McKnight’s Editorial Director John O’Connor won the top honor for commentary writing in specialized US business journalism Friday when he was announced a 2023 Neal Award winner.
Now in his 33rd year leading McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, O’Connor adds this highest honor to dozens of other national journalism awards he has previously collected.
“Winning the Jesse Neal Award for best commentary is such a well deserved honor for John O’Connor,” said McKnight’s Group Publisher Craig Roth Monday. “In fact, John has been the most respected editorial voice serving the senior care marketplace for the past 30 years — it’s a bit of a shock that he has not won 10 of these awards by now.”
This marks McKnight’s first victory at the Neal Awards, which are considered the Pulitzer Prize of business-to-business journalism. McKnight’s Long-Term Care News’ parent company, Haymarket Media, won four 2023 Neals overall at an awards ceremony in New York City. McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, McKnight’s Senior Living and McKnight’s Home Care previously had been finalists in the competition.
“Both Haymarket and the senior care and living industry are truly lucky to have John O’Connor leading the award-winning editorial products produced by McKnight’s,” Roth said. “Huge congratulations are extended to John O’Connor.”
O’Connor was recognized in the “Best Commentary/Blog” category in the mid-sized publication division of the 69th annual Jesse H. Neal Awards competition.
Judges praised his writing for “intelligence, insight and guidance … as well as his confidence for keeping his message concise, yet broad-minded.”
O’Connor created the most popular McKnight’s Editors’ Notes blog of 2022 (as measured by readership) with “To mask or not to mask? That is the question.” In it, he fairly paints the pros and cons of mask use, and what their huge stake is in such a tussle.
In another contest submission, “Nursing homes should be held accountable. So should cheapskates,” he takes off the gloves and calls everyone on the carpet — readers and their government regulator-funders alike. In “These people are robbing nursing homes,” he pulls back another curtain — on the havoc that contract nursing agencies are causing among nursing home operators.
O’Connor’s blogs are posted every Monday at mcknights.com.
The Jesse H. Neal Awards are the most prestigious editorial honors in the field of specialized journalism. Named after Jesse H. Neal, the first managing director of American Business Media, the Neal Awards were established in 1955 to recognize and reward editorial excellence in business media.
The program is hosted by the Software & Information Industry Association, a professional organization dedicated to connecting data, financial information, education technology, specialized content and publishing companies.
