5th Annual Golden State Journalism Awards Winners
Congratulations to the winners of the Sacramento Press Club’s 5th annual awards for politics and policy reporting in California. The best work from 2024 was honored at our journalism awards dinner on May 21, 2025.
Thank you to José Luis Villegas for documenting this special evening. You can see all of his photos here.
This award honors the California journalist whose work has had a substantial impact on the state. The Sacramento Press Club board will accept and vote on nominations from independent news organizations or a colleague of the journalist. A nomination letter must detail, with links to published work, why the journalist should be recognized. To qualify, a journalist should have published work that reflects the best of our profession: stories that reveal egregious wrongs committed against powerless populations, that force change in public policy decisions at the state level, or that provide a powerful public service to Californians, including comprehensive coverage during emergencies. This is not a team award, nor will it be given to an institution. It is intended to recognize a singular achievement by a journalist that benefits Californians.
WINNER
Nick Gerda, LAIST
Nick’s Watchdog reporting started with a tip: contractors were being pressured to sub-contract big money to a certain nonprofit. That nonprofit was connected to a daughter of Andrew Do, the powerful Orange County supervisor.
Nick’s reporting grew to include more than 90 public record requests and thousands of documents.
In the end, he uncovered corruption far bigger than the initial tip.
Last fall, Andrew Do pleaded guilty to accepting more than half a million dollars in bribes—bribes for directing millions in COVID funds to the charity affiliated with his daughter.
LAist editor-in-chief Megan Garvey said Supervisor Do demanded that Nick be fired. This demand came in a news release on county letterhead.
Months into the investigation, federal agents searched the homes of Do and his wife, who’s an Orange County judge, along with their daughter and close associates.
The U.S. Attorney confirmed that the feds launched their investigation because of Nick’s stories.
LAist says Nick’s reporting inspired three reform laws that passed unanimously in the state legislature and were signed by Governor Newsom last year.
It also led to contracting reform efforts by the county board of supervisors. Taxpayers have recouped millions of public dollars tied to the corruption.
Explain reform laws
Other corruption cases
This category recognizes exceptional journalism that holds powerful institutions and/or people accountable for their actions and, by doing so, leads to demonstrable change that benefits Californians. The submission should include a short cover letter explaining the impact or outcome of the work. Judges will consider overall impact, depth of reporting, and the use of today’s technology to reach the audience. Entries may be in any format including text, audio or video. Entries are limited to three stories.
WINNER
Melody Gutierrez and Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times
This project combined solid evidence with exceptional storytelling to reveal a harsh reality: California’s vaunted certificates of health and provenance for young puppies bound for families statewide were, too often, worthless. The series exposed state government inaction and an embarrassing bureaucratic snafu that allowed horrific pet trafficking to thrive. The Times series was well conceived and delivered. It showed how experienced and skilled reporters and editors can serve the public and correct governance gone astray.
This award will recognize a journalist or team of journalists who displayed exceptional courage to bring necessary coverage to the public, whether by standing up to powerful people, covering events such as wildfires that are inherently dangerous, or exposing themselves to personal harm during the coverage of extremists or others who threaten with intent to injure. A nomination letter must detail, with links to published work, why the journalist(s) should be recognized. The Sacramento Press Club board will accept and vote on nominations from independent news organizations or a colleague of the journalist.
Dilan Gohill
Dilan Gohill was a freshman at Stanford when he was arrested and jailed for covering a campus protest on June 5—even while he was wearing his press credential.
University officials urged the DA to prosecute him, but in a statement, the DA said, “This office supports a free press and recognizes that the law gives reporters latitude to do their jobs in keeping the public informed.”
Last May, a protest at UCLA devolved into hours of violence, unchecked by the university or police.
At least four UCLA student journalists were surrounded by counter-protesters, who sprayed the students with chemicals and punched and kicked two of them.
Christopher Buchanan
Another student, Christopher Buchanan, was beaten and kicked. He was covering the protest for the Daily Bruin and the CalMatters College Journalism Network.
He lost his phone during the assault, but he found it later, retrieved the video he shot, and published it.
California’s elected officials have enormous influence over the lives of the people they represent. This category is for one specific story that either uncovers news that would not become public or explains to readers the context and import of Capitol decisions. This category recognizes journalism that takes a deeper look at the decisions made in the Capitol, the influences behind them and their effect on the broader public. Judges will be looking for exclusive reporting, a strong writing voice and how the story changed the public conversation or government decisions. A brief explanation of that impact should accompany the entry.
WINNER
Melody Gutierrez and Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times
The judges commented, “This was deeply reported, powerfully written journalism. The exhaustive work, relying on extensive data and accountability efforts, produced a story that does what journalism always strives to do: shine a light where others won’t and get results.”
Decisions large and small are made each day in the California Capitol that affect the lives of the state’s 40 million citizens. This category showcases a body of work that shows consistent daily excellence in beat reporting about the Capitol and/or state government. Entries must include five examples of work that demonstrate sharp and clear writing, an important scoop, coverage of breaking Capitol news or continuing coverage of a particular topic, and an ability to explain to readers why the daily workings of the Capitol matters in their lives. Entries can cover a single topic or different issues. Political newsletters are eligible and encouraged.
WINNER
Alexei Koseff, CalMatters
We found Koseff’s entry to have an impressive range of Capitol-related stories, with stories that would meet the interests and needs of all Californians. We appreciated the mix of Capitol coverage approaches — accountability, following the money, and an inside glimpse at how the sausage is made. The entry covering Gov. Newsom’s promises on gun control was singled out for its approach and ability to cast a national eye on what happens in California’s Capitol. His entry reflected a deep understanding and skill on this vital beat.
WINNER
California Playbook, Politico (Dustin Gardiner, Lara Korte and Tyler Katzenberger)
The judges were impressed by the sharp writing and original content, and the “buzzy” sense of this newsletter. There was a real sense of connecting with the audience and, as one judge put it, “It made me feel like an insider again!”
This category recognizes exceptional reporting on the politics and public policy surrounding business and labor issues including remote work, the very definition of an employee, Big Tech, real estate, and labor law and enforcement. Submissions can be a single story or up to three pieces that demonstrate a command of the beat.
WINNER
Joe Rubin, The Sacramento Bee
The Bee delivered a grim, meticulously-reported portrayal of California’s understaffed and problem-plagued workplace-safety agency. With data, documents and interviews, the stories detailed the gutting of Cal-OSHA’s criminal enforcement unit, which led to a prosecution nearly falling by the wayside until The Bee’s reported alerted authorities. In another instance, The Bee showed how the arrest of an agency official effectively thwarted the filing of criminal charges in a Southern California workplace fatality. Shortly after these stories appeared, the agency hired more criminal investigators.
Retail crime, prisons, and the ongoing debate over regulating guns and drugs like fentanyl. Criminal justice was front and center for California policymakers in 2023. This award honors excellence in reporting on criminal justice issues and the politics that influence those debates. Submissions can be a single story or up to three pieces that demonstrate a command of the subject.
WINNER
Katey Rusch, Casey Smith, San Francisco Chronicle
The Chronicle package on police agencies’ use of Clean Record Agreements to rid themselves of problem cops was clearly the strongest of all the entries and is our winner. One judge said it was “pretty exciting to read as the reporting team took on a high-difficulty task getting past police and sheriff department obstacles and really got the ‘goods’ by finding compelling cases of police white-washing their records with the complicity of supervisors.” The Chronicle package on police agencies’ use of Clean Record Agreements to rid themselves of problem cops was clearly the strongest of all the entries and is our winner.One judge said it was “pretty exciting to read as the reporting team took on a high-difficulty task getting past police and sheriff department obstacles and really got the ‘goods’ by finding compelling cases of police white-washing their records with the complicity of supervisors.”
The path to safely reopen schools in California raised thorny questions about public health, equity and culture. This category recognizes exceptional coverage of those political and policy education issues, from pre-K to K12 and higher education. Submissions can be a single story or up to three pieces that demonstrate a command of the subject.
WINNER
Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times
“Watanabe presented a strong trio of powerful stories with top-level reporting and excellent writing. One described the University of California’s crackdown on protestors’ encampments on campuses, and a second explained UC’s decision to no longer accept data science classes as an advanced math requirement. But the strongest, most compelling story profiled Gov. Gavin Newsom’s top education aide, Ben Chida, coping with and speaking publicly about his mental health struggles at the same time he’s part of the team working to rebuild public education.”
This category recognizes exceptional reporting about policy, politics and activism related to water, wildfire, energy, climate change, pollution, endangered species and other environmental topics. Submissions can be a single outstanding story or up to three pieces that demonstrate a command of the beat.
WINNER
Rachel Becker, CalMatters
These stories, with their geographic sweep and intimate portraits, reveal the human toll of the state’s failure to confront its multiple water challenges, and the interplay between them. Becker documents how depletion of groundwater in the San Joaquin Valley has led to a wrenching battle between farmers and regulators, while tens of thousands of low-income residents lack the most basic necessity – clean drinking water. Becker’s coverage shines because of her deep reporting, thoughtful storytelling and empathy for people caught in the crosshairs of water politics.
This category recognizes exceptional reporting that explains the causes and effects of the state’s housing crisis and spotlights those it has left behind. Submissions can be a single outstanding story or up to three pieces that demonstrate a command of the beat.
WINNER
Angela Hart, KFF Health News
The winner is Angela Hart’s package of stories about California’s failing efforts to clear people from the streets and secure housing for them. Hart’s compellingly written stories illuminate the complexity of the homelessness crisis, exploring the issue from many angles while “following the money” used to implement state programs.
This category recognizes exceptional reporting on a wide range of public health issues, the government response to those issues and politics surrounding them. Submissions can be a single story or up to three pieces that demonstrate a command of the beat.
WINNER
Paige St. John, Alex Halperin, Sean Greene, and Lorena Iñiguez Elebee, Los Angeles Times
Anyone who uses marijuana in California would be wise to read the Los Angeles Times’ sweeping investigation into pesticide contamination of popular cannabis products and the state’s lax regulation of the legal weed industry. The three stories submitted by Paige St. John, in collaboration with WeedWeek, revealed that many growers across the state were using dangerous and prohibited pesticides, including banned products smuggled in from China. The Times found – through its own independent testing of more than 530 cannabis products – that California’s lack of rigorous pesticide testing exposes millions of users to high concentrations of illegal and toxic chemicals, many of which are linked to cancer and other serious health hazards. The series exposed how state regulators prioritized the economic benefits of legal weed over protecting public health and hid what they knew about the problem. The series got results, leading to recalls of 269 cannabis products, a crackdown on testing labs and calls for stronger industry regulation.
This category recognizes exceptional reporting about political and policy-driven efforts to combat social injustice and other discrimination across race, class, gender identity and more. Entries might vary from efforts by lawmakers to stop systemic discrimination and injustice to coverage of activists and community responses. Submissions can be a single story or up to three pieces that demonstrate a command of the subject.
WINNER
Laurence Du Sault, Geoffrey King and Anna Bauman, Open Vallejo
The work of the Open Vallejo staff demonstrates a relentless search for truth, overcoming a stone wall of silence from official agencies to piece together the story of how and why Darryl Dean Mefferd died in the custody of Vallejo police at a time when he had neither been arrested or been eligible for an involuntary mental health hold. Only after Open Vallejo published its investigation did local law enforcement agencies release reports — which confirmed the details the reporters had painstakingly uncovered. The staff shared its findings with leading forensics pathologists, who said the death likely should have been determined a homicide.
The opinion section provides a public forum to hash out the most (and sometimes the least) important issues facing California. This category recognizes exceptional commentary that changed minds, held the powerful to account or perhaps simply delighted its audience. Submissions can be up to three opinion pieces in any format, including editorials, columns, cartoons and videos.
WINNER
Yousef Baig, CalMatters
We’ve all heard the attacks on the “train to nowhere.” It’s never particularly easy to go against the pack. But Yousef Baig decided to get past the rhetoric and do real reporting on California’s high-speed rail project. For most Californians high speed rail is out of sight, out of mind, one of a long list of state government boondoggles. But in Fresno, people see hope for the future and a chance for revival. Without pulling punches–Baig writes about the delays and cost overruns–he delivered an honest, clear-eyed and compelling defense of the nation’s most ambitious high-speed rail project, interviewing merchants and workers, and high government officials in an especially strong piece of commentary.
This award honors excellence in audio storytelling that focuses on statewide California politics and policy issues. Journalists should enter one radio piece that demonstrates command of the format, expert news delivery, compelling writing and innovative use of sound. Enter one radio story, 5 minutes in length maximum. Please submit link to audio and audio script (including anchor intro) .
WINNER
Lesley McClurg, KQED
A powerful and chilling narrative about the impossible decision faced by families dealing with a deficient health care system. Lesley’s command of the audio format is reflected in her expert weaving of interviews, ambient sound, voice-overs, music, and well-timed pauses. This is an incredible example of how audio storytelling can bring a heartbreaking accountability story to life. The reporter did a great job bridging the anguish and desperation of the story’s main character with the complex and broken nursing home system in California.
California’s elected officials have enormous influence over the lives of the people they represent. This contest recognizes superb still photography that documents such influence or the impact of decisions and politics throughout the state. Entries may include up to three images that are not breaking news but rather pre-planned journalism that provides emotion, insight, or context.
WINNER
Robert Gauthier, LAT
(Immigration) These two photos depict the struggles of immigrants. One personalizes the humanness and struggles with a topic we have all heard and seen so much about. The darkness made it a very challenging environment and the strobe was used very effectively. It was a very difficult image to make and the emotion the journalist captured was very telling. The image was perfectly framed. Great job. The second, a very graphic image, kept pulling us back to look at it again and again. What a struggle these people are going through — the image captured it very simply and clearly. Beautiful composition.
This award honors exceptional photographic coverage of breaking news tied to state policy and politics. Acceptable entries would include coverage of events at the Capitol as well as those beyond Sacramento. Entries should include up to three photographs of images made during spot coverage that had no advance planning.
WINNER
Robert Gauthier, LAT
(Police clash with protesters, UC-Irvine) This is a spectacular photo, such a decisive moment which we don’t see that often anymore. It reminded us of a throwback to classic photojournalism from the 60’s. It is a moment that every photographer tries to get at this sort of event and this photo simply nails it. Presenting it in black and white gives it a timeless feel. It is a supreme spot news photo. Great job.
WINNER
Melanie Mason, Politico
From the top, Mason immediately immerses us in the world of newly elected Orange County Congressman Derek Tran, using evocative language to describe the “grab-bag crew” assembled in a Vietnamese coffee shop in Little Saigon. Her writing belies her expertise in covering a political campaign without being too insider-y, eloquently describing the debate over identity politics that left Democrats hand-wringing after November: “To some, “identity politics” carries the stigma of an unfair campaign cheat code, as though simply having the right ethnic surname is an unearned advantage.” A description of redistricting yields this: “Little Saigon, a constellation of strip malls filled with Vietnamese restaurants, shops and civic clubs, has expanded since its founding in the late 1980s. But for decades it was carved up among multiple congressional districts, diluting the Vietnamese American voting bloc. In the latest round of redistricting in 2021, it became a top priority for community leaders to consolidate the three largely working-class cities that make up Little Saigon — Westminster, Garden Grove and Fountain Valley — into one House district, turning the wonky decennial line-drawing exercise into a crusade for self-determination.”
WINNER
Tyche Hendricks, KQED
WINNER
Ashley Zavala, KCRA
WINNER