3rd Annual Journalism Awards Contest Finalists Announced
Congratulations to the finalists of the 3rd Annual Journalism Awards Contest for politics and policy reporting in California. Journalists and industry members alike submitted their work from 2022 and award recipients will be honored at our Journalism Awards Reception on March 29, 2023 at The Mix.
This category recognizes excellence in daily reporting on statewide California politics and policy issues for the radio format. Journalists should submit daily stories that demonstrate a commitment to beat reporting on news that emerges from the Capitol or aligns with California politics.
Finalists:
No finalists were chosen for this category. The award recipient will be announced on March 29, 2023.
The four-minute audio story is a staple of newscasts. 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 and tight, compelling writing. Enter one radio story, 3-5 minutes in length (including anchor intro), in addition to audio script.
Finalists:
Marisa Lagos – KQED
Lesley McClurg – KQED
We listen to political interviews every day on podcasts, talk shows and news-radio programs. This category celebrates excellence in audio interviews that focus on California politics or policy subjects
Finalists:
Scott Shafer, Marisa Lagos, and Guy Marzorati – KQED
Zaidee Stavely, John Fensterwald, and Coby McDonald – EdSource
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.
Finalists:
Alexei Koseff – CalMatters
Alejandro Lazo, Jeanne Kuang, Lil Kalish, Erica Yee, and Julie Watts – CalMatters
Paige St. John, Marisa Gerber, and Brian van der Brug – The Los Angeles Times
The recall election of Gov. Gavin Newsom challenged political reporters to cover 46 sometimes colorful gubernatorial candidates, disparate policy positions and political theatrics including a 1,000 pound bear. This category recognizes journalism that broke news, influenced the public conversation, and/or provided informed analysis that revealed motivation and context for the recall. Submissions can be a single story or up to three pieces that demonstrate a command of the subject.
Finalists:
Melanie Mason – The Los Angeles Times
Joshua Sharpe and Sophia Bollag – The San Francisco Chronicle
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.
Finalists:
Bernard Wolfson, Angela Hart, and Samantha Young – Kaiser Health News
Samantha Young – Kaiser Health News
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.
Finalists:
Anita Chabria – The Los Angeles Times
Josh Gohlke – The Sacramento Bee
Melinda Henneberger – The Sacramento Bee
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.
Finalists:
No finalists were chosen for this category. The award recipient will be announced on March 29, 2023.
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.
Finalists:
Dustin Gardiner – The San Francisco Chronicle
Alexei Koseff – CalMatters
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.
Finalists:
Karen D’Souza, John Fensterwald, Carolyn Jones, Diana Lambert, Ali Tadayon, Kate Sequeira, Jennifer Molina, Daniel J.Willis, Yuxuan Xie, Rose Ciotta – Ed Source
Robert J. Lopez and Colleen Shalby – The Los Angeles Time
Phillip Reese – The Sacramento Bee
Mikhail Zinshteyn, Michaella Huck and Julie Watts – CalMatters
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.
Finalists:
Ian James – The Los Angeles Times
Ari Plachta – The Sacramento Bee
Kathleen Ronayne – The Associated Press
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.
Finalists:
Angela Hart – Kaiser Health News
Manuela Tobias – CalMatters
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.
Finalists:
Adam Elmahrek, Paige St. John, Robert J. Lopez, Ruben Vives, Marisa Gerber, Kiera Feldman, and Brian van der Brug – The Los Angeles Times
Dale Kasler and Ryan Sabalow – The Sacramento Bee
Robert J. Lopez and Colleen Shalby – The Los Angeles Times
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.
Finalists:
No finalists were chosen for this category. The award recipient will be announced on March 29, 2023.
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.
Finalists
Angela Hart – Kaiser Health News
Kristen Hwang – CalMatters
Larry Lee, Genoa Barrow – The Sacramento Observer
Stephanie Sierra – ABC7
We listen to political interviews every day on podcasts, talk shows and news-radio programs. This category celebrates excellence in audio interviews that focus on California politics or policy subjects. Submit one interview, up to 30 minutes in length, including any introduction or lead-in.
Finalists:
Renée C. Byer – The Sacramento Bee
Mark Leong – The Independent
Xavier Mascareñas – The Sacramento Bee
Dania Maxwell – The Los Angeles Times
This award honors exceptional photographic coverage of breaking news tied to state policy or politics, from anywhere in California. Acceptable entries would include coverage of events at the Capitol as well as images revealing the impact of state government decisions throughout California. If a political or policy connection is not apparent, a caption should explain it. Entries should include up to three still photographs of images made during spot coverage that had no advance planning.
Finalists:
No finalists were chosen for this category. The award recipient will be announced on March 29, 2023.
California’s 2022 election asked voters to weigh in on everything from sports betting and abortion rights to Congressional races that affected the balance of power in Washington. This category recognizes exceptional visual coverage from anywhere in California of the issues at stake, involved citizenry and voters, or the candidates. If a political or policy connection is not apparent, a caption should explain it. Entries limited to three news or feature images.
Finalists:
No finalists were chosen for this category. The award recipient will be announced on March 29, 2023.
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.
Finalists:
Dustin Gardiner, Susie Neilson, and Megan Cassidy – The San Francisco Chronicle
Mackenzie Mays – The Los Angeles Times
Ezra David Romero – KQED
Jocelyn Wiener – CalMatters
This award is for a single story or a series of up to three stories that informed California’s Spanish-speaking community about an influential political or policy issue. The story could be text, audio, video or any combination, and would be judged on news value, depth of reporting and relevance to its audience. Entries will be judged by Spanish-speaking journalists.
Finalists:
Unfortunately, this year we did not receive enough entries to adequately judge this category. No finalists or winners were chosen.
For excellence in reporting about the Capitol, state government or the broader impact of state government decisions. Entries may focus on a single subject or a range of topics, each aired as a stand-alone story.
Finalists:
Liz Kreutz, Jackie Sissel, Ken Miguel, Alex Gray, and Josh Hubbard – ABC 7
Stephanie Sierra – ABC 7
Julie Watts – CBS Sacramento
For excellence in reporting about the Capitol, state government or the broader impact of state government decisions. Entries may focus on a single subject or a range of topics, each aired as a stand-alone story.
Finalists:
Morgan Ryner – ABC 10
Julie Watts – CBS Sacramento and CalMatters
Ashley Zavala – KCRA
This category honors excellence in television interviews that focus on California politics or policy subjects. Submit one interview in which the interviewer and interviewee are seen on camera and engaged in discussion.
Finalists:
Alex Cohen, Amber Sumpter, Rubi Barragan, Hannah Poukish, Carla Conrad, Daisy Espinoza, Crystal Goss, Diana Jimenez, David Pircher, Kate Post, Jeffrey Shore, Nick Stoffel, and Tony Remigio – Charter Communications
Elex Michaelson – Fox 11 – Los Angeles