Risk and reward

GARY SALEWICZ
editor
Report on Business magazine
May 30, 2008

After each issue of Report on Business magazine comes out, the staff gathers for a postmortem, an opportunity to look back on our work before we rush headlong into writing, editing and designing the next issue. We talk about what we accomplished and the chances we took--those that paid off and those that didn't. More often than not, the conversation turns to what we can do better the next time. We are our own toughest critics.
Each year, the Canadian magazine industry holds its own kind of postmortem. The National Magazine Awards reward excellence in illustration, photography, design and, of course, writing and editing. When the nominations were announced on April 29, this magazine's name came up 16 times, putting us fourth overall among the 70-odd publications that submitted entries. We dominated in the business category--out of a total of 10 nominations, we came away with six. Three of those were for articles that demonstrate the quality of our international coverage: Home Depot's plan to paint China orange (Chris Nuttall-Smith and Geoffrey York), Magna's dicey deal with a Russian oligarch (Paul Webster) and Four Seasons' foray into India (Derek DeCloet). Lyle Jenish was recognized in the investigative category for his piece chronicling how British Columbia mutual fund adviser Ian Thow bilked investors out of $30 million. Photographer Liam Sharp got a nod for a photo he shot for our Smart Money column. Four nominations went to our art director, Domenic Macri, including two for memorable covers.
Sinclair Stewart, ROB's New York correspondent, won twin nominations in the business category--one for his behind-the-scenes look at Michael Sabia and the BCE auction, the other for a piece on the rise of private equity. Stewart makes an appearance in this issue, too, introducing our Risk package. The urge to take chances, he writes, is likely hard-wired into our DNA. That can mean spectacular flops, but amazing rewards, as well.