Baltimore Fishbowl received 24 awards, together with Salesperson of the Year and 4 Best of Show honors, within the Maryland, Delaware, District of Columbia (MDDC) Press Association Contest this week for works revealed in 2023.
For the primary time, this yr Baltimore Fishbowl competed in Division C, with information publications of an identical viewers dimension. In earlier years, Baltimore Fishbowl competed within the now-defunct Division O, for online-only information retailers.
First- and second-place awards have been distributed inside every division, whereas Best of Show honors have been bestowed upon every class’s high winner total throughout all divisions.
Publisher Nicole Allen received Salesperson of the Year. Allen is a significant driving power behind Baltimore Fishbowl’s funding success, because the information web site’s solely advert salesperson on employees. She got here to Baltimore Fishbowl in 2019 after beforehand working in promoting and gross sales for Baltimore City Paper, Mid-Atlantic Media, and LeapDay Media, amongst others.
“Nicole constantly impresses me along with her distinctive gross sales expertise, dedication to consumer relationships, and deep understanding of the market. She is exceptional,” Baltimore Fishbowl Founding Editor Susan Dunn wrote in her nomination letter for Allen.
Dunn continues, “Nicole possesses a expertise for connecting with purchasers on a private stage, successfully translating their wants into options. Nicole doesn’t merely promote merchandise; she turns into a trusted associate, sustaining common contact earlier than, throughout, and after she closes the sale. Her dedication fosters loyalty and repeat enterprise; purchasers know they’ll depend on her for responsive assist and options. But Nicole’s affect goes past sustaining glorious current relationships. She repeatedly brings recent concepts to the desk, proposing revolutionary options that handle purchasers’ present and future wants. She isn’t afraid to assume outdoors the field, providing well-researched various suggestions that always result in win-win eventualities.”
In the Sports Feature Story class, freelance reporter Andrew Ratner received first place and Best of Show total for his piece on the now-removed Baltimore Sun signal at Camden Yards.
Executive Editor David Nitkin received first place and Best of Show total within the Online Blog Commentary class for his piece evaluating Baltimore to the completely different locales he and his spouse Karen visited throughout their cross-country highway journey in fall 2023.
Freelance reporter Walinda West’s article concerning the volunteers who escort these in search of abortions and different well being appointments received first place and Best of Show total within the General News class and second place within the Medical/Science Reporting class.
Graphic Designer Charlie Herrick received first place and Best of Show total in online-only promoting with an commercial for Baltimore restaurant Birroteca. That similar advert secured Herrick second place within the promoting marketing campaign class.
Herrick additionally received first place in self-promotion promoting for an commercial celebrating Baltimore Fishbowl’s 21 MDDC awards in 2023 (for works revealed in 2022), which included Website of General Excellence and different “better of present” wins that yr.
The employees of Baltimore Fishbowl received second place for Website of General Excellence.
Baltimore Fishbowl swept the Headline class, with employees reporter Aliza Worthington’s headline for her pickle celebration article dill-ivering her first place, and columnist Marion Winik snagging second place for her column a few journey with pals to Cortona in Tuscany, Italy.
Worthington additionally earned second place in Business Reporting for her story about chef Carlos Raba opening his new Towson taqueria, Nana.
Columnist Rafael Alvarez swept the Sports Column class, incomes first place for his tribute to the late Brooks Robinson and second place for a column about his grandson’s first ballgame at Camden Yards.
Baltimore Fishbowl swept the Arts/Entertainment Reporting class, with Managing Editor Marcus Dieterle clinching first place along with his article a few queer ball at Baltimore’s Enoch Pratt Free Library, whereas West earned second place for her story on Baltimore Sun columnist Dan Rodricks’ new stage performs.
Dieterle additionally took house two second place awards: one in Education Reporting for an article about meals inflation’s results on native faculties and households; and the opposite within the Feature Story: Non-Profile class for his article concerning the Baltimore Critter Society’s invitation to call a roach, rat, or different small beast after an ex-lover and have it fed to rescue animals for Valentine’s Day.
In Continuing Coverage, freelance reporter Ed Gunts earned second place for his reporting on the Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts (BOPA) underneath scrutiny after many managerial missteps.
Freelance reporter Richard Bader received second place for his article concerning the lack of bookstores in Towson, regardless of the realm’s massive faculty scholar inhabitants.
Thank you to our readers whose assist makes it doable for Baltimore Fishbowl to proceed delivering invaluable information protection, columns and essays from native voices, and different essential work.
And congratulations to our fellow MDDC winners this yr!
Revisit our MDDC award-winning items from 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.
Thank you,
Marcus Dieterle
Managing Editor
Baltimore Fishbowl
