Two technology publications — Computerworld and SC Magazine — were named trade Magazines of the Year in a contest sponsored by the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE). Its release states:

“Computerworld beat out nine other finalists to win the prestigious award. Judges selected the magazine as the winner in the over-$2-million-in-revenues category due to its nice design, great use of illustrations, organization, and clean look. One judge said the magazine was ‘amazing for a weekly publication,’ and another said ‘it tackles timely issues and it’s well done.’

SC Magazine won in the under-$2-million category for its ‘clean design’ and ‘well organized layout.’ One of the judges said, ‘you know where you are in the publication,’ while another complimented the magazine for its quick, easy pullout data and number of entry points for the reader. The publication also won for its ability to cover relevant topics and as one judge put it, ‘to get the job done.’”

SC Magazine’s audience is IT security professionals.

The finalists were:

$2 million or more in revenues:

– Architect

– Associations Now

– Bloomberg Businessweek (Honorable Mention)

– Building Design + Construction

– CFO

– Computerworld (Winner)

– HR Magazine

– Overdrive

– Restaurants & Institutions

– Security Management (Honorable Mention)

Less than $2 million in revenues:

– Chain Leader (Honorable Mention)

– Emergency Management (Honorable Mention)

– Exhibitor Magazine

– Move

– Oregon Business

– Residential Architect

– SC Magazine (Winner)

– Strategy+ Business

– Vineyard & Winery Management

– Wearables

Founded in 1964 and now based in Wheaton, Ill., ASBPE is a professional association for editors and writers employed by business, trade, association and professional magazines,  newsletters and online publications.

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Tech guru Amy Webb’s training site for journalists, Knowledgewebb.net, is offering a free Webinar called, “10 Steps to a Tech-Savvy You,” from 2-3 p.m. EDT on Aug. 5.

“Think of it as a digital media makeover,” Webb writes in an e-mail.  “This Webinar will outline the 10 steps — and critical websites, social networks and gear — to help you become more tech savvy. We’re also offering a primer on how to manage information overload.  As always, attendees will receive notes, worksheets and a list of recommended tools….We hold a few free Webinars a year with more than 500 participants — and we always run out of space because our sessions are so popular. More details, along with registration, are here.”

Knowledgewebb has another free Webinar on Aug. 25 from 2-3 p.m. EDT called, “Getting Started: Mobile Reporting & Publishing.” The site says, ”So you bought the iPhone 4. Did you know that it can be used to produce rich multimedia stories, interactive slideshows and even audio broadcasts in real-time?  This Webinar will show you how to get started using your mobile phone to report and publish stories, whether you’re using an iPhone, an Android, Palm or BlackBerry.” To register, click here.

If you like the training  and want to join Knowledgewebb to get more, click here as a BusinessJournalism.org reader to get a 31 percent discount off the annual rate of $129.

If you’re looking to polish your computer-assisted reporting (CAR) skills, the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism has two free, daylong workshops coming up. “Be a Better Business Watchdog — CAR for Business Journalists” will be co-presented with Investigative Reporters and Editors in Atlanta on Oct. 11 and Milwaukee on Nov. 9. The morning will consist of hands-on training in the basics of Excel spreadsheet software, while the afternoon will highlight useful databases for business reporters and how to download them. Space is very limited, and registration is required.

IRE also has boot camps coming up in mapping at the University of Missouri in Columbia from Aug. 13-15 and in CAR at San Diego State University from Aug. 16-20. While not free, IRE offers a sliding-scale for tuition, depending on the size of your news organization. The weeklong CAR session focuses on Excel for two days and the Access database software for three days.

Speaking of mapping, here’s a cool story about how The Philadelphia Inquirer used mapping to track unemployment claims in its area.

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Effective Sept. 1, Needleman will oversee all editorial content in the magazine and a new lifestyle section, for which she has been serving as a consultant. Needleman will report to Mike Miller, senior deputy managing editor of the Journal.

“Deborah has shown in the originality, professionalism and energy of her development work in recent months that she is the perfect person to lead the next phase of the magazine’s expansion and to create a Saturday section unique in both character and content,” said Robert Thomson, editor in chief of Dow Jones & Company and managing editor of The Wall Street Journal.

“I am thrilled to be taking on this role at the Journal,” said Needleman. “There is great momentum and energy at the paper, and a mandate for innovation, and I am excited to be a part of it.”

WSJ. magazine launched in September 2008 and covers fashion, art, travel, philanthropy, architecture, and food. It is published six times a year.

The next issue of WSJ. magazine is scheduled to appear on Saturday, Sept. 11,the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

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This coworking space was provided by osmosoft. Photo by Flickr user psd.

The extreme heat rolled into New York City last week and with it came the reminder that the remaining weeks of my internship are running thin.

Before the extreme heat made it almost impossible to lug my camera and tripod around the New York City subway system, I covered a story that got me thinking about the future of the business environment.

When I read about the growing trend of co-working communities, I knew it would be a fun video to do for the business news site I’m working for. Little did I know, it would also help to open new doors in my own creative process.

Sunshine Suites in New York City is one of many co-working communities in cities across the country that offer more than office space to their members. Entrepreneurs I interviewed said they prefer the community a co-working environment offers over working at home or in a rented office space. They enjoy being surrounded by other start-up CEO’s with whom they can collaborate or turn to for advice.

The following week while I was slaving over a BP timeline I had pushed my producer to let me do, I decided to ask for some help from my very talented co-workers.

I have never been one to shy away from admitting my weaknesses and asking for advice, but this time was a bit different. I didn’t feel so protective of my BP package but instead realized that for it to be the best it could be, I would feel all right about putting two names on the byline.

It didn’t really come down to that – I created the package almost completely by myself. But being able to make the shift in my comfort level over co-creating was a small maturation for me inspired by a simple story.

Now that’s what I call getting inspired by your stories.

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The editor will be part of the Emerging Markets, Bonds, Stocks and Currencies team based in New York and will be responsible for “helping shepherd interviews with prominent money managers and investment strategists, along with covering major movements of bonds, currencies and stocks.”

The ideal candidate should have experience editing feature stories, a background in business journalism and an understanding of emerging economies.

To learn more, visit the full job posting at JournalismNext.com .

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The paper is looking for a reporter to join its business team. They want a journalist who is comfortable with telling in-depth stories and reporting on topics outside the business beat.

Applicants should have anywhere between two to seven years of journalism experience, but the paper will consider beginners if their skills match the position.

For more information, check out the full job posting at JournalismJobs.com.

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Pam Luecke, Reynolds Endowed Chair in Business Journalism at Washington and Lee University, teaches Fellow Buck Ryan from the University of Kentucky in the 2010 Business Journalism Professors Seminar at Arizona State University. Photo by Molly Smith.

The Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism invites AEJMC attendees to apply for an all-expenses-paid, four-day seminar on how to teach a college course in business journalism.   

The fourth annual Business Journalism Professors Seminar will be held Jan. 4-7, 2011, at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication in Phoenix.   

Limited to 12 prospective professors, the fellowships, valued at $2,000, cover the full cost of training, lodging, materials and most meals. In addition, fellows receive a $500 stipend to help offset travel and other costs.  Application deadline is Nov. 1.

This seminar will cover the essentials of teaching a hands-on course, including financial, economic and writing aspects. It is an opportunity for prospective business journalism professors to learn from experienced instructors and journalism professionals, with follow-up after the seminar ends as well.

  A 2008 participant, Roger Desmond, professor of communication at the University of Hartford, won a university award for innovation in teaching for starting a business journalism course. The award “came with some extra money for research and travel, and of course, I owe it all to you!” he wrote.    

The sessions will be led by award-winning professors and journalists, including James Gentry, journalism professor at the University of Kansas. Gentry received the Barry Sherman Teaching Award from AEJMC.    

A highlight of the week will be a panel discussion with the legendary investigative-reporting duo of Don Barlett and Jim Steele, along with the 2010 winners of the Reynolds Center’s Barlett & Steele Awards for Investigative Business Journalism.    

 The selection process is highly competitive, and applicants must e-mail the following as Word attachments to Cassandra.Nicholson@BusinessJournalism.org:    

•  A letter explaining their interest and credentials to teach business journalism
• A resume
• A one-paragraph bio
• A letter of support from their dean or department head outlining the program’s commitment to offering a course in business journalism. 

For more information, e-mail Andrew Leckey, president of the Reynolds Center and Reynolds Endowed Chair in Business Journalism at ASU, or call him at 602-496-9186.   

The call for entries will be announced at AEJMC’s 2010 Denver Convention Aug. 4-7.

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The St. Louis Post Dispatch's website, stltoday.com

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the largest newspaper in the Lee Enterprises chain , is searching for an editor to lead its coverage of business and the economy.

The ideal candidate is an innovator, collaborative leader and a person who understands the business community.

Here are a few more details about the type of applicants the paper is looking for:

We want candidates who have the combined reporting/editing background and expertise to shape and guide sophisticated business coverage for print, online and mobile audiences. Candidates must possess well-honed skills in developing watchdog, enterprise and analytical reporting, and they must understand competition and urgency in breaking news on multiple platforms.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch has a weekday circulation of 209,000 and a Sunday circulation of 400,000. For information on how to apply, check out the full job listing at Poynter.org.

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Freelancer Jan Greene won a second-place award from the Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ) for a story looking at options for small hospitals to survive. The article ran in Trustee magazine, a trade publication targeted at boards of directors for hospitals.

The story relays how solutions such as partnerships and mergers worked for other hospitals.  

“In reporting, I’m looking to go beyond the standard advice and think about the real questions a board would face, the real political and financial challenges of deciding whether to affiliate with a bigger organization,” Jan says. “It’s a service piece with a to-do list, but you can still raise bigger picture questions in that context.”  

 Her story says:  

“Grinnell [Regional Medical Center] is facing an increasingly common scenario. More than a third of America’s hospitals are rural, but in the past decade, 65 percent of those have chosen to become critical access.  

“That leaves much of the rest as tweeners, existing in an increasingly hostile economic climate. It’s hard to borrow; it’s hard to get physicians to live in small towns, and it’s hard to afford staff with the expertise to deal with such complexities as Medicare’s RAC program that will force hospitals to document their billing practices to an unprecedented degree.”  

AHCJ judges said,  “Rich reporting and lucid writing take this story beyond the specialized realm of its audience and show how hospitals are grappling with a problem that should be of concern to the general public.”

Today’s Tip: You don’t have to compromise your journalistic principles to work for the trades, Jan says.

“As many freelancers know, the trade press is a varied beast. I do straight journalism, and so do the publications I work for,” she says. “There’s plenty of good work being done at sponsored publications; as a freelancer, you just have to keep your eyes open and draw the lines where you need to.”

Here are some tips for breaking into trade magazines as a freelancer.

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Kathy Lynn (left) is a reporter for The Record, Liz Weston (middle) is a columnist for MSN Money and Kathy Kristof (right) is a blogger for CBS Moneywatch

When tackling a personal finance story, there’s a lot more to consider than being frugal or shopping smart. At least that’s the consensus of a panel of veteran personal finance reporters who talked with the Reynolds Center recently.

The world of personal finance contains a wide spectrum of topics and is of interest to a variety of readers who look for stories or personal finance help at different stages in their lives.

Reporters who land on the personal finance beat can cover a range from smart ways to take out student loans to planning for a baby to refinancing a home. Different stories will apply to different people, and our panel reminds us that it’s important for a personal finance reporter to remember to write for each  audience.

STORY IDEAS

But where do you find the ideas? And after you get started, how did you keep those ideas coming?

A couple of things our veterans agree are useful include: reading as many publications as you can, talking to friends about their financial situations and being responsive to reader questions. Other tips they shared included taking classes on finance and using real life to generate good story ideas.

Personal finance reporters should be writing stories that are actually going to benefit an average reader, someone who knows a little bit about finance but not enough to make big decisions on their own. Complicated stories Stories about complicated processes that only someone with a PhD in finance would understand have no place in the personal finance world., they say.

TIPS FROM OUR EXPERTS:

KATHLEEN LYNN is a real estate reporter for The Record in New Jersey who covered personal finance for many years.

• Make things clear and simple. Delving into topics like hedge funds that few people will get into is not helpful to your readers. Personal finance is not overly complicated. Anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to sell you something.
• Read every day, even your competition. I used to read Morningstar, Money, Kiplingers, Wall Street Journal and bankrate.com.
• A personal finance beat does not mean you have to report on every new product banks or financial institutions roll out. If something is ground-breaking, it might be worth checking out, but a promotion at your local bank is not worth coverage.
• Make things as simple and clear as possible. Even highly educated people are intimidated by managing their money. Break terms and procedures down for your readers to aid comprehension.

This artistic piggy bank was created to help teach about personal finance. Photo by Flickr user dbking

LIZ WESTON is a columnist for MSN Money and runs her own personal finance blog. She’s been covering personal finance for years and has been called the most-read personal finance columnist on the Internet.

• Weston’s first editor in personal finance used to joke that there were only about 12 personal finance stories and they were constantly recycled. But actually, she said, personal finance is such a broad area – encompassing budgeting, credit, elder-care, estate planning, insurance, investments, retirement planning, taxes and on and on – that it isn’t really tough to find something new going on somewhere.
• Feedback from readers on her blog and Facebook page helps Weston keep in touch with industry experts. She also stresses reading lots of other publications.
• Right now, reporters need to be writing about mortgage modifications, changes in the banking and credit card industries, student loan debt and financial advisers.
• The best thing she says she did was take the Certified Financial Planning training course at a local university. Next was to find sources among the fee-only financial planners who are members of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors.
• Finally, Weston said, read Bob Sullivan’s book “Stop Getting Ripped Off,” or at least the first part of it that talks about financial literacy and the fact that six out of 10 Americans can’t add together the cost of two menu items and figure a 10 percent tip. People struggle with the basics, so find a creative way to explain yourself.

KATHY KRISTOFF writes the blog Devil in the Details for CBS Moneywatch and is also a columnist for the LA Times. She said one of the best things for a personal finance writer to do is make lots of friends. That’s where the stories come from.

• Talk to friends, family, strangers or anybody with stuff on their minds. Use the Internet, too. It is a huge tool, but remember that much of it can be wrong. Also, answer all of your e-mail. People contacting you can be invaluable sources for stories.
• Personal finance is only interesting when it’s happening to you. Each story I write has a target market. You have to realize that one person is not going to read everything you write, but odds are everything will get read by multiple people
• Look beyond the obvious and report very carefully. Always make that extra phone call, you never know what things you’ll find by accident.
• There are no real tricks, succeeding is just a matter of working harder and smarter. It’s easy to think you already know something, but the world changes every day.

NEIL DOWNING is a personal finance reporter for the Providence Journal in Rhode Island. Finding story ideas for the past couple of years has not been difficult, he said. Sometimes story ideas just seem to fall in his lap.

• Choose a national issue, then find one or two local businesses or individuals that are affected.
• Limit the amount of time you spend in the newsroom. Interview real people and local experts.
• A few questions to help find stories: Who’s unemployed, and why? Will the jobs ever come back? Will federal unemployment benefits be extended? How about the federal subsidy for health insurance under COBRA? How are jobless people making ends meet? How are state labor agencies coping with the onslaught of calls and e-mails regarding unemployment benefits? How much will employers have to pay to bail out bankrupt state unemployment insurance trust funds?

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