American Banker won two honors at the 63rd annual Jesse H. Neal Awards ceremony in New York last week.
The publication received the Best News Coverage Award for its analysis of the Wells Fargo scandal, and Washington Bureau Chief Rob Blackwell was recognized with the Timothy White Award for editorial leadership. Bestowed by Connectiv, The Business Media Association, the Neal Awards recognize and reward editorial excellence in business media.
American Banker’s coverage of the Wells imbroglio extended well beyond the day’s headlines, delving deep into the implications of the scandal, not only for the bank but for the industry as a whole: How would the scandal affect the cross-selling strategies and sales incentives at other institutions? Would it fuel anti-bank sentiment in Congress and elsewhere? What could other companies learn from Wells’ PR missteps?
The Timothy White Award, established in 2002, recognizes business editors whose work continually displays courage, integrity and passion. In his acceptance speech, Blackwell, who is also SourceMedia’s Group Editorial Director for Regulatory Policy, said: “We’re here to tell the truth without fear or favor. To cut through the noise and spin and produce rock-solid reporting and analysis, and then stand on that rock. The truth will always be our best and most effective ally.”
Another SourceMedia brand, Financial Planning, garnered four Neal awards, including Best Website and Best Media Brand.
See also:
Culture, Incentives at Wells Fargo in Question After $190M Settlement (Sept. 8, 2016)
Why Aren't Exec Heads Rolling at Wells Fargo? (Sept. 9)
Wells Fargo Case Throws Harsh Spotlight on 'Managing to Metrics' (Sept. 12)
Can Wells' Stumpf Survive Storm Over Phony Accounts? (Sept. 14)
'You Should Resign': Stumpf's Rough Day on Capitol Hill (Sept. 20)
Phony Accounts Go Beyond Wells Fargo, Policymakers Fear (Sept. 20)
How Wells Fargo Mishandled a Reputational Crisis (Sept. 22)
Lawmakers Ratchet Up Demands for Wells: Break It Up (Sept. 29)
Without Cross-Selling, Will Wells Have to Scale Back Branches? (Oct. 13)
Wells Fargo Fiasco Lays Bare a Broken Identity System (Oct. 20)
