work and maybe a book contract in this man’s future.

None of which would have much to do with financial journalism except that this story clearly is going to play out as one with terrific potential for marketing, public relations, damage control and disaster preparedness stories.  Some, like the merchandise angles, are interesting and head-turning in and of themselves — others you can localize by finding ties to experts in your community or parallels to companies and individuals that have weathered man-made disasters of their own.  

Maybe your’e in the Gulf Coast region, for example, and it’s time to take another look at the environmental, economic and image rehabilitation efforts by BP and other entities involved in the oil spill crisis.  Maybe your area is home to an amusement park or factory or transportation firm involved in accidents or malfunctions.  Or a product problem, like recent years’ meat recalls, or even marketing gaffes like Netflix’s shortlived Qwikster foray.

Social media and camera phones.  One aspect of the Costa Concordia disaster highlights new problems for companies attempting damage control: The pervasive and swift power wielded by patrons and onlookers with social media tools.  According to some reports, a Facebook posting by the relative of a crew member was one clue that the deviation from the cruise ship’s planned route may have been a deliberate ‘drive-by greeting’ attempt by the vessel’s captain.  We’ve all seen the camera phone photos and videos of the sinking under way; this sort of unfettered and uncontrollable public ‘speech’ by both onlookers and participants is really pretty new to the corporate damage control scene.  You might want to talk with local experts and consultants about how companies are changing strategies based on their inability to control images and messages as much as in past eras.

Here’s a piece from Ragan’s PR Daily noting a study that says most companies are not prepared for a social media crisis; reading it will help you formulate questions for consultants and corporate social media gurus in your region.

The Titanic.  I’d hoped to hold off on Titanic anniversary blog posts for a while longer, but it wasn’t meant to be.  As this Associated Press article points out, we’re not too shy of the 100th anniversary (April 12) of the ill-fated ocean liner’s sinking.  From a business standpoint, you might want to check eBay, Etsy, Zazzle and other online grass-roots retailers (many let you search by ZIP code for local merchants) to find people attempting to cash in on the anniversary.

Technology.   As has been pointed out, the Costa Concordia, like other cruise ships, operates on a sort of autopilot that steers it through a programmed course.  That comes as a surprise to many people; can you find local examples — like robots in a warehouse, or amusement park rides, or cargo trains or other conveyances that rely on innovative technology to steer, drive, park or even land themselves?   It’s rather a tenuous tie but the technology is apt to intrigue people who are drawn in by the story of a doomed state-of-the-art mechanical wonder like the Concordia.

Tourism.  Are would-be cruisers canceling or changing plans in favor of land-based and domestic vacations?   It can’t hurt to check with area tour operators, lodging and hospitality companies about any uptick in inquiries or reservations.  Same goes for travel insurance firms — will they get a boost from vacationers with visions of their jewelry, bankroll and belongings consumed by unexpected disaster?

Opportunism and opportunities.   There’s nothing wrong with earning an honest sale or profit, and the sinking of the Concordia doubtless will create an economic boost for contractors ranging from the Dutch fuel salvagers to ship-breakers who will dismantle the carcass.

Not to be outdone by overseas competitors, one CafePress purveyor already is selling ‘Vada a bordo!’ mugs, bumper stickers and  T-shirts; I predict more to follow.  Books and speaking engagements for survivors, disaster preparedness seminars, you name it — keep an eye out for entrepreneurs looking to grab their piece of the action from an unexpected, chillingly picturesque and larger-than-life manmade fiasco.

Results of ProPublica’s 2011 Reader Survey

According to the participants, their primary source of news is:

• Online – 68%, compared to 605 in May 2010 survey and 53% in December 2008.
• Print newspapers – 13%, down from 19% last year and 25% in 2008.

ProPublica readers use social media: 74% regularly use Facebook, 38% Twitter, 37% Google+ and 34% LinkedIn.

Richard Tofel, who wrote up the survey for ProPublica, said, “The results aren’t scientific, but the large sample does likely indicate that they’re meaningful.”

You know about the last-minute shopping stories, the gift-card policy round-ups and other old favorites (and there’s a reason they are; they’re useful to our audience) – but if you’re looking for the glimmer of a few more ideas, here are few:

Food-service firms.  I’ve noticed  a few of employee cafeterias at private workplaces offering prime-rib lunches and other festive fare around this time of year; check with companies like Aramark and other food-service vendors about their vendors’ demand (or lack thereof for) for special holiday workplace lunches.  How does a cafeteria contractor put on a prime rib lunch for $7.99 – what are the economies of scale, the purchasing tips and are such menus goodwill-inducing loss leaders or money makers for the cafeteria firms?

Don’t forget the economics of providing treats and celebratory meals at institutions like hospitals, schools and  yes, even jails and prisons, as this San Antonio Express article from Thanksgiving alludes to.

Perishables. On a related note, this is the week when durables bow to consumables, from champagne to pistachios to pineapples to Christemas goose.  You can’t go wrong with a feature about what the holiday season means to area grocers, butchers, wine merchants and other purveyors of meals and treats.  Remember caterers, restaurants, food co-ops, local artisanal meat and dairy growers, farm markets, bakeries, vineyards and other sources of gourmet treats when you’re writing about the holiday boost.  Progressive Grocer is a goldmine of holiday ideas related to supermarkets and other merchants.

How are the elves holding up?  I’ve long advocated developing a local “Santa index” by polling area jolly old elves about what they are hearing from kids.  As this Associated Press article indicates, Santa visits can indeed be an informal economic indicator and it’s not too late to ask your area’s mall Clauses about what they’re hearing..

Meanwhile, what’s the status of the traditional mall picture-with-Santa concession?  Has the advent of digital imaging killed the allure of a moment on the knee of Santa, coaxed into a smile by a pointy-shoed photo technician?  This nostalgic annual encounter, memorialized in pop culture from “Miracle on 34th Street” to “A Christmas Story” may be a dying tradition as consumer demand fizzles out

Other workplace issues.  Vacation policies, seniority squabbles about rights to precious holiday-related vacation days, working on Dec. 25 and other contentious issues — how has the trend toward 24/7 retail/transportation/IT availability changed the face of the Christmas Day workforce?  Is it a given in today’s job market that workers will comply?  Are middle-aged employees being forced to work days that formerly were the purview of entry-level novices?

Return policies/After-Christmas sales.  These are self-explanatory; just remember the stories are more helpful to readers before Dec. 24 rather than after.

Tourism and other post-holiday delights.  With Christmas and New Year’s Eve falling on weekends this year, how are resorts and tourist enclaves capitalizing on the calendar’s serendipity?  Are they seeing any uptick?ve

New Year’s Eve.   Bars, restaurants, party/function venues, liquor stores, fashion boutiques, babysitting services — all can serve as a bellwether of sorts.  How do “Welcome 2012″ celebration bookings bode for the year ahead?

Jumping on the sleigh.  I’ve seen holiday-shopping promos from odd sources like dermatologists (Merry Microdermabrasion specials!) to the local electric utility.  What unlikely companies are jumping  on the spending-mania bandwagon and what great deals are out there for savvy shoppers?

Second-hand stores. Whether a sign of the economy or just the demand for vintage goods, it’s a market worth checking into as Christmas Eve draws nigh.  Check out local Criaigslist and Freecycle offers and requests, too, for a read of the pulse of your local used-items market.

Andrea Davis oversees content for the Indianapolis Business Journal's website, which won a 2011 EPPY Award.

The Indianapolis Business Journal won an Editor & Publisher EPPY award, which honors the best media-affiliated websites, for Best Business/Finance Website with under 250,000 unique monthly visitors.

Andrea Davis, who oversees online content, says there are no secrets on how the paper produces its online news. It’s all about experience.

“There’s no real secret to our success—we’re just trying to use our print journalism sensibilities online,” she says.

The paper competes again a daily newspaper, several TV stations and a website that summarizes news (and news releases) from throughout the state, Andrea says.

“We make every effort to give our readers something they can’t get from our competitors, whether it’s an exclusive story or the kind of context that often gets lost in the rush to be first,” she says. “We’re finding that readers are turning to us not just to learn what happened, but why it happened and what happens next.”

Today’s Tip: Organize your online news around beats.

Andrea says the website is organized by topic so that different industries, counties and companies have their own pages. “Our readers can stay current on the subjects they’re most interested in. Our four blogs also are organized around beats: real estate, sports business, small business and A&E,” she says.

Bloomberg Blog tells us today that Bloomberg.com is going to focus on reporting on sustainability from the business executives’ point of view.

The new section will be in addition to The Grid, a daily blog about energy issues and the environment.  The business focus on sustainability will look at environmental issues as long-term strategies in the corporate world, efforts to gain a “competitive advantage in innovation, efficiency, reputation, and ultimately performance.”

From the blog post:

“The goal is to uncover what businesses are doing, or what they need to be doing, to thrive as global competition intensifies for strategic resources. We feel this is a unique yet critical way to report on sustainability issues – from inside the companies who are defining it.”

The Bloomberg Sustainability Team will be led by editor Eric Roston, author of “The Carbon Age.” You can follow him on Twitter: @eroston 

The discussion came to a head in June, when Washington Post magazine columnist Gene Weingarten used his column — How ‘branding’ is ruining journalism — to say why he’s against journalists taking the time to brand.  It comes from a man I see that has had the luxury to build his personal brand during his almost 20 years at the Washington Post.

Reaction to the Weingarten column was swift, and came from all quarters, including: Steve Buttry, Director of Community Engagement & Social Media, Journal Register Co.; Owen Youngman, Knight Professor of Digital Media Strategy at Northwestern University’s Medill School; Jim Romenesko of the Poynter Institute; Jennifer Gaie Hellum, creator of the Brand Me A Journalist blog; and me, over at the NABJDigital blog.

I have a brand – Aviation Queen – but I didn’t create it. My brand was created by the industry that I’ve worked in since 1992, so I decided to run with it.  After all, I already stand out in aviation as the only female of color covering the industry.  I can’t hide, even if I wanted to.

I bought the domain name AviationQueen.com and use it for my blog. I created a Facebook fan page (which is dormant right now), a Twitter account (@AvQueenBenet) and a Flickr account (Aviation Queen). I have a Google Profile and a LinkedIn page, and I even spent money on my logo (from Julia Edwards Design) and had separate business cards made, via Vistaprint.  So why did I do all this?

• You have unique knowledge to showcase: If you cover a beat regularly, you get to know the ins and outs of your industry, along with its players.  That leads to expertise, which leads to things including speaking engagements;
• Your Company/industry sees you as invaluable: With your knowledge base, you’re seen as an expert and a valuable contributor; and
• Your brand can save you: I learned this up close and personal after I was laid off from Aviation Week last month after a great five-and-a-half year run. Thanks to my brand and social media, I received some great job leads (and expect to be hired very soon) and a healthy amount of freelance work.

I had the pleasure of moderating branding panels at the National Association of Black Journalists Annual Convention and Career Fair in August and at the Online News Association convention in September.

My panelists at both sessions – Natalie ”The Frugalista” McNeal, AP race reporter Washington, Today Show/CNN tech journalist and guru Mario Armstrong, Reuters social media editor Anthony DeRosa and Tumblr media evangelist Mark Coatney – all have their own styles, but there’s something we can learn from all of them when it comes to journalists branding themselves.