The Chronicle and Mercury News received “overall excellence” awards from the Society of American Business Writers and Editors, an organization which establishes standards for business journalism. The Chron was among the top five papers with a circulation over 375,000 and the Merc was among the top four with a circulation between 250,000 and 375,000. (This contest doesn’t determine who is first, second, etc., but instead just lists the four or five best in each division.) In addition, Merc writers Therese Poletti, Dean Takahashi, Nicole C. Wong, Michelle Quinn, John Boodreau, Mike Langberg, Mike Cassidy, Sam Diaz, Donna Alvarado, Todd Woody and Vindo Goel were among the winners in the breaking news category for their story about the firing of Hewlett Packard chief executive Carly Fiorina.