IFB communicators win top awards

Illinois Farm Bureau received top honors in eight categories, including best newspaper, during American Farm Bureau Federation’s national communications award contest.

This year’s contest attracted 198 submissions for work produced in 2019 and 2020 from state Farm Bureaus across the country. The annual contest wasn’t held in 2020 because of the pandemic.

“These awards are a great reward for the hard work our staff puts in on behalf of our members,” said Chris Magnuson, IFB executive director of operations, news and communications. “I’m very proud of our efforts.”

IFB’s awards included:

  • Best newspaper, FarmWeek. Judges described it as a “pleasure to read” with “visual appealing publication with well written articles throughout.”
  • Best magazine published at least quarterlyPartners magazine. Judges said the quarterly publication “serves as a real model for other state Farm Bureau publications.”
  • Best Single Blog Item, Editorial, or Column, COVID-related, “Consumers aren’t the only ones who’ve learned,” by Kay Shipman. 
  • Best Editorial or Blog“Vote no on progressive tax in November,” by Dennis Green et al.
  • Best Audio News Story, Feature Story or Commentary/EditorialCOVID markets roundtable by RFD Radio’s DeLoss Jahnke.
  • Best Audio News Story, Feature Story or Commentary/Editorial, for the “5 with Mark” audio series. Rita Frazer, Mark Gebhards and Deana Stroisch. Judges called this project an “exceptional undertaking” and the six-month recap “extraordinary.”
  • Best Promotional or Education Video or Ad, “How a planter works,” Jim Polus and Mike Orso.
  • Dave Lane Award for Media Relations Excellence, DeAnne Bloomberg and Andrea Casali.

This story was provided by FarmWeekNow.com.

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