Two business writers named Openside winners

Two business writers named winners of inaugural Openside Accounting Journalism Awards

Business writers Nick Churchouse and Pattrick Smellie have been named as winners in the inaugural Openside Accounting Journalism Awards.

Announced by Openside CEO Stephen Nicholas, the independently judged competition was developed to recognise outstanding work by journalists covering the accounting profession.

The initiative recognises the crucial role of the media in raising awareness of accounting issues.

“Openside is delighted to have been part of an award in which entrants showed excellence in both their command of the subject and the ability to communicate about it in a superior style during what has been an unusually eventful accounting year,” Mr Nicholas said.

Through its work with more than 500 existing clients drawn from all points on the business spectrum, Openside CA, an entrepreneurially minded firm with a keen interest how accounting issues are presented to the public, was increasingly aware of the importance of the news media in holding the profession to account.

This year’s judges, TV3 Wellington news chief Gordon McBride and economics writer Patricia Herbert said the award sponsors should be very pleased to have two winners of such a high calibre.

Mr Churchouse’s winning entry in the Reporting category, "A Thief With a Lying Smile,” which first appeared in the Dominion Post, was an accessible piece with genuine public interest that addressed a current issue with useful advice, they said.

Mr Smellie's winning entry in the Analysis category, on last year’s landmark banking tax case, “proved once again” that the co-owner of the BusinessWire news service and business writer “knows his stuff thoroughly. Pattrick followed the tax case closely and was able to analyse and report on its developments and the conclusion in a way few if any other journalists did,” they said. Mr Smellie’s analytical work deserved as much recognition in these awards as the Reporting category.

Both winners will receive a cash prize.

ENDS

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