Date:            March 22, 2006

Contact:        Ryan Entz, (316) 268-1152                                

Journal Communications Names Greater Wichita ‘Magazine of the Year’

FRANKLIN, Tenn. – Images of the Greater Wichita Area was named Magazine of the Year along with three other community magazines – Images of Muskogee, Oka., Asheville, N.C. and McAllen, Texas – in the Journal Communications annual Quality Awards competition.

Images of the Greater Wichita Area is published annually and sponsored by the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce.

Images of the Greater Wichita Area was cited for its cover design, editorial content and excellent photography throughout. It represented one of the best of the nearly 100 community magazines produced by Journal Communications during 2005 in cooperation with chambers of commerce across the country.

The cover showed downtown Wichita and the Wind Spirit Gateway sculpture. Feature articles were on the city’s great quality of life, the variety of art venues located there, the Wichita River Festival and economic growth in the city. Other stories covered education, health care, arts and sports.

At the annual awards ceremony held recently in Franklin, each member of the team that headed the Greater Wichita project received a “Haley,” named for Alex Haley (1921-1992), Journal Communications co-founder and Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Roots. They were: Editor Susan Chappell, Photographer Antony Boshier, Project Manager Tadara Smith, Lead Designer Colleen Boyle, Ad Designer Jessica Hampton and Ad Project Manager Joe Thomas.

Founded in 1988, Journal Communications Inc is a custom publisher that produces community, corporate and travel magazines. Since then, the chamber of commerce publications have become the fastest-growing segment of the business. In 1999, JCI served 25 clients in four states. It now produces magazines for nearly 100 chambers of commerce in 29 states, as well as in Alberta Canada, and has received numerous state, regional and national awards of excellence.