Liz Walz, editor-in-chief of Boating Industry magazine, received the Boating Writers International Grand Prize Writer’s Award, which is the top honor that BWI presents to a journalist.
Announcement of the award, consisting of a $2,500 check and a crystal trophy, was made today during the BWI membership meeting at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.
Walz, of Manlius, N.Y., has been an editor at the magazine for 10 years and oversees the mission for all of its outlets, including the website, e-newsletters and a blog.
Walz’s feature article, “The New Word-of-Mouth,” a treatise on why businesses need social networking strategies and how to implement them, was published in the June 2009 issue of the magazine.
Judges for the award are associated with Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and have had careers in newspapers, magazines, broadcasting and online enterprises.
Among other entries that the judges cited for excellence was Soundings’ “The Complete Guide to Winterizing” and “2-Minute Mechanic” video, which appeared in the magazine’s e-newsletter, Dispatches, in October 2009.
“The 2-Minute Mechanic and Complete Guide to Winterizing were incredibly helpful, well-thought-out and well-produced. Perfect web content,” the judges commented. “Overall, a great news website that reflects the print product and yet offers users the navigation and organization that they expect.”
