Business Journal reporter wins national gold

Frank Lopez, a reporter at The Business Journal in California’s Central Valley, won a national gold award this month for coverage of local reaction to immigration enforcement that rippled through the region’s farm economy. The publication said May 20 that Lopez took gold in the small dailies category for Best Coverage of Local Breaking News at the 2026 Alliance of Area Business Publishers Editorial Excellence Awards. The winning work covered January reports of Border Patrol activity and the fear, work absences and protests that followed in parts of the Central Valley. Judges said the stories showed “strong sourcing and vivid details from farmers” as labor disruptions spread through the agricultural community. ### Which award did Frank Lopez win, and for what reporting? The Business Journal said Lopez won gold in the small dailies category for “Best Coverage of Local Breaking News” at the 2026 AABP Editorial Excellence Awards. The stories focused on how immigration enforcement reports and social media rumors affected workers and employers in the Central Valley in January. (thebusinessjournal.com) Judges, according to the publication’s account of the award, praised the reporting for documenting “the immediate fear and labor disruptions” affecting the agricultural community. The awards slideshow highlighted two Lopez stories, including one on migrant fears, work absences and protests, and another on panic tied to rumored raids in Kern County that officials said did not involve U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (thebusinessjournal.com) ### What did the judges say stood out in the immigration coverage? A judge’s comment published by The Business Journal pointed to sourcing and on-the-ground detail. The judge said Lopez’s reporting used farmers’ accounts to show how quickly fear spread through the region after the January enforcement activity and related rumors. (thebusinessjournal.com) The January stories were rooted in a business-news frame as much as a public-safety or political one. The judge’s reference to labor disruptions underscored that the reporting tracked the effect on farm operations and attendance, not only the enforcement response itself. That framing comes from the judge’s comment and the article’s description of the winning entries. (thebusinessjournal.com) ### How does the Hanford diabetes startup fit into this awards story? Ben Hensley and Dylan Gonzales were named by The Business Journal as winners of a silver award in the Best Beat Reporting, Economics and Finance category. The entry package included a story on My Diabetes Tutor, a Hanford-based diabetes education company that received a public endorsement from “Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary. (thebusinessjournal.com) The December 23, 2025 story said O’Leary invited founder Dr. Prem Sahasranam to pitch My Diabetes Tutor on StartEngine and endorsed the company’s equity crowdfunding campaign. The company aimed to raise between $1.3 million and $2 million, had raised $300,000 in its first three days, and was valued at $18.06 million, with Series A preferred shares priced at 93 cents each. (thebusinessjournal.com) ### What other awards did the publication receive? The Business Journal said it also won two silver awards and one bronze at the AABP contest. In addition to the economics-and-finance beat award, the publication received silver for Best Overall Design in the small tabloids category, with Gabriel Dillard, Cecilia Lopez and Israel Meave named on the entry. (thebusinessjournal.com) The economics-and-finance judges said the stories handled “a variety of stories with a clear voice,” according to the publication’s May 20 report. The cited package paired banking-regulation coverage with the Hanford startup profile and a story on citizenship verification for Small Business Administration loans. (thebusinessjournal.com) ### How do these awards fit into the broader business-media calendar? The American Society of Business Publication Editors, which runs the Azbee Awards, said the 2026 competition drew more than 740 entries judged by 83 editors, freelancers, designers and journalism professors. ASBPE said regional winners were announced April 10, national finalists were announced April 22, and national winners were honored May 14. (thebusinessjournal.com) ASBPE said its Azbee Awards recognize B2B media across 59 categories in print, digital, design and online publishing. The group has scheduled ASBPEvolve 2026, its virtual editorial conference, for June 16-18. June 16 is the next dated milestone in that awards cycle, when ASBPEolve 2026 is set to begin online, according to ASBPE. The conference follows the May 14 national Azbee presentation and is expected to include sessions with winners discussing their work. (asbpe.org) (asbpe.org)