Utah Valley Magazine and Utah Valley Bride took first and second place for best cover design in the Utah chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists competition. In total, Bennett Communications received eight awards from the Society of Professional Journalists in 2017.
“We love being a part of this community,” said Jeanette Bennett, editor and co-owner of Bennett Communications. “We are grateful that we get to meet and write about all the talented people in Utah Valley.”
The SPJ awards are a peer-reviewed competition judged by fellow journalists. In April, all Utah media outlets turned in entries for some of their best, most journalistic pieces. On June 15, winners were recognized at a banquet in Salt Lake City.
In September 2013, Bennett Communications added a daily news site to its family of glossy magazines. UtahValley360.com provides daily content featuring local news, sports, LDS stories and humor.
The Orem-based magazine publisher owns multiple magazines, including Utah Valley Magazine, Utah Valley BusinessQ and Utah Valley Bride. Bennett Communications also creates magazines for the Utah Valley Parade of Homes, Fiesta Days, Utah Association of Realtors, The Layton Companies, and numerous clients in the network marketing industry.
The annual SPJ contest brought in 860 entries from various media outlet platforms throughout Utah. Read some of the award-winning articles below.
Utah Valley Magazine
Magazine: Best Cover Design
2nd place – May/June 2016 cover (Donny Osmond) by Dave Blackhurst and Jeanette Bennet
What the judges said: “A clean look with order. Background compliments the subject, especially with that black suit. Strong photography and makeup.”
Magazine: Feature Story
3rd place –”Head of the Glass” by Jeanette Bennett
Best Graphics: Best Single-Page Design
1st place – January/February 2016 cover (Gardner Quad Squad) by Dave Blackhurst, Jeanette Bennett
Graphics
3rd place –”Not forgotten in the flames” by Dave Blackhurst
Utah Valley Bride
Magazine: Best Cover Design
1st place – 2016 Utah Valley Bride by Alyssia B Photography, Dave Blackhurst, Briana Stewart, Jeanette Bennett
What the judges said: “Do I love this front cover? I do, I do, I do. Best in show. A truly remarkable cover. A daring shade of gray against the bride’s dress. How could that possibly work, but it does brilliantly and adds to the simplicity and elegance of the piece. Photograph of model is NYC quality as is the makeup and hair. A strange light green color for the title? Ugh, except that it’s subtlety, while clearly marking the title, plays third fiddle to the bride as it should. Great design balance. Nice choice of black fonts clearly teasing the reader to three main stories. This is a drop-dead cover which is what a bride would have to be not to pick up this title. While it did not impact my judging, this special publication is so very different from the regularly published Utah Valley making it a tougher cover to invent. There are so many bridal titles out there. I’d compare this cover anywhere, anytime with anyone. Note to publisher, honor thine staff.”
UtahValley360.com
Div. A: Religion/Values
2nd place – “LDS woman organizes race to help fellow recovering porn addicts” by Rebecca Lane
Div. A: Sports Deadline Reporting
2nd place – “The accidental alliance between BYU basketball and Gonzaga” by Rebecca Lane
What the judges said: “The second place entry did a nice job dealing with serious allegations against a local team. The piece is detailed, clear and balanced.”
Div. A: Sports Column
Honorable Mention: “Stand with Sitake: Why I support BYU’s 2-point conversion decision against Utah” by Rebecca Lane
What the judges said: “Winning entries were timely, insightful and engaging. Opinions were well supported.”