Ophthalmology Times was honored for Best News Coverage at the 58th annual Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Awards competition recognizing editorial excellence.

Ophthalmology Times won a Neal Award for its multiple-article reporting of the Comparison of Age-related Macular Degeneration Treatments Trials (CATT) results and the reaction following the announcement of those results.

Honored were contributing editors Lynda Charters and Jennifer A. Webb, along with Peter J. McDonnell, MD, chief medical editor; Mark L. Dlugoss, group editor/editor-in-chief; Sheryl Stevenson, senior managing editor; and Helen Thams, associate editor.

The awards, sponsored by American Business Media, are regarded as the most prestigious honor that can be bestowed in business-to-business journalism, and often are referred to as the "Pulitzer Prize of the business media." The competition is named after the association's first managing director, Jesse H. Neal.

"We appreciate this important recognition," said Dr. McDonnell, MD, who is also director of the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore. "These articles deal with a very important, complex, and somewhat controversial study with potentially far-reaching implications. Ophthalmology Times endeavors to provide ophthalmologists with the most timely updates and news items that have implications for our practices."

The series of articles appeared on Page 1 of the May 15, June 1, and Oct. 1, 2011 issues.

"Ophthalmology Times appreciates the hard work of its contributing editors, Lynda Charters
and Jennifer Webb, for gathering the clinical information and the facts from within the ophthalmic industry in developing the articles about a very important study," Dlugoss said. "As editor-in-chief, I thank them for helping Ophthalmology Times with this Neal Award.

"The publication also is grateful to the whole editorial team in making sure the articles were presented thoroughly to our readers and in a timely manner," Dlugoss added.

"I'm particularly proud of the editorial team and their insightful analysis and in-depth reporting as it pertains to the 'CATT Study and Subsequent Reaction' series of articles," said Leonardo Avila, Ophthalmology Times publisher. "Ophthalmology Times continues to deliver breaking news to its readers and represents the most well-rounded package of clinical news, industry trends, and discoveries in all ophthalmic subspecialties. I'm energized to be a part of this first-rate team."

This is the sixth Neal Award bestowed upon Ophthalmology Times. The publication has previously won in the categories of Best News Coverage/Best News Coverage for Series of Articles (1998, 2001, 2007) and Best Single Issue of a Newspaper or News Tabloid (2003, 2007). The magazine has been a finalist three times for Best News Coverage (2009) and Best Regularly Featured Column or Department (2000, 2003).

A total of 725 entries were received for this year's competition, from which 40 winners were selected from 120 finalists. The 2012 competition recognized work published from Dec. 1, 2010 through Nov. 30, 2011.

Other finalists in the Best News Coverage category for magazines with revenues less then $3 million were Counselor (Advertising Specialty Institute) and USGlass (Key Communications).

No other ophthalmology magazine was named as a finalist in this year's Neal Award competition. Ophthalmology Times is published by Advanstar. Other Advanstar winning entries included DVM http://Newsmagazine/dvm360.com/.