Our piece, Dispatch From The Department Of Breaking One’s Arm By Patting Oneself On The Back — Part III: Prevor Brings Home Another Jesse H. Neal Award For Editorial Excellence, highlighted that the produce industry once again had a winner with the Jesse H. Neal awards. The piece brought many kind notes, including this most generous one:
As a fan of many years, I congratulate you on another well-deserved recognition of excellence in journalism.
Journalists who depend on an industry for their livelihoods tread a very high wire in covering that industry. I imagine the temptation to self-edit one’s production in order to curry favor or at least avoid conflict with the powerful people and companies in the industry is ever present, but I have never seen any signs of it in your editorials.
“Thought-provoking” is exactly what trade journalism should be, and PRODUCE BUSINESS and the Perishable Pundit have consistently delivered. From Wal-Mart’s corporate responsibilities to the clumsy PMA — UFPA merger missteps, to the topic of trade show propriety, you have gone where others might have held back, and in doing so, you encouraged professionals to take a stand, make a statement, and contribute to a dialog that can’t fail to make ours a better industry.
Thanks, and keep the good stuff coming.
—Doug Stoiber
Vice President, Produce Transportation Operations
L&M Transportation Services, Inc.
Raleigh, North Carolina
We try. And it is letters such as this that make it all worthwhile. Many thanks.
