OC Register wins 3 business editors' awards

March 24, 2009 - Business journalists at Orange County Register Communications were recognized with three awards by The Society of American Business Editors and Writers (SABEW), a trade organization that promotes excellence in business journalism.

Follows is a summary of the award categories, associates recognized and related comments from SABEW judges:

Enterprise (large publications category): John Gittelsohn
"Washington Mutual funded home flippers."

Comment from judge: "A fascinating peek into unscrupulous real estate speculation and careless lending practices that contributed to the collapse of California's out-of-control residential housing market. In this thorough investigation, the Orange County Register's John Gittelsohn uncovered excesses that provide insight into the flimsy foundation that underpinned America's historic -- and temporary -- housing and financial boom."

Projects (mid-sized websites category): Ronald Campbell
"Lenders did booming business."

Comment from judge: "Orange County is Ground Zero for the subprime mortgage crisis that engulfed the nation, and analyzing tens of millions of loans in public databases, the Orange County Register did a superb job of documenting the spread of subprimes through distressed counties in southern California and beyond. This was an excellent example of explanatory journalism, making a complex story understandable. The judges especially liked the maps showing the spread of subprime mortgages over successive years in both California and the nation as a whole, and the reader feedback that was showcased in the package."

Blogs (mid-sized websites category): Jonathan Lansner (assisted by reporters Mary Ann Milbourn and Jeff Collins)
Lansner on Real Estate

Comment from judge: "The Orange County Register's real estate blog is a model for others to follow. It is informative, current with the latest analysis on real estate news and trends, visually appealing with good use of graphics and charts and it has a clear focus and is tightly written. The lead writer knows his audience and has clearly developed a loyal following among those who believe that if you care about real estate in Orange County, this is the place you have to go to read about it."

Each winning entry is now being considered for SABEW's first-ever Best of the Best awards, honoring the very best of business journalism produced at newspapers, magazines and websites during 2008. Best of the Best winners will be announced at the 14th annual Best in Business awards banquet on April 27 during SABEW's annual conference in Denver.

Click here to read a related post on ocregister.com, which links to all SABEW winners.