GIS Use Leads to Journalism Award

Market Facts is a 25-page, annually printed special section and online Web site filled with information that illustrates lifestyle trends shaping Greater Chicago. Graphics created from more than one hundred sources, including ESRI data, give a clear picture of important factors necessary for business people to make informed decisions. Population, disposable income, and market potential indexes are just a few of the categories available for investigation.

SABEW is composed of members of the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, Inc., who have joined together to encourage the highest standards of economic journalism. SABEW judges said that Market Facts is an example of how to use multiple media to enliven what could have read like an almanac. The judges were especially impressed with the interactive maps of the Chicago metro area, which conveyed a tremendous amount of information in an easy-to-use format.

Crain's Chicago Business is a magazine read mainly by executives of medium- to large-sized companies. In a rapidly changing economy, it is important for executives to stay on top of the latest trends affecting their customers. GIS maps and localised data can be both a quick-glance overview and an in-depth tool to get at the subtle shifts in demographics and consumer behaviors. Mapped data can take on added value during rocky economic times, when executives need the most accurate information possible.