Finalists Announced in 1998 International Wheel Awards Competition
29 December 1997
Finalists Announced in 1998 International Wheel Awards Competition
DETROIT, Dec. 29 -- Newsmen and women representing
14 publications and stations in the U.S. and Canada are among the finalists in
the 1998 International Wheel Awards competition, it was announced today. They
were selected on the basis of their entries in the contest created to promote
and encourage excellence in journalism.
News media represented include Automotive News, Business Week, Car &
Driver Magazine, Chicago Tribune, Detroit Free Press, The Detroit News,
Popular Mechanics, USA Today, Ward's Auto World, CBC-TV (Toronto), KEYT3
(Santa Barbara, CA), KWTV (Oklahoma City), WDIV-TV (Detroit), and WFMY-TV
(Greensboro, NC).
Entries of the finalists were selected from among more than 195 from North
America, Europe and Australia. Winners will be announced and awards presented
Sunday, January 4, in conjunction with the North American International Auto
Show at Detroit's Cobo Center.
In addition to bragging rights as the world's best in automotive
journalism, first place winners will collect a total of $12,000 in cash prizes
and symbolic wheel awards, according to Edward Lapham, president of the
sponsoring Detroit Press Foundation. Included are Golden Wheel awards of
$2,500 each to the print and broadcast journalists whose work is judged the
best-of-the-best from among all entries. Plaques will be awarded second and
third place finishers.
The Wheel Awards competition was established by the 33-year-old foundation
as an extension of its charter to foster excellence in journalism and in
recognition of Detroit and Michigan's global significance in the auto
industry, according to Lapham, who is Executive Editor of Automotive News.
Judging was conducted by the University of Nebraska's College of
Journalism and Mass Communications, Lincoln, NE, under the direction of Dean
Will Norton, Jr.
FINALISTS
1998 INTERNATIONAL WHEEL AWARDS
BEST NEWS STORY
-- NEWSPAPERS: "A New American Auto Industry", by Daniel Howes and Dave
Phillips in The Detroit News; "General Motors vs. Ignacio Lopez", by
Micheline Maynard in USA Today; "Affordability", by Katherine Yung and
Anita Lienert in The Detroit News;
-- GENERAL INTEREST MAGAZINES: "Montana Run", Scott Oldham and Don
Chaikin in Popular Mechanics; "Hurricane Huizenga", Kathleen Kerwin and
Gail DeGeorge in Business Week; "Can Chrysler Keep It Up", Bill Vlasic
in Business Week.
-- TELEVISION: "Bad Brakes", Chris Halsne on KWTV (Oklahoma City);
"Sudden Acceleration", Rod Meloni on WDIV-TV (Detroit); "Killer Air Bag
Coverup", Greg Hunter, Scott Brooks, Gavin Gibbons, Arch Embler on
WFMY-TV (Greensboro, NC).
-- SPECIAL INTEREST PUBLICATIONS: "Ford: Retailing Crossroads", Mary
Connelly, Arlena Sawyers and Lindsay Chappell in Automotive News;
"Engineers & The Law", Greg Gardner, Tim Keenan, Jeff Green, David
Smith and Drew Winter, in Ward's Auto World; "What Killed Ayrton
Senna", Tim Rayment, Peter Windsor and Steve Spence in Car & Driver
Magazine.
BEST EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY/COLUMN
-- ALL PRINT MEDIA: "Sacred Cow, Efficiency Don't Mix", Doron Levin in
Detroit Free Press; "A Place to Go When You Need Cash", Patrick Bedard
in Car & Driver Magazine; "Acquisition Fee/Unclaimed Sales Marketing
Schemes", James Mateja in Chicago Tribune.
BEST NEWS PROGRAMMING/DOCUMENTARY
-- ALL BROADCAST MEDIA: "Know Before You Tow", Steve Ford on KEYT3 (Santa
Barbara, CA); "Air Bags", Paul Harrington and Richard Wright on CBC-TV
(Canadian Broadcasting Corp.) MARKETPlace (Toronto); "The Rouge", John
Owens and Emery King on WDIV-TV (Detroit).
PRODUCT REVIEW/EVALUATION
-- ALL PRINT MEDIA: "Looks Like a Truck, Glides Like a Lincoln", Keith
Naughton in Business Week; "Prowling Sunset Boulevard", David Smith in
Ward's Auto World; "The Best-Handling Car", Don Schroeder in Car &
Driver Magazine.
SOURCE Detroit Press Foundation