DallasChild picked up a few awards recently, and when we say “a few,” we mean some of the biggest and best in the industry. We work hard to bring you superior content on the subjects that matter most to you and your family, and the Parenting Publications of America (PPA) agree: we’re doing a great job.
March 1, 2008, the PPA honored us with 16 awards in categories ranging from design to writing and even general excellence. Considering DallasChild falls in the largest circulation category in this awards competition (with a whopping 80,000 issues/month), these awards mean we’re making a huge impact. The Parenting Publications of America is a national trade organization composed of local parenting magazines across the United States, Canada and Australia. 23 journalism professionals at the University of Missouri-Columbia’s school of journalism help to judge the more than 1,200 entries.
Allow us to share our success with you and invite you to take a look back through our archives to rediscover some of the winning articles. You’ll see some old favorites and perhaps some that you overlooked.
General Excellence
We earned the association’s gold award for general excellence, the competition’s highest honor. “DallasChild hits on all cylinders,” proclaims the PPA in its assessment, and it’s true. Our content for the year spanned a broad spectrum of subjects, from light-hearted and humorous personal essays to serious, thought-provoking issues, each crafted with attention to detail, local significance, and, PPA points out, respect for the “time demands of busy readers.”
Our new-and-improved website, DallasChild.com, also took home a silver award for general excellence in the online category. With a streamlined design and user-friendly features like a searchable calendar of events, our new site really hit home with the judges, putting us at the forefront of similar publications taking full advantage of everything the web has to offer.
Gold Awards—Our top honors in the categories of design and writing
Interior photography (design)
“Portrait of a Modern Birth” February 2007
Our dramatic photo essay depicts two women’s journey through the labor process. The judges agreed: The photos are evocative, and the storytelling through photos is seamless and strong.
Calendar of Events (design)
Our readers have been devoted to our comprehensive calendars of events for years for the same reasons: they’re thorough and easy to read. The judges especially liked our color-coded system to help readers find the events they want quickly and easily.
Feature Layout—Color (design)
“Unraveling the Mysteries of Pediatric Bipolar Disorder,” September 2007
It’s one thing to tell a story with words. It’s another to tell it through design, and the PPA recognized this feature for its strong visual depiction of a very abstract subject—pediatric bipolar disorder. “The designers do a nice job of capturing the chaos that comes with pediatric bipolar disorder while also conveying its seriousness,” they assert.
Feature Layout—Black & White (design)
“Portrait of a Modern Birth” February 2007
This story continues to captivate viewers, including our judges, with its strong visual storytelling and use of typography. The key in this category is to use subtle, yet stirring photography to guide the reader’s emotions through a story. Mission accomplished.
Briefs/Short Stuff (editorial)
“Sights & Scenes”
One of our favorite departments to write is also the judges’ favorite in this category for smaller, newsworthy articles. The travel-shopping-dining page you’ve come to love grabbed top honors for its innovative writing and bold ideas. In fact, the judges declare it “A feature as big and flashy as Dallas itself.” We couldn’t be more flattered!
Service Feature (editorial)
“Video Game Addiction” June 2007
A service feature is one that informs and enlightens the reader about a common subject. It provides resources and practical knowledge so that the reader’s experience and learning can continue even after she’s finished reading the article. PPA praised this story for blending local and national expert sources and tip boxes brimming with real advice for families.
Silver Awards
Briefs/Short Stuff (design)
“Sights & Scenes”
Our sophisticated little travel-shopping-dining department wows the judges for both its clever writing and stylish design. (We thought you’d like it!) The judges complimented our use of white space and navigational tools (those discreet lines and arrows) to guide the reader through the tid-bits. Bet you didn’t know that!
Editorial Cover Writing (editorial)
DallasChild earned a silver award for its witty and clever cover writing. We work hard to dream up enticing titles to put on our covers so that our readers will get just as excited about our stories as we are. PPA especially liked “Sugar, Spice and Not-so-nice” and “Understanding Underachievers.” Sound familiar?
Profile (editorial)
“The Mom Next Door: Tiffany Cuban” October 2007
We were the first to bring you an interview with one of the most guarded families in Dallas—the (Mark) Cubans. The judges hailed this story for the way it captures the life of such a private mom, dad and their two little girls. Writer Lauren Niebes gets Cuban to invite the reader into her life in a subtle way, rather than peering in from the outside.
Overall Writing (editorial)
Trust us, it’s not easy to wow these judges with an entire year’s worth of articles. But, DallasChild’s knack for storytelling really made an impression this year. We aim to please with topics ranging from the light hearted (fall festivals, anyone?) to the serious (pediatric bipolar disorder), and, according to the judges, good editing keeps all our stories, from the entertaining to the informative, “focused and clear.”
Bronze Awards
Calendar of Events (editorial)
The judges confirmed something we knew already with this award: Our readers love our calendars of events. PPA praised our wide-ranging types of events, and it’s true, we go to great lengths to uncover the coolest activities around. And what would a great calendar be without all the details to show you where, when and more? Stay tuned, our calendars are only getting better.
Overall Reporting (editorial)
One thing’s for sure: We can’t write our articles without first consulting the experts. From child psychologists and pediatricians, to seasoned parents like you, we’ve learned how to ask the important, probing questions to develop memorable stories. We don’t have all the answers, but we know just where to find them, and that’s why PPA has honored our reporting methods.
Website Design (design)
You bring our magazine into your home, and DallasChild.com is our way of returning the favor. PPA judges loved the overall design of our site and the use of photos to enhance a story. Our goal is to provide a comfortable place to catch up on your favorite topics.
Website Content (editorial)
PPA picked up on our mission right away: to be our readers’ “go-to resource” for all things family in the Dallas area. They praised our interactive features (like our searchable calendar and poll questions), calling them a “great addition to in-depth, local articles.”
