WILMINGTON – Delaware Business Times won nine awards in the 2021 Delaware Press Association contest, including five first place awards that will be entered into a national competition.
Both editor Jacob Owens and reporter Katie Tabeling earned first place awards for coverage across a spectrum of categories in the contest that honors print journalism, television, radio, public relations, novel writing, and more.
“I couldn’t be prouder of our team for the extraordinary quality and quantity of work that they have produced over the past year,” said Michael Reath, publisher of the Delaware Business Times. “Recognition from the DPA affirms the positive feedback we’ve heard from readers and community members alike. We’re honored to be included in the 2021 group of honorees.”
Owens won first place for a business story for his July cover story “How the deal for Delaware’s largest building got done,” which explored the history behind the revitalization of the General Motors Boxwood plant in Newport that is set to become one of Amazon’s largest facilities in the country this summer and the largest building in the state.
He also earned an honorable mention for business coverage with his June story “Corporate caution may slow Wilmington’s recovery,” which explored the impact that large employer’s office policies had on small businesses that depend upon office workers.
Tabeling earned first place for a food story for her August cover story “Pandemic leaves Delaware craft brewing industry with hazy future,” which explored the lengths that the First State’s craft breweries had to go to in order to keep their doors open through the pandemic.
Owens earned first place for environmental or green technology coverage for his story “Delaware’s renewable portfolio growing out of state,” which detailed how the state’s regulatory framework often benefitted green projects in other states. Meanwhile, Tabeling earned an honorable mention in the same category for her story “A Delaware port could capture growing wind farm industry,” which explored a study that suggested the state could reap business from a new Delaware River port.
Tabeling won first place for science or technology coverage for her August story “Looser COVID restrictions boosts appeal of telehealth services,” which covered the increasing use of telehealth services in the wake of the pandemic.
Owens earned first place for an editorial for an October column titled “Delaware is staring down a crossroads on its R&D future” about the rapid need to build more-intensive lab space in the state.
Finally, Tabeling earned a second-place finish for an agriculture story, “Soybean farmers face growing concern with Chinese market,” while Owens earned second place for a feature story, “Biden presidency will draw Delaware into spotlight.”
