DBT wins 7 Delaware Press Association awards

WILMINGTON – Delaware Business Times won seven awards in the 2024 Delaware Press Association contest, including placement in three categories.

The latest honors build off of a foundation of consistent wins in state, regional and business publications over the last four years.

“With local journalism under more pressure than ever before, we are honored to be recognized for the quality of our reporting and expansive coverage of Delaware’s business community,” said Michael Reath, publisher of Delaware Business Times.  “I can’t thank our editorial team enough for producing so many great stories that reach record numbers of readers online and in print each week.  We appreciate this special recognition from the DPA.”  

Jacob Owens Former Editor

Former Editor Jacob Owens, who left the outlet in late January, and current Editor Katie Tabeling, ranked in second and third place in a vast array of categories in the contest that honors print journalism, television, radio, public relations and fiction.

Owens won second place for an obituary on David “Dave” Pogge, a former Mountaire CEO who guided the poultry company to become a Top 20 meat producer and a Top 10 poultry producer in the United States. 

Owens also placed third for his July column “Will we ever return to the office as we knew it?” That editorial examines the challenges that employers faced as they tackle a return to the office following the COVID-19 pandemic and some strategies to overcome it.

Meanwhile, Tabeling placed third in the business category for “Coworking spaces in Delaware growing to meet demand” which explored the boom in coworking spaces as employers considered downsizing their office space. 

Katie Tabeling
Editor

She bested Owens in the same category on a piece titled, “Has a booming Delaware housing market killed the starter home?” That story studied the contrast in rising prices in homes and salaries of residents in the First State.  It earned an honorable mention in the category.

Tabeling was also awarded third place in the food category for “Pilot restaurant program hopes to address recidivism,” where she took a closer look at an innovative partnership that aimed to get formerly incarcerated people working in local restaurants.

She received two honorable mentions; one for in-depth reporting on “Downtown Dover plan starts to take shape” and one for a personality profile that focused on Ernie Delle Donne of Delle Donne & Associates in DBT’s recurring “In the C-Suite” feature.

The seven awards continue to build upon DBT’s foundation of award-winning success at the foundation. In 2023, the publication won 10 awards, including best print or online publication of the year.