Congratulations to the 2024 CJA Winners!
Agricultural Reporting
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Los Angeles Times | California’s struggle to curb groundwater depletion | Ian James |
| Second Place | Los Angeles Times | Feds say he masterminded an epic California water heist. Some farmers say he’s their Robin Hood | Jessica Garrison |
| Third Place | The Orange County Register | Farmers, educators aim to make organic produce available in California public schools | Brock Keeling |
| Fourth Place | Los Angeles Times | Fast-growing asparagus once flourished on California farms. Why is it disappearing? | Cindy Carcamo |
| Fifth Place | The Sacramento Bee | Modern miracle from the Sacramento Valley feeds the world. It’s horribly overlooked | Tom Philp |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Press Democrat | 101-year-old Sonoma County family dairy closes after costly court fight with environmental group | John Beck, Kent Porter |
| Second Place | The Press-Enterprise | Temecula’s wine country hits baby boomer skid as more vineyard owners opt to sell | Pat Maio |
| Third Place | The Press Democrat | Measure J, Sonoma County’s divisive anti-factory farm initiative | Phil Barber, Staff of The Press Democrat, |
| Fourth Place | The Desert Sun | As a Black date farmer, Sam Cobb is a rarity. But he doesn’t want to stay that way | Ani Gasparyan |
| Fifth Place | The Press Democrat | As the North Coast cannabis industry struggles, Humboldt County growers say Measure A could sink them | Andrew Graham, Marisa Endicott, Kent Porter |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Ventura County Star | Rio School District wins coveted national Green Ribbon sustainability prize | Isaiah Murtaugh |
| Second Place | Chico Enterprise-Record | Land of bees and honey | Evan Tuchinsky |
| Third Place | Santa Maria Times | Groundwater Cuyama Valley | Melinda Burns |
| Fourth Place | Ventura County Star | Cluster of Ventura County farmworkers diagnosed with rare disease, leptospirosis | Tom Kisken |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Zocalo Public Square | What Is A Good Job Now? In Agriculture | Not provided in entry |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Comstock’s Magazine | Finding Connection and Purpose in Youth Agriculture: Meet the enterprising and inspiring young folks of FFA and the teachers who inspire them | Helen Harlan |
| Second Place | Napa Valley Register | Obtaining a Napa winery use permit a high-stakes game | Barry Eberling |
| Third Place | Capital & Main | California Cuts Back on Safety Enforcement as Farmworkers Toil in Extreme Heat | Robert J. Lopez, Robert J. Lopez |
| Fourth Place | New Times | The name game | Bulbul Rajagopal |
| Fifth Place | Comstock’s Magazine | In Search of Pretty Produce | Angela Knight |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Business Journal | Cargill acquisition, consolidation and layoffs | Not provided in entry |
| Second Place | North Bay Business Journal | Rooted in the Earth | Susan Wood |
| Third Place | The Business Journal | Avian flu burns through Central Valley poultry, dairy farms | Not provided in entry |
| Fourth Place | The Business Journal | Farmland selloffs of summer 2024 | Not provided in entry |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | A News Cafe | ‘It’s ugly’: Grasshoppers annihilate backyard gardens, ranchers’ rangeland in massive insect invasion | Mike Chapman |
| Second Place | Valley Voice | Toor Farming Nonpayment Lawsuits | Catherine Doe, Catherine Doe, Catherine Doe |
| Third Place | SJV Water | SGMA – How California’s first groundwater law is impacting the San Joaquin Valley | Lois Henry, Lisa McEwen |
| Fourth Place | Pacific Coast Business Times | Apeel CEO steps down, mission remains the same | Jorge Mercado |
| Fifth Place | Santa Clara Weekly | Farm-to-Cafeteria Produce as School Year Gets Underway | David Alexander |
Artistic Photo
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | Artistic Photo: Space X Launch — The San Diego Union-Tribune | Nelvin Cepeda |
| Second Place | The Orange County Register | Sunset swim | Mark Rightmire |
| Third Place | The Sacramento Bee | Sacramento Valley Sunset | Lezlie Sterling |
| Fourth Place | The Sacramento Bee | Airshow acrobatics | Bailey Stover |
| Fifth Place | The Mercury News/East Bay Times | Photos: Aurora borealis from the Bay Area and far beyond | Ray Chavez |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Press Democrat | Thanksgiving Morning | Kent Porter |
| Second Place | The Press Democrat | Fungi Fanatics | John Burgess |
| Third Place | The Desert Sun | Early morning flight takes off from Palm Springs International Airport | Jay Calderon |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Tribune | Morning fog, Bishop Peak | David Middlecamp |
| Second Place | Santa Cruz Sentinel | ‘The Pyramids’ at Cowell Beach part of Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History’s CommonGround festival | Shmuel Thaler |
| Third Place | Inland Valley Daily Bulletin | Rodeo roping | Will Lester |
| Fourth Place | Marin Independent Journal | Flyfisher | Alan Dep |
| Fifth Place | Visalia Times-Delta | Egret catches a fish | Ron Holman |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Capital & Main | A Senior Fights to Keep His Place in the World | Barbara Davidson |
| Second Place | Chino Champion | Male pine cones | Marianne Napoles |
| Third Place | Capital & Main | Lourdes Mata’s bible | Barbara Davidson |
| Fourth Place | Chino Champion | Summer swallowtail | Marianne Napoles |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Claremont Courier | July Fourth fireworks at 400 feet | Peter Weinberger |
| Second Place | Claremont Courier | Dual rainbows light up the sky | Peter Weinberger |
| Third Place | Claremont Courier | Seagulls circle elephant seals at Piedras Blancas | Not provided in entry |
| Fourth Place | India Currents | A Bay Area Trans Rights Activist Talks About South Asian Identity and Gender Fluidity In The US | Sree Sripathy |
| Fifth Place | The Ark | The 110-acre Easton Point annex to the Old St. Hilary’s Open Space Preserve | Leo Leung |
Arts & Entertainment Coverage
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | San Francisco Chronicle | Official K-pop shirts have sucked for years. Bay Area fans are changing that | Todd Inoue |
| Second Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | The Belly Up’s 50-year history transcends music | George Varga |
| Third Place | The Mercury News/East Bay Times | The sublime, therapeutic joys of karaoke, John Metcalfe | John Metcalfe |
| Fourth Place | The Orange County Register | Southern California authors and books | Emily St. Martin, Erik Pedersen |
| Fifth Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | Reflections on Street Scene | George Varga |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Desert Sun | ’I needed to have my voice heard’: Twentynine Palms resident Casey Niccoli on Jane’s Addiction | Brian Blueskye |
| Second Place | The San Francisco Standard | How a New San Francisco Ballet Director Turned Opera House into House Party | Julie Zigoris |
| Third Place | The San Francisco Standard | San Francisco Artists Maintain a Creative Haven for 40 Years—at a Radioactive Site | Julie Zigoris |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Daily Press | Crackers with rhythm: Interview with ’90s hit band during two-night bender in Mojave Desert | McKenna Mobley |
| Second Place | Monterey Herald | Classic Car Week coverage | Andre Valadez, James Raia, Lisa Crawford Watson, Arianna Nalbach, Mason bloom, Kyarra Harris, david kellogg |
| Third Place | Daily Press | From banished to blessed: An interview with skate rock band the Black Lips | McKenna Mobley |
| Fourth Place | Chico Enterprise-Record | ’Sweeney Todd’ twists its way to Oroville | Evan Tuchinsky |
| Fifth Place | The Bakersfield Californian | Go & Do: Arts activities abound in Bakersfield | Stefani Dias |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Santa Barbara Independent | SBIFF Gives Fiesta 5 a New Lease on Life | Nick Welsh |
| Second Place | 48 Hills | Sara Suarez | Not provided in entry |
| Third Place | The Salinas Californian | Cervezalandia showcases Mexican and Chicano craft breweries at Salinas Oldtown event | Roseann Cattani |
| Fourth Place | Mule Creek Post | Craftsmen of Crochet | Jason Davis |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Bay Area Reporter | “‘Baldwin and Buckley at Cambridge’ in Berkeley” | Jim Gladstone |
| Second Place | Coachella Valley Independent | Matt King Music Coverage | Matt King |
| Third Place | Comstock’s Magazine | The Value of Art | Marie-Elena Schembri |
| Fourth Place | Bay Area Reporter | “Richard Hunt, the gay Muppeteer: ‘Funny Boy,’ Jessica Max Stein’s biography, reveals his vibrant brief life” | Jim Provenzano |
| Fifth Place | La Jolla Light | ”La Jolla band brings live music back to the cinema with new surf film” | Noah Lyons |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Petaluma Argus-Courier | The battle of the bathtubs: Petaluma fights over definition of public art | David Templeton |
| Second Place | Tracy Press | ‘The Great Show’ to launch Grand’s new resident company | Bob Brownne |
| Third Place | The Sonoma Index-Tribune | ’The Hello Girls’ – the story of the first U.S. women soliders – comes to Sonoma | Emma Molloy |
| Fourth Place | San Fernando Valley Sun | Young Mariachis Soar at Haddon Avenue STEAM in Pacoima | Maria Luisa Torres |
| Fifth Place | Patterson Irrigator | Back To Their Roots: Eslabon Armado performs for PHS crowd | Jessica Wilkinson |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | 48 Hills | Juneteenth reading of ‘3rd & Palou’ humanized 1Third Place6 Hunters Point Uprising | Tom Molanphy |
| Second Place | 48 Hills | In tapestries of Bay Area street life, Dance Doyle weaves a world | Mary Corbin |
| Third Place | Santa Clara Weekly | Surviving Against the Odds: Civil War in Nigeria and Stolen African Music | Diane Andrews |
| Fourth Place | Calaveras Enterprise | Off the Wall Youth Theatre Troupe stages whimsical Little Mermaid | Tori James |
| Fifth Place | St. Helena Star | The one that you want: St. Helena Drama’s ‘Grease’ opens Friday | Jesse Duarte |
| Fifth Place | San Francisco Classical Voice | Backstage at SF Opera: From the Makeup Table to the Prompter’s Box | Lisa Hirsch |
Audience/Community Engagement Award
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Los Angeles Times | Our Queerest Century | Kevin Rector, Jaweed Kaleem Jaweed Kaleem, Matt Hamilton, Hailey Branson-Potts |
| Second Place | The Orange County Register | SCNG virtual events | Samantha Dunn, Julie Corlette |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | EdSource | EdSource online community roundtables on math and reading issues | Andrew Reed, smita patel, Michael burke, Amy DiPierro, John Fensterwald, zaidee Stavely |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Sacramento Observer | ’It’s OK Brotha’ – Normalizing Black Men’s Mental Health One Story At A Time | Sterling Davies, Madelaine Church, Genoa Barrow, Larry Lee |
| Second Place | Zocalo Public Square | What Is a Good Job Now? | Zocalo Public Square Staff |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Pleasanton Weekly | ’Stripped for Parts’ screening and panel discussion | Gina Channell Wilcox, Jeremy Walsh, Cierra Bailey |
| Second Place | The Business Journal | 60 Ideas in 60 Minutes | Not provided in entry |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Black Voice News | Care in the IE Exhibit Showcases Inspiring Caregivers and Their Loved Ones | Alyssah Hall |
| Second Place | Stocktonia News Service | Stocktonia | Edward Lopez |
| Third Place | India Currents | In Language Voter Guides | Meera Kymal, Prachi Singh |
Best Newsletter
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Los Angeles Times | Essential California | Ryan Fonseca |
| Second Place | The Sacramento Bee | Election 2024 Newsletter | Camryn Dadey |
| Third Place | The Sacramento Bee | La Abeja | Staff Staff |
| Fourth Place | Los Angeles Times | The Wild | Jaclyn Cosgrove |
| Fifth Place | The Sacramento Bee | The Canopy | Living your Best Life in Sacramento | JJ Juarez, Camryn Dadey |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Zocalo Public Square | Zocalo Public Square’s newsletter | Zocalo Public Square Staff |
| Second Place | Santa Barbara Independent | Full Belly Files | Matt Kettmann |
| Third Place | Monterey County Weekly | Monterey County Now | Monterey County Weekly staff |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Coachella Valley Independent | 11 Days a Week | Matt King, Charles Drabkin, Jimmy Boegle |
| Second Place | Coachella Valley Independent | Indy Digest | Jimmy Boegle, Jimmy Boegle |
| Third Place | Comstock’s Magazine | Comstock’s Weekly Newsletter | Dakota Morlan |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Business Journal | Executive Dining Guide | The Business Journal Staff |
| Second Place | Pleasanton Weekly | Pleasanton Weekly’s Local Scoop member newsletter | Jeremy Walsh, Carla Kong |
| Third Place | The Business Journal | Real Estate Weekly | The Business Journal Staff |
| Fourth Place | The Business Journal | Daily Update | The Business Journal Staff |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Fresnoland | The outrage over Valley Childrens’ exec salaries, explained | Rob Parsons |
| Second Place | Claremont Courier | Claremont Courier best newsletter entries | Mick Rhodes, Skylar Anderson |
| Third Place | The Berkeley Scanner | The Berkeley Scanner: TBS Today daily newsletter | Emilie Raguso |
Best Podcast
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Fresno Bee | Bitwise & Betrayal: Inside the fraud scandal that shook Fresno | Bob Rodriguez, Tim Sheehan, Craig Kohlruss, Eric Zamora, Loumay Alesali, Samantha Sullivan Don Blount, Jennifer Molina |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | EdSource | Education Beat podcast from EdSource | Zaidee Stavely, Coby McDonald, Betty Marquez Rosales, Maillika Seshadri, karen d’souza |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Fresnoland | Fresnolandia Podcast: Homelessness is a Housing Problem | Danielle Bergstrom, Jordan Mattox |
| Second Place | Pacific Coast Business Times | Civil Dialogues | Henry Dubroff |
| Third Place | Redwood City Pulse | Redwood City Election Watch 2024 | Simmerdeep Kaur, Michelle Iracheta |
4-Year University Division
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | CSU Fullerton-Daily Titan | The details behind Quavo’s Spring Concert contract – Daily Titan Podcast (Episode 4) | Emily Wilson, Isaiah Mallari, Luis Vizcaino, Raniel Santos, Michelle King, Jayden Lovelady, Kabeer Kansara |
| Second Place | Cal Poly-Pomona-The Poly Post | In Parentheses: CPP spends $4.1M of MacKenzie Scott donation on new logo, motto, website | Victoria Mejicanos |
| Third Place | Cal Poly-Pomona-The Poly Post | Down the Ballot: The Issues | Katie Priest |
2-Year College Division
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | De Anza College-La Voz News | The De Anza Sports Voice | Anthony Politi, Alexander Stoev |
| Second Place | De Anza College-La Voz News | Major Talk | Atharva Salkar, Frank Mayers |
| Third Place | Santa Rosa Junior College-The Oak Leaf | By the Fireside, Episode 1 | Kevin Terlizzi-Bowes, Lucas Cadigan-Carranza |
| Fourth Place | De Anza College-La Voz News | Wrapped up | Frank Mayers, Allan Galeana |
| Fifth Place | Santa Rosa Junior College-The Oak Leaf | That time I got sniffed by a bear | Arlo Connally Stewart |
Breaking News
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Orange County Register | Campus protests in Orange County | Orange County Register Staff |
| Second Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | Downtown San Diego homeless shelter devastated by flooding | Blake Nelson |
| Third Place | The Sacramento Bee | Feather River Adventist School shooting | Ishani Desai, Jake Goodrick, Rosalio Ahumada, Hector Amezcua, Emma Hall, Mathew Miranda, Daniel Hunt, Michael McGough, Emilie Stigliani, Stephen Hobbs, Renee Byer |
| Fourth Place | San Francisco Chronicle | She didn’t know she was pregnant. But a surprise birth wasn’t enough to loosen fentanyl’s grip | Maggie Angst, Gabrielle Lurie, Catherine Ho |
| Fifth Place | The Sacramento Bee | Bidwell Mansion Fire | Darrell Smith, Daniel Hunt |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Desert Sun | Trump takes aim at California during Coachella Valley rally, his first and only in Golden State during presidential campaign | Tom Coulter, Paul Albani-Burgio, Ani Gasparyan, Andy Abeyta, Jay Calderon, Taya Gray, Kathryn Palmer, Kate Franco, Jim Ward, Eric Hartley |
| Second Place | The Press Democrat | 105-year-old veteran faced untimely discharge from Santa Rosa care home until last minute inquiries | Jeremy Hay, Kerry Benefield, Austin Murphy, Kent Porter, John Burgess |
| Third Place | The Fresno Bee | Fresno police chief scandal: charges of infidelity and extortion | Thaddeus Miller, Tim Sheehan, Melissa Montalvo, Marek Warszawski, Maria Ortiz-Briones, Joshua Tehee, Thaddeus Miller, Tim Sheehan, Melissa Montalvo, Marek Warszawski, Maria G. Ortiz-Briones, Joshua Tehee |
| Fourth Place | The Press Democrat | Deadly weekend on Sonoma Coast as two sport crab boats capsize in rough waters | Madison Smalstig, Andrew Graham, Mary Callahan, Beth Schlanker, Christopher Chung, Colin Atagi, Alana Minkler |
| Fifth Place | The Press-Enterprise | Man with guns arrested near Trump rally in Coachella, Riverside sheriff says they stopped assassination attempt | Brian Rokos, Mona Darwish & Beau Yarbrough |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Visalia Times-Delta | HCCA CEO who put ’profits over people’ sentenced, Benny Benzeevi skips jail in Tulare hospital case | Sheyanne N Romero |
| Second Place | Daily Press | Autistic teen killed by San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputy in Apple Valley mourned | Not provided in entry |
| Third Place | The Tribune | Possible tornado hits SLO County, leaving trees flattened, thousands without power | Stephanie Zappelli, Joan Lynch, Kaytlyn Leslie, Kathe Tanner, David Middlecamp, Sarah Linn, Mackenzie Shuman |
| Fourth Place | The Record | ‘Our hearts are broken’: Lodi man charged with fatally shooting estranged wife | Vicotria Franco |
| Fifth Place | Ventura County Star | Mountain Fire coverage | Ventura County Star Staff, Ventura County Star Staff |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Beverly Hills Courier | Local Pro-Palestinian Protests Elicit Strong Response | Clara Harter |
| Second Place | The Salinas Californian | Santa Cruz wharf section collapses, sending 3 into sea as high surf slams California coast | Not provided in entry |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Lookout Santa Cruz | Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf collapse | Max Chun, Hillary Ojeda, Christopher Neely, Kevin Painchaud, Wallace Baine |
| Second Place | GV Wire | Former Bitwise CEOs Receive Stiff Federal Prison Sentences | David Taub |
| Third Place | J. The Jewish News of Northern California | ‘I’m screaming for help’: Jewish students face violence at UC Berkeley Israel talk | Emma Goss, Maya Mirsky & Gabe Stutman |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Voice of OC | OC Coroner: Former Anaheim Councilman Brandman Died of Meth Overdose | Hosam Elattar, Noah Biesiada |
| Second Place | The Almanac | Man accused of attempting to kidnap student at Sequoia High was released days before incident due to paperwork error | Arden Margulis, Arden Margulis |
| Third Place | The Business Journal | From Clovis to Paris, via Egypt: Local manufacturer to make Olympic debut | Not provided in entry |
| Fourth Place | Petaluma Argus-Courier | Police, in armed response after wild chase, capture man who drove into Petaluma River | Jennifer Sawhney |
| Fifth Place | Voice of OC | Former OC Supervisor Andrew Do Pleads Guilty to Bribery Scheme | Noah Biesiada |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Ark | Tiburon warning puts disaster response to the test | Kevin Hessel, Naomi Friedland |
| Second Place | The Ark | Missing girl found safe in Sacramento | Naomi Friedland, Kevin Hessel |
| Third Place | Claremont Courier | Most of Mt. Baldy Village saved from Bridge Fire | Mick Rhodes |
| Fourth Place | Santa Clara Weekly | Becker Found Guilty of Willful Violation of Duty | Ericka Towne |
| Fifth Place | The Berkeley Scanner | UC Berkeley clears People’s Park with eye on housing plans | Emilie Raguso |
Columns
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Sacramento Bee | LeBron Hill columns | LeBron Hill |
| Second Place | The Sacramento Bee | Robin Epley columns | Robin Epley |
| Third Place | San Francisco Chronicle | Joshua Kosman columns | Joshua Kosman |
| Fourth Place | The Sacramento Bee | Tom Philp columns | Tom Philp |
| Fifth Place | Los Angeles Times | Columns by Sammy Roth | Sammy Roth |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Press Democrat | Kerry Benefield columns: Losing Grace, Mother’s Day memorial | Kerry Benefield |
| Second Place | The Fresno Bee | Valley Children’s and raising the dam | Marek Warszawski |
| Third Place | The Press Democrat | Kerry Benefield columns: Alzheimer’s support group, A newspaper love story | Kerry Benefield |
| Fourth Place | The Desert Sun | Sports and entertainment columnist Shad Powers | Shad Powers |
| Fifth Place | The Press Democrat | Kerry Benefield columns: Bodega’s timeless bar celebrates, Giving blood is hard | Kerry Benefield |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Marin Independent Journal | Dick Spotswood No. 2 | Dick Spotswood |
| Second Place | Chico Enterprise-Record | Editor’s notes | Mike Wolcott |
| Third Place | Ventura County Star | Hands of time stop, tears start | Woody Woodburn |
| Fourth Place | Chico Enterprise-Record | City insider | Evan Tuchinsky |
| Fifth Place | Inland Valley Daily Bulletin | David Allen column entry | David Allen |
| Fifth Place | Ventura County Star | The more mess, the merrier | Woody Woodburn |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Grunion Gazette | Pinch of Salt: Get your tickets for the fireworks – you might not get another chance, | Harry Saltzgaver |
| Second Place | Monterey County Weekly | ”The Local Spin” (copy) | Sara Rubin |
| Third Place | Grunion Gazette | Rich Archbold: I’m 86 years young — and living every day as a gift | Rich Archbold |
| Fifth Place | Santa Barbara Independent | The Angry Poodle | Nick Welsh |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Beverly Press/Park Labrea News | The Bride Wore Raindrops | Chris Erskine, Chris Erskine |
| Second Place | Comstock’s Magazine | The Evil HR Lady’s Dilemma of the Month | Suzanne Lucas, Jefferson Miller |
| Third Place | Lookout Santa Cruz | Wallace Baine’s columns | Wallace Baine |
| Fourth Place | Coachella Valley Independent | Indy Digest | Jimmy Boegle, Jimmy Boegle |
| Fifth Place | GV Wire | The Rising Cost of Living: How Inflation and Stagnant Wages Squeeze Millennial Budgets | Anthony Haddad |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Voice of OC | THE STORY BEHIND THE SCANDAL | Norberto Santana |
| Second Place | Pleasanton Weekly | What A Week: Personal obituaries | Jeremy Walsh |
| Third Place | Petaluma Argus-Courier | Culture Junkie | David Templeton |
| Fourth Place | Del Mar Times | Education Matters: Other people’s money, other people’s kids | Not provided in entry |
| Fifth Place | Voice of OC | TAMING THE DARKEST CORNERS OF GOVERNMENT | Norberto Santana |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | California Health Report | Restorative Justice and Domestic Violence columns | Marjorie Coffey |
| Second Place | 48 Hills | Tim Redmond on housing | Tim Redmond |
| Third Place | 48 Hills | Tim Redmond on local politics | Tim Redmond |
| Fourth Place | Glendale News-Press | Do You Have a Good Dad? Bravo. | Chris Erskine |
| Fifth Place | Calaveras Enterprise | Dossi Thoughts | Guy Dossi |
4-Year University Division
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | CSU Dominguez Hills-The Bulletin | Perspectives | Viri Garcia Gallardo, Deshawn Pouper, Sharon K. Sobotta |
| Second Place | CSU Fullerton-Daily Titan | Daily Titan – Luis Vizcaino opinion columns | Luis Vizcaino |
| Third Place | Cal Poly-Pomona-The Poly Post | Californians keep slavery alive | Katie Priest |
| Fourth Place | San Jose State University-Spartan Daily | Saturn Williams columns | Saturn Williams |
| Fifth Place | Cal Poly-Pomona-The Poly Post | American politics: Game with no winners | Victoria Mejicanos |
2-Year College Division
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | De Anza College-La Voz News | Carrying guns on campus | Xitlaly Martinez, Joshua Hascall |
| Second Place | Southwestern College-The Sun | I STAND TO HONOR MY MILITARY FAMILY, REJECT INJUSTICE AND RACISM | Zeke Watson |
| Third Place | Los Medanos College-Experience | LMC-Columns-CJ-Fear-based politics-US Aid | Chijioke Onyeagucha |
| Fourth Place | Las Positas College-Express | ’Liv on the Edge | Oliva Fitts |
| Fifth Place | Santa Ana College-el Don | Views Column: Gillian Palacios | Gillian Palacios |
High School Division
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Sacramento Country Day School-The Octagon | Our Angles | Anika Nadgauda, Zachary Vando-Milberger |
| Second Place | Sacramento Country Day School-The Octagon | Advice Column | Ava Eberhart, Garrett Xu |
| Fourth Place | Castro Valley High School-The Olympian | Aleksandra Hurka | Aleksandra Hurka |
Community Calendar
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Santa Maria Times | Event Calendar | Jason Anderson |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Monterey County Weekly | Monterey County events | Agata Popeda, Monterey County Weekly staff |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | North Coast Journal | NCJ Calendar | Kali Cozyris |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Voice of OC | Free Things to Do | Erika Taylor |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Claremont Courier | Claremont Courier Calendar | Andrew Alonzo, Skylar Anderson |
Community Focus Award
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | San Francisco Chronicle | Who is Brooke Slusser, the SJSU volleyball player trying to ban transgender women from sports? | Marisa Ingemi, Ann Killion |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Fresno Bee | LGBTQ coverage in the Latino Community | Maria G. Ortiz-Briones |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Tribune | LGBTQ coverage | Stephanie Zappelli, Chloe Shrager, Joe Tarica, Stephanie Finucane |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | San Quentin News | San Quentin Incarcerated Veterans Share ‘Proud, Poignant, and Painful Episodes’ during War Horse Writing Seminar | Kevin Sawyer |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | J. The Jewish News of Northern California | Paradise lost: Israel-Hamas war tears at social fabric of tiny Bolinas | Emma Goss |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Voice of OC | Anaheim’s Little Arabia is Finally Getting its Freeway Signs | Hosam Elattar |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Fresnoland | ‘We need more places like this in Fresno.’ LGBTQ+ groups fight discrimination as second Trump term looms | Gisselle Medina |
Coverage of Business and the Economy
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Orange County Register | Anguished homeowners struggle to keep their insurance | Jeff Collins |
| Second Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | After 32 years of family ownership, Point Loma’s commercial fishing marina drifts toward a port takeover | Jennifer Van Grove |
| Third Place | San Francisco Chronicle | Living with landslides and road closures: Big Sur businesses struggle to survive | Connor Letourneau |
| Fourth Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | What would you do if the state gave you an extra $500 a month? 150 San Diegans got a chance to find out | Roxana Popescu |
| Fifth Place | Los Angeles Times | 99 Cents Only was an L.A. icon. Inside the fall of the popular chain | Andrea Chang, Laurence Darmiento |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Press Democrat | Is the Wine Industry Really in a Freefall? | Not provided in entry |
| Second Place | The Desert Sun | Will solar industry be dimmed — or shine — under Trump? | Janet Wilson |
| Third Place | Daily Breeze | What does SpaceX’s move to Texas really mean for the South Bay? | Kristy Hutchings |
| Fourth Place | The Press Democrat | Collapse of LeFever Mattson’s Sonoma Valley real estate empire | Phil Barber |
| Fifth Place | The Fresno Bee | AG bankruptcies roil Fresno farming | Robert Rodriguez |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Record Searchlight | Former ‘eyesore’ Redding lot now on its way to becoming a leafy community gathering spot | Michele Chandler |
| Second Place | Visalia Times-Delta | Indoor pickleball center coming to Visalia: ‘It’s the fastest-growing sport in America’ | Steve Pastis |
| Third Place | Ventura County Star | ’You’d think more companies would have this’: Bill aims for more child care like Patagonia’s | Tony Biasotti |
| Fourth Place | The Modesto Bee | A 14-year-old restaurant is being picked up and moved to another city. Why the owners aren’t just constructing a new building. | Dominique Williams |
| Fifth Place | The Tribune | How this SLO lingerie shop with the quirky name thrived and adapted over 40 years | Kathe Tanner, Laura Dickinson |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Beach Reporter | Phillips 66 closing its LA Harbor-area refinery, more than 600 jobs at stake | Kristy Hutchings |
| Second Place | Monterey County Weekly | Amazon comes to town | Erik Chalhoub |
| Third Place | The Salinas Californian | Salinas brewmaster brings tastes of Germany to Monterey County | Roseann Cattani |
| Fourth Place | The Beach Reporter | Los Angeles agrees to pay $20.8 million to fix issues at Hyperion | Tyler Evains |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Palo Alto Weekly | Meet the couples behind 3 vibrant Peninsula businesses | Karla Kane |
| Second Place | Coachella Valley Independent | Arts = Business: After a Study Documents How Creatives Boost the Coachella Valley’s Economy, Locals Work to Utilize the Data | Haleemon Anderson |
| Third Place | New Times | Financial struggle | Libbey Hanson |
| Fourth Place | San Francisco Business Times | On a mission to save downtown | Alex Barreira |
| Fifth Place | Capital & Main | Million Dollar Homes With Oil Wells as Neighbors | Jennifer Oldham |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Business Journal | Employment on the spectrum: Individuals can excel in the workplace with the right help | Not provided in entry |
| Second Place | North Bay Business Journal | A Costly Lesson | Cheryl Sarfaty |
| Third Place | The Business Journal | Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation expanding entrepreneur mission into new downtown office | Not provided in entry |
| Fourth Place | Pleasanton Weekly | Costco is here … finally | Christian Trujano |
| Fifth Place | The Business Journal | Global IT outage hits Fresno television stations, airport, banking | Gabriel Dillard & Estela Anahi Jaramillo |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Trinity Journal | Massive backlash at AT&T | Josh Cozine |
| Second Place | Valley Voice | Toor Farming Nonpayment Lawsuits | Catherine Doe, Catherine Doe, Catherine Doe |
| Third Place | The Ark | Couple’s restaurant offers haven for queer community | Naomi Friedland, Naomi Friedland |
| Fourth Place | Santa Clara Weekly | Mail Theft Series | David Alexander |
| Fifth Place | Santa Clara Weekly | Sunnyvale Business Leverages AI to Deter Crime | David Alexander |
Coverage of Local Government
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | Hundreds of vacancies at San Diego city and county boards hobble missions, delay work | Jeff McDonald, Emily Alvarenga |
| Second Place | The Mercury News/East Bay Times | Series on District 16 saga | Grace Hase, Julia Sulek, Harriet Rowan |
| Third Place | The Sacramento Bee | Howard Chan raise, contract | Theresa Clift, Mathew Miranda, Stephen Hobbs |
| Fourth Place | The Sacramento Bee | Councilman Sean Loloee resigns | Theresa Clift |
| Fifth Place | San Francisco Chronicle | Watchdogging the Dream Keeper Initiative | Michael Barba, St. John Barned-Smith |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Press-Telegram | Here’s why Long Beach is updating Measure A language in its Municipal Code | Kristy Hutchings |
| Second Place | The Fresno Bee | Fresno police chief scandal: charges of infidelity and extortion | Thaddeus Miller, Tim Sheehan, Melissa Montalvo, Marek Warszawski, Maria Ortiz-Briones, Joshua Tehee, Thaddeus Miller, Tim Sheehan, Melissa Montalvo, Marek Warszawski, Maria G. Ortiz-Briones, Joshua Tehee |
| Third Place | The Desert Sun | Palm Springs Section 14 evictions | Paul Albani-Burgio, Taya Gray, Sam Morgen, Tom Coulter |
| Fourth Place | The Press Democrat | Dwindling ranks, demoralized workers: Sonoma County’s staffing crisis | Emma Murphy, Martin Espinoza, Chad Surmick, Emma Murphy, Martin Espinoza, Chad Surmick |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Times-Herald | LaRussell lights a fire under local leadership | Sarah Rodriguez |
| Second Place | San Bernardino Sun | One year after brutal storms in the San Bernardino Mountains, what has been learned? | Beau Yarbrough |
| Third Place | Marin Independent Journal | Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium goes dark | Richard Halstead |
| Fourth Place | The Record | Stockton Unified School District trustee arrested, charged with misuse of public funds | Aaron Leathley |
| Fifth Place | Santa Maria Times | Santa Barbara County aims to cage rooster farming | Mike Hodgson, Jennifer Best |
| Fifth Place | The Porterville Recorder | ETGSA, TCRTA, County Board | Not provided in entry |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Salinas Californian | Salinas City Council introduces series of renter protection laws | Roseann Cattani |
| Second Place | The Beach Reporter | Diane Middleton bumped from LA harbor commission by LA mayor, sparking local opposition | Donna Littlejohn |
| Third Place | Santa Barbara Independent | Carpinteria Community Blasts Bluffs Resort at Preliminary Review | Ryan P. Cruz |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Palo Alto Weekly | Council member faces backlash for ‘inappropriate’ relationship | Gennady Sheyner |
| Second Place | GV Wire | Contractor Didn’t ’Buy American.’ Now, it Owes the City of Fresno. | David Taub |
| Third Place | GV Wire | Fresno Jury Sides With Former Police Chief. How Much Was He Awarded? | David Taub |
| Fourth Place | New Times | Renewable and off-putting | Libbey Hanson |
| Fifth Place | Lookout Santa Cruz | Christopher Neely’s politics and policy coverage | Christopher Neely |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Voice of OC | Financial Cliff in OC | Hosam Elattar, Noah Biesiada, Hugo Rios, Gigi Gradillas, Angelina Hicks |
| Second Place | Petaluma Argus-Courier | New bike lanes on Petaluma’s D Street draw praise, ire | Jennifer Sawhney |
| Third Place | Del Mar Times | A former Solana Beach council candidate agreed to pay $775K to settle a defamation case. Then He tried to back out. | Not provided in entry |
| Fourth Place | Del Mar Times | Board of Supervisors approves resolution in support of affordable housing at Del Mar Fairgrounds | Not provided in entry |
| Fifth Place | Pleasanton Weekly | Measure PP: Paying for Pleasanton’s budget woes | Christian Trujano, Jeremy Walsh |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Valley Voice | City of Visalia logo saga | Catherine Doe |
| Second Place | A News Cafe | A News Cafe Covers Shasta County’s ”Election Integrity” Movement | R.V. Scheide |
| Third Place | Stocktonia News Service | Censure of Stockton Councilmember Michele Padilla | Cassie Dickman |
| Fourth Place | The Ark | Tiburon HOA fights to undo accidental tax auction | Francisco Martinez, Kevin Hessel |
| Fifth Place | A News Cafe | A News Cafe’s Doni Chamberlain Covers Shasta County Board of Supervisors | Doni Chamberlain |
Coverage of Student Government and Campus Administration
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Santa Maria Times | El Camino sees uptick in violence, district working on support, solutions | Not provided in entry |
| Second Place | Santa Maria Times | Principal’s email prompts disciplinary action, records request | April Chavez, Dave Minsky |
| Third Place | Santa Maria Times | Bonita Elementary drinks bottled water | April Chavez |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Almanac | Allegations of fiscal mismanagement in Las Lomitas School District | Arden Margulis |
4-Year University Division
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Cal Poly-Pomona-The Poly Post | Students could face disciplinary action following protest against Lockheed Martin | Victoria Mejicano, Danna Miramontes |
| Second Place | Cal Poly-Pomona-The Poly Post | $25M gap leads campus to pull from reserves, MacKenzie Scott donation called ‘wow money’ | Katie Priest & Ava Uhlack |
| Third Place | CSU Chico-The Orion | Jessica Miller – Campus Reporting | Jessica Miller |
| Fourth Place | San Jose State University-Spartan Daily | SJSU divestment encampment stories | Alina Ta, Kaya Henkes-Power, Alexia Frederickson |
| Fifth Place | Stanford University-The Stanford Daily | ‘Not a place of belonging’: Discrimination allegations plague Stanford admissions office | Dilan Gohill |
2-Year College Division
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Santa Rosa Junior College-The Oak Leaf | Ag Dean controversy – two stories | Amy Moore |
| Second Place | El Camino College-The Union | El Camino to slash $40 million from budget as it faces major deficit (copy) | Angela Osorio, Ma. Gisela Ordenes |
| Third Place | Southwestern College-The Sun | AI BOTS STEALING CLASSES, FAFSA | Xiomara Santospieve |
| Fourth Place | San Joaquin Delta College-The Collegian | Delta trustee sued over conflicting seats | Andrea Rivera |
| Fifth Place | De Anza College-La Voz News | Students, public express concern over Tasers at community forum | Ingrid Lu, Ann Penalosa |
High School Division
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Archbishop Riordan High School-The Crusader | Riordan elects first solo female president | Natalie Dueber |
| Second Place | Castro Valley High School-The Olympian | Anti-hate policies implemented to combat use of slurs | Hailey Young |
| Third Place | Henry M. Gunn High School–The Oracle | Gunn High School’s Campus Modernization and Commitment to First-Generation Students | Not provided in entry |
| Fourth Place | Castro Valley High School-The Olympian | CVHS reforms retakes | Matthew Wong |
Coverage of Youth and Education
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | Poway Unified fired its superintendent for allegedly interfering in investigation related to her daughter | Kristen Taketa |
| Second Place | San Francisco Chronicle | Mountainview school district | Jill Tucker |
| Third Place | The Sacramento Bee | St. Hope: Are students being served by the charter school? | Jennah Pendleton |
| Fourth Place | The Orange County Register | 5½ months for a second chance? Troubled SoCal teens choose a military-style school | Mindy Schauer |
| Fifth Place | San Francisco Chronicle | Woke Kindergarten | Jill Tucker |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Desert Sun | Coachella Valley High teens advocate for menstrual equity | Jennifer Cortez |
| Second Place | The Press Democrat | As more North Bay students become homeless, schools struggle to address their needs | Alana Minkler, Adriana Gutierrez, John Burgess |
| Third Place | The Press-Enterprise | Why these 2 mothers are on opposite sides of the Temecula school board recall | Jeff Horseman, Jordan B. Darling |
| Fourth Place | The Press Democrat | ‘Looking for people to care’: Defunded by Napa school district in 2020, Legacy Youth Project returns to ‘seek justice’ | Tarini Mehta, Kent Porter |
| Fifth Place | The Fresno Bee | District policies on phones/social media decades out of touch | Leqi Zhong |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Reporter | Army recruits with ’teaching vehicle’ | Richard Bammer |
| Second Place | Redlands Daily Facts | Redlands Unified sex abuse complaints | Joe Nelson, Scott Schwebke, Beau Yarbrough |
| Third Place | The Modesto Bee | State attorney general questions sex education curriculum approved by local public school | Taylor Johnson |
| Fourth Place | Monterey Herald | Declining enrollment struggle continues | Andrea Valadez |
| Fifth Place | Ventura County Star | Cal Lutheran faculty vote no confidence in President Lori Varlotta | Isaiah Murtaugh, Tony Biasotti |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Salinas Californian | An artful legacy: Young musicians focus of public murals in Salinas | Roseann Cattani |
| Second Place | Grunion Gazette | Bellflower school district hires interim superintendent — 3rd leader since 2022 | Kristy Hutchings |
| Third Place | The Sacramento Observer | Youth Voters and Civic Engagement | Sterling Davies |
| Fourth Place | Beverly Hills Courier | Teacher Files Wrongful Termination Claim Against BHUSD | Ana Figueroa |
| Fifth Place | Santa Barbara Independent | Half of Santa Barbara Children “Can’t Read by the End of 3rd Grade” | Callie Fausey |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Napa Valley Register | Should we ban cellphones in school? Napa teachers, parents and students weigh in | Riley Palmer |
| Second Place | Lookout Santa Cruz | UC Santa Cruz pro-Palestine encampment coverage | Hillary Ojeda, Max Chun, Keith A. Spencer, Kevin Painchaud |
| Third Place | GV Wire | CA Kids Need to Read Better. A New Fresno State Program Is Helping Their Teachers. | Nancy Price |
| Fourth Place | Napa Valley Register | Growing pains: Violence-related NVUSD suspensions track with enrollment in middle schools | Jennifer Huffman |
| Fifth Place | Capital & Main | Lunch at the Library Feeds Needy California Students Despite Slashed Budget | George B. Sánchez-Tello |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Business Journal | Fresno engineering firm collaborates with Fresno State for worker pipeline | Frank Lopez |
| Second Place | Petaluma Argus-Courier | Petaluma parents get creative to tackle summer camp ‘nightmare’ | Amelia Richardson, Crissy Pascual |
| Third Place | The Business Journal | College pathway partnerships bear fruit in the Central Valley | Estela Anahi Jaramillo |
| Fourth Place | The Almanac | Private school battles with neighbors over field use | Arden Margulis, Jennifer Yoshikoshi |
| Fifth Place | The Almanac | Las Lomitas teachers strike for the first time in district history | Jennifer Yoshikoshi, Arden Margulis, Angela Swartz |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | A News Cafe | A News Cafe’s Extensive Education Coverage for 2024 | R.V. Scheide |
| Second Place | Fresnoland | Ventana Hills | Julianna Morano, Julianna Morano |
| Third Place | Mountain View Voice | County approves Bullis charter renewal, but not without tighter oversight | Zoe Morgan |
| Fourth Place | The Ark | Class of 2024: Tiburon student graduates from Redwood, College of Marin in three-week span | Francisco Martinez |
| Fifth Place | Calexico Chronicle | ECESD to Evict ICOE Child Centers | Kimber Dial |
Editorial Cartoon
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Marin Independent Journal | Marin Municipal Water District moves forward with trail-sharing plan | George Russell |
| Second Place | Marin Independent Journal | Marin’s immigrant labor force a support for us all | George Russell |
| Third Place | Marin Independent Journal | Newsom orders homeless camp cleanup on state property | George Russell |
| Fourth Place | Marin Independent Journal | Performing arts struggling as auditorium repairs keep doors closed | George Russell |
| Fifth Place | Marin Independent Journal | Death row inmates are being moved out of San Quentin | George Russell |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Napa Valley Register | Social media, students’ burden | Roberto Tinoco |
| Second Place | Napa Valley Register | Welcome sign vandalized, welcoming spirit remains | Roberto Tinoco |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Voice of OC | Will Santa Ana Officials Lift Restrictions on Photojournalists at Public Meetings? | Carlos Conde |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | A News Cafe | ‘No qualified candidates need apply’ | Phil Fountain |
| Second Place | A News Cafe | ‘Gosh, what’s the problem? We’ll put in a window, sheesh’ | Phil Fountain |
Editorial Comment
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Sacramento Bee | Sacramento is trying to sneak a tax increase onto the ballot. Sacramentans must vote no | Tom Philp |
| Second Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | Elected leaders’ warnings about climate crisis not reflected in their actions | Union-Tribune Editorial Board |
| Third Place | Los Angeles Times | California needs to break down walls between community colleges and CSU | Karin Klein |
| Fourth Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | Endorsement: Reject Measure G. SANDAG is dishonest, dysfunctional. | Union-Tribune Editorial Board |
| Fifth Place | Los Angeles Times | Editorial: Kill barred owls so spotted owls can live? Wildlife service should put plan on hold | Carla Hall |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Press Democrat | Measure J puts local farms at risk, so vote ‘no’ | Jim Sweeney |
| Second Place | The Press Democrat | Waiting to hear from Social Advocates for Youth’s leaders | Jim Sweeney |
| Third Place | The Desert Sun | It’s time for voters to hold College of the Desert trustees accountable for actions | Nicky Loomis, Kate Franco |
| Fourth Place | The Press Democrat | Public deserved larger role in Santa Rosa schools superintendent pick | Jim Sweeney |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Chico Enterprise-Record | Blame game fans flames | Not provided in entry |
| Second Place | Marin Independent Journal | San Quentin’s transformation takes next step with departure of death row inmates | Brad Breithaupt |
| Third Place | The Bakersfield Californian | Our View: Don’t point fingers, just fix this mess | The Bakersfield Californian Staff |
| Fourth Place | Marin Independent Journal | Optimistic day for Sausalito Marin City School District deserves to be celebrated | Brad Breithaupt |
| Fifth Place | The Tribune | Corruption-buster Debbie Peterson accused of bilking Grover Beach taxpayers. That’s rich | Stephanie Finucane |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | CCWF Paper Trail | What are the consequences of circumventing the restitution process? | Amber Bray |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Bay Area Reporter | Shame on US Postal Service, April 3, 2024 | Cynthia Laird, Michael Yamashita |
| Second Place | Bay Area Reporter | Archbishop needs to follow pope’s directive, Jan 3, 2024 | Cynthia Laird, Michael Yamashita |
| Third Place | Coachella Valley Independent | What Happened to Small-Government Conservatives?, More Deaths in California Jails–Coachella Valley Independent’s Indy Digest: March 25, 2024 | Jimmy Boegle |
| Fourth Place | North Coast Journal | NCJ Editorial | Jennifer Fumiko Cahill, Thadeus Greenson, Kimberly Wear |
| Fifth Place | Coachella Valley Independent | News Is Something With Value, Dang It, You Can Order Free COVID Tests–Coachella Valley Independent’s Indy Digest: Sept. 26, 2024 | Jimmy Boegle |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Pleasanton Weekly | The state of local media | Gina Channell Wilcox |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Santa Clara Weekly | Gillmor Integral to Bringing World Cup to Santa Clara and in Tearing It Down | Carolyn Schuk |
| Second Place | The Trinity Journal | American people deserve better | Wayne Agner |
| Third Place | Half Moon Bay Review | What is the price of trust? | Peter Tokofsky |
| Fourth Place | India Currents | Indian American Voices | Avatans Kumar, Vignesh Ramachandran, Ashwin Murthy |
| Fifth Place | Half Moon Bay Review | Maybe they should throw in an RV | Peter Tokofsky |
Enterprise News Story or Series
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Mercury News/East Bay Times | ‘My entire childhood was taken from me’: Advocates push for ban on child marriage after bill stalls in statehouse | Nollyanne Delacruz, Caelyn Pender |
| Second Place | San Francisco Chronicle | Mass incarceration devastated S.F. Japantown. For the first time, we know how much | San Francisco Chronicle Staff nan, Nami Sumida, John Blanchard, Stephanie Zhu, Santiago Mejia, Peter Hartlaub, Staff nan |
| Third Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | A death, an estate dispute and a property sale leave Queen Bee’s in North Park on brink of closing | Alex Riggins |
| Fourth Place | San Francisco Chronicle | Mark Farrell’s conflicts | Matthias Gafni, Michael Barba, JD Morris, St. John Barned-Smith |
| Fifth Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | 8 minutes, 19 seconds: Inside one man’s dying body as Narcan molecules rush to reverse an overdose | Blake Nelson |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Press Democrat | Still in an era of firsts: Gauging Latino political power in Sonoma and Napa counties | Paulina Pineda, Martin Espinoza, George Buce |
| Second Place | Los Angeles Daily News | How ‘pig butchering’ romance scams siphon millions from Californians every year | Jason Henry |
| Third Place | The Desert Sun | Setbacks and success at the Salton Sea | Janet Wilson |
| Fourth Place | Press-Telegram | SoCal’s relationship with 4th of July fireworks might be changing. Here’s why | Kristy Hutchings, Donna Littlejohn, Olga Grigoryants, Erika I. Ritchie |
| Fifth Place | The Press Democrat | Kelseyville or Konocti: Lake County residents divided over town’s identity amid violent legacy of namesake | Austin Murphy, Kent Porter |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Tribune | Thomas Jodry fell from a SLO parking garage 5 years ago. Where does his case stand? | Chloe Jones, David Middlecamp |
| Second Place | Chico Enterprise-Record | Postcard from Israel | Molly Myers |
| Third Place | Times-Herald | Trying to bridge heartbreak’s gap | Thomas Gase |
| Fourth Place | Times-Standard | Building community | Not provided in entry |
| Fifth Place | San Gabriel Valley Tribune | Anniversary of Monterey Park mass shooting | San Gabriel Valley Tribune Staff |
| Fifth Place | Ventura County Star | ’My money is running out’: Seniors face ever-rising assisted living rent, fees | Tom Kisken |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Santa Barbara Independent | Down the Rabbit Hole | Callie Fausey |
| Second Place | Monterey County Weekly | Investigating a tyranical HOA (copy) | David Schmalz |
| Third Place | Zocalo Public Square | What Is Neutrality? | Zocalo Public Square Staff |
| Fourth Place | Monterey County Weekly | Investigating a tyranical HOA | David Schmalz |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Beverly Press/Park Labrea News | Fountain Avenue Bike Lanes | Rance Collins |
| Second Place | Beverly Press/Park Labrea News | City addresses homelessness | Edwin Folven |
| Third Place | Napa Valley Register | Napa County Supervisor Alfredo Pedroza has local property clout | Dan Evans, Jennifer Huffman, Barry Eberling |
| Fourth Place | Mission Local | BigMoneySF: The network bankrolling San Francisco politics | Joe Rivano Barros, Will Jarrett, Joe Eskenazi, Joe Rivano Barros, Will Jarrett, Joe Eskenazi |
| Fifth Place | Capital & Main | Swing Shift | Capital & Main Staff |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Petaluma Argus-Courier | Analysis: Off stage, District 6 Petaluma City Council race gets heated | Don Frances |
| Second Place | Voice of OC | Huntington Beach Air Show | Noah Biesiada, Spencer Custodio, Norberto Santana |
| Third Place | The Sonoma Index-Tribune | Residents allege security issues, management improprieties at Siesta Senior Apartments | Vince Basada |
| Fourth Place | Voice of OC | How Affordable is the OC Fair? | Angelina Hicks |
| Fifth Place | La Canada Flintridge Outlook Valley Sun | SERIES: La Cañada Flintridge Residents Decry Constant SCE Power Outages | Mia Alva |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Berkeley Scanner | Some of the stories behind Berkeley traffic fatalities — and the lives nearly lost | Emilie Raguso, Kate Rauch |
| Second Place | Redwood City Pulse | North America’s first hydrogen-powered garbage truck debuts in Redwood Shores: cleaner, but costly | Simmerdeep Kaur |
| Third Place | Fresnoland | ‘It’s horrible.’ | Gregory Weaver |
| Fourth Place | A News Cafe | Bidwell Mansion Fire Rekindles Conflicting Views of Chico’s Indigenous History | Shawn Schwaller |
| Fifth Place | Santa Clara Weekly | Joe and Arlene Ramirez, Won’t You Be My Neighbor? | Diane Andrews |
4-Year University Division
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Cal Poly-Pomona-The Poly Post | Bat-astic nights: CPP students help with bat preservation on campus | Cristopher Pineda |
| Second Place | Cal Poly-Pomona-The Poly Post | CPP spends $4.1M of MacKenzie Scott donation on new logo, motto, website | Ava Uhlack, Victoria Mejicanos, Ava Uhlack, Victoria Mejicanos, Katie Priest, Christian Park-Gastelum, Ava Uhlack, Victoria Mejicanos |
| Third Place | San Jose State University-Spartan Daily | Judge allows SJSU to compete in MWC | Kaya Henkes-Power |
| Fourth Place | Cal Poly-Pomona-The Poly Post | Eight CPP buildings pose ‘serious’ or ‘severe’ risk to life in event of earthquake | Victoria Mejicanos, Isaac Cox, Nicholas Lira |
2-Year College Division
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | El Camino College-The Union | Basic Needs Centers see record increase in demand (copy) | Nikki Yunker |
| Second Place | Los Medanos College-Experience | LMC–Enterprise-Define American | Aliyah Ramirez, Gabbie Munoz, Darcy Meadows, Jordan Suisala, Alexis Ramirez |
| Third Place | Southwestern College-The Sun | EDUCATION LIBERATES DONOVAN PRISON INMATES | Camila A. Gonzalez, Jose Guzman, Holden Ames |
| Fourth Place | Santa Rosa Junior College-The Oak Leaf | Problems at Polly Hall | Oliver Kindt, Emelle Raschein |
| Fifth Place | De Anza College-La Voz News | Part-time faculty treated as second class citizens | Leila Salam, Leila Salam |
High School Division
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Sacramento Country Day School-The Octagon | Social media impacts youth beauty consumption, standards | Lauren Lu, Zema Nasirov |
| Second Place | Archbishop Riordan High School-The Crusader | 11 years later, justice for Jacob realized | Karlo Manglona |
| Third Place | Sacramento Country Day School-The Octagon | Former colleagues reveal Singer’s path to college admission scandal | Rehan Afzal, Anisha Mondal, Zema Nasirov |
| Fourth Place | Sacramento Country Day School-The Octagon | Multiple bikes stolen in the first quarter on Country Day campus | Ryan Xu |
| Fifth Place | Archbishop Riordan High School-The Crusader | Students voice concern over rising costs, smoke in cafeteria | Mario Perez de Leon |
Environment Reporting
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Orange County Register | Clean water in Southern California | Andre Mouchard |
| Second Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | South County sewage crisis | Tammy Murga |
| Third Place | The Mercury News/East Bay Times | Suit could reshape California’s coastline for years to come | Not provided in entry |
| Fourth Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | The trouble with nurdles, the plastic pollution you may not know about | Phil Diehl |
| Fifth Place | Los Angeles Times | Stories from the Mojave Desert | Alex Wigglesworth |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Desert Sun | Long-term Colorado River rescue plan at an impasse? It’s north vs. south in the West | Janet Wilson |
| Second Place | The Press Democrat | Landmark change for Point Reyes National Seashore | John Beck, Kent Porter, John Beck, Kent Porter, Raquel Issenberg, Mary Callahan |
| Third Place | Press-Telegram | 150 acres of Los Cerritos Wetlands on path to restoration after land swap deal finalized | Chris Haire |
| Fourth Place | The Press Democrat | Wriggling with excitement: 11 new ribbon worm species discovered around Bodega Bay | Mary Callahan |
| Fifth Place | The Press-Enterprise | Did climate change make the Airport, Bridge and Line fires worse? | Jeff Horseman |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Tribune | Eroding bluffs could send SLO County homes tumbling into the ocean. What can be done? | Mackenzie Shuman, David Middlecamp |
| Second Place | The Tribune | Ranch the size of San Francisco preserved forever in eastern SLO County | Stephanie Zappelli, David Middlecamp, Stephanie Zappelli |
| Third Place | The Bakersfield Californian | Crude oil seeps into Bakersfield’s drinking water | John Cox |
| Fourth Place | Record Searchlight | California’s weather hasn’t been kind to Mt. Shasta’s glaciers. Can they survive? | Damon Arthur |
| Fifth Place | Ventura County Star | Two wet winters, a rainy February lead to landslides, damages and full reservoirs | Cheri Carlson |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Beach Reporter | New study shows fewer DDT barrels off Peninsula coast, WWII munitions found | Michael Hixon |
| Second Place | Grunion Gazette | Big Bang on the Bay environmental challenge | Kristy Hutchings |
| Third Place | California Healthline / KFF Health News | California’s Extreme Heat Policies | Samantha Young |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Palo Alto Weekly | The CZU Fire burned more than 24K acres across Big Basin and nearby state parks. Here’s how they’re recovering – and building resilience for the future | Julia Brown, Magali Gauthier |
| Second Place | Coachella Valley Independent | The Need for Seeds: Why the Mojave Desert Land Trust is Developing a Critical Safeguard for the Desert’s Future | Melissa Daniels |
| Third Place | Palo Alto Weekly | Beekeeper sets out to make Palo Alto home to stingless bees | Lisa Moreno |
| Fourth Place | New Times | Tire tracks | Camillia Lanham |
| Fifth Place | Capital & Main | ‘How Do You Approve an Underground Toxic Waste Dump Without Telling Nobody?’ | Jerry Redfern |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | La Canada Flintridge Outlook Valley Sun | Sugar’ Bear Meets Bitter End in La Cañada Flintridge | Mia Alva |
| Second Place | The Almanac | New trail opens at Bedwell Bayfront Park as part of ongoing marsh restoration project | Eleanor Raab |
| Third Place | San Fernando Valley Sun | Creating Green Spaces In Vulnerable Northeast San Fernando Valley | Diana Martinez, Alejandro JMS Chavez, Gabriel Arizon |
| Fourth Place | The Almanac | Organization works to remedy environmental inequities in Belle Haven by planting trees | Eleanor Raab, Eleanor Raab |
| Fifth Place | Voice of OC | San Clemente’s Vanishing Beaches | Noah Biesiada, Angelina Hicks |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | A News Cafe | Northern California Tribes Fight to Protect Maidu Ancestral Land in Plumas National Forest from Destructive Rainbow Gathering | Shawn Schwaller |
| Second Place | A News Cafe | New Study Suggests California Should Start Counting Timber Industry’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions | R.V. Scheide |
| Third Place | Valley Voice | Water GSA reporting | Dave Adalian |
| Fourth Place | lajolla.ca | Marine cloud brightening: Could it work to combat warming? | Elisabeth Frausto |
| Fifth Place | Fresnoland | ‘It’s horrible.’ Fresno’s record-breaking settlement highlights region’s larger drinking water problem | Gregory Weaver, Gregory Weaver |
Excellence in Collaborations and Partnerships
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | San Francisco Chronicle | Right to Remain Secret | Katey Rusch, Casey Smith, Katey Rusch, Casey Smith |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Zocalo Public Square | The State of Golden State Innovation | Jackie Mansky |
| Second Place | California Healthline / KFF Health News | An Alarming Rise of HIV Infections Among Latinos – California Healthline / KFF Health News and The Associated Press | Vanessa Sanchez – California Healthline / KFF Health News, Phillip Reese – California Healthline / KFF Health News, Devna Bose – The Associated Press, Laura Bargfeld – The Associated Press |
| Third Place | Thousand Oaks Acorn | Local candidates forum | Becca Whitnall, John Loesing |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Capital & Main | The Rising Cost of the Oil Industry’s Slow Death | Mark Olalde, Nick Bowlin, Mark Olalde, Nick Bowlin |
Feature Photo
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Mercury News/East Bay Times | Changes at a San Jose hospital raise questions about impact of trauma center closures | Dai Sugano |
| Second Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | Feature Photo: Shadow Basketball — The San Diego Union-Tribune | Meg McLaughlin |
| Third Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | Feature Photo: Wall Dancing — The San Diego Union-Tribune | Nelvin Cepeda |
| Fourth Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | Feature Photo: Ocean Music — The San Diego Union-Tribune | Ana Ramirez |
| Fifth Place | The Sacramento Bee | Alligator touch | Hector Amezcua |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Desert Sun | Family cools off in the Whitewater River | Andy Abeyta |
| Second Place | The Press Democrat | Honored and Blessed | Not provided in entry |
| Third Place | The Desert Sun | Wildlife photographer documents wildflower bloom | Jay Calderon |
| Fourth Place | The Press Democrat | Going for the top gourd | Jennifer Graue, Chad Surmick |
| Fifth Place | Los Angeles Daily News | Moonlight stroll | David Crane |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Ventura County Star | Transitional kindergartners and kindergartners from Lincoln Elementary School in Ventura react to seeing a fleet of 24 ”balance-to-pedal” training bicycles | Juan Carlo |
| Second Place | Marin Independent Journal | Mural unveiling | Alan Dep |
| Third Place | The Record | Beat the heat at Stockton splash pad | Clifford Oto |
| Fourth Place | Marin Independent Journal | Fire Squirts firefighter camp | Sherry LaVars |
| Fifth Place | The Tribune | Gone with the wind | David Middlecamp |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Lookout Santa Cruz | astonishing story of Sandy Stone | Kevin Painchaud |
| Second Place | Lookout Santa Cruz | A candlelight vigil | kevin painchaud |
| Third Place | The Sacramento Observer | Feature Photo: Game Changers | Louis Bryant III, Roberta Alvarado |
| Fourth Place | Lookout Santa Cruz | Joy of Music | Kevin Painchaud |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Comstock’s Magazine | Styling Sacramento: Capital Region fashion influencers share style secrets and spark joy online | Gabriel Teague |
| Second Place | Palo Alto Weekly | Chili cookoff | Devin Roberts |
| Third Place | Chino Champion | Yawning coyote | Marianne Napoles |
| Fourth Place | Napa Valley Register | Lucha libre at Festival La Onda | Nick Otto |
| Fifth Place | The Acorn | Bullseye | Michael Coons |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Voice of OC | Photo of child looking at prehistoric Skeletons By Erika Taylor | Erika Taylor |
| Second Place | The Sonoma Index-Tribune | Plaza lighting for the holidays | Robbi Pengelly |
| Third Place | Voice of OC | Panda’s Are Back by Maximo Santana | Maximo Santana |
| Fourth Place | The Sonoma Index-Tribune | Aqua Park fun | Robbi Pengelly |
| Fifth Place | Tracy Press | Kimball graduation | Glenn Moore |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Ark | Jennifer Torres, the owner of The Candy Store on Main Street | Ted McDonnell |
| Second Place | Claremont Courier | And we have a homecoming winner! | Not provided in entry |
| Third Place | Claremont Courier | International Day celebration | Andrew Alonzo |
| Fourth Place | The Ferndale Enterprise | Bicycle Backlash | Thadeus Greenson |
| Fifth Place | The Trinity Journal | Section champions | Wayne Agner |
4-Year University Division
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | CSU Fullerton-Daily Titan | Daily Titan – Review: ’The Prom’ debut breaks theatre traditions | Ty Therien |
| Second Place | Cal Poly-Pomona-The Poly Post | Photo essay: Los Broncos bring mariachi classics to CPP | Teresa Acosta |
| Fourth Place | San Jose State University-Spartan Daily | Jackson Lindstrom — Fire on the Fountain photo | Jackson Lindstrom |
| Fifth Place | Cal Poly-Pomona-The Poly Post | Concert Review: Origami Angel fires up Glass House Pomona with pop-punk, emo hits | Bryan Doan, Bryan Doan |
| Fifth Place | Cal Poly-Pomona-The Poly Post | Concert Review: Origami Angel fires up Glass House Pomona with pop-punk, emo hits | Bryan Doan, Bryan Doan |
2-Year College Division
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Southwestern College-The Sun | OTHERWORLDLY DANCE | Mijail Jones |
| Second Place | Santa Rosa Junior College-The Oak Leaf | SRJC’s “The Rocky Horror Show”: Don’t Dream It. See it! | Yna Bollock |
| Third Place | Santa Monica College-Corsair | Dodgers Snow Angel | Rebecca Villagracia |
| Fourth Place | Southwestern College-The Sun | Chicana Impala | Emily Esparza |
| Fifth Place | De Anza College-La Voz News | Diwali | Allan Galeana |
High School Division
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Sacramento Country Day School-The Octagon | Future is Bright | Rehan Afzal |
| Second Place | Archbishop Riordan High School-The Crusader | Graduation 2024: The Celebration | Sean Reves & Taylor Tran |
| Third Place | Sacramento Country Day School-The Octagon | Senior Goodbye: Lauren Lu | Rehan Afzal |
| Fourth Place | Sacramento Country Day School-The Octagon | Product Placement | Not provided in entry |
| Fifth Place | Sacramento Country Day School-The Octagon | Ike George Rock Climbing | Rehan Afzal, Rehan Afzal |
Feature Story
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Los Angeles Times | In the heart of Appalachia, a distant cousin of JD Vance leads an opposing ‘authentic hillbilly’ movement | Mackenzie Mays |
| Second Place | Los Angeles Times | How an 836-pound ‘cursed’ emerald traveled the Americas, ruining lives and bankrupting men | Clara Harter |
| Third Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | The great journey north: Thousands arrive in San Diego County for an ultimate hiking challenge | Maura Fox, Maura Fox |
| Fourth Place | San Francisco Chronicle | Deacon Dave amps up East Bay winter wonderland display with 900,000-plus bulbs | Zara Irshad |
| Fifth Place | Los Angeles Times | A total eclipse is more than a spectacle. So I’m on the road to see it — again (copy) (copy) | John Penner |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Press Democrat | The county supervisor vs the wine execs: A Napa Valley power struggle | Phil Barber |
| Second Place | The Press Democrat | A Santa Rosa salon owner, the homeless man she helped and the son he hadn’t seen in 30 years | Kerry Benefield, Darryl Bush |
| Third Place | The San Francisco Standard | He Died in a Jewish Ghetto. How Did His Long Lost Art End Up in San Francisco? | Julie Zigoris |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Chico Enterprise-Record | Trash, treasures … and code violations | Molly Myers |
| Second Place | Monterey Herald | Keeping the Aquarium running smoothly | Arianna Nalbach |
| Third Place | The Record | Stockton man’s tank is full spreading holiday cheer from gas station he’s owned 45 years | Not provided in entry |
| Fourth Place | Monterey Herald | The dawning of the ’Age of Aquarium’ | david kellogg |
| Fifth Place | The Union Democrat | ’We have a voice’: Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians observe 100 years of U.S. citizenship | Guy McCarthy |
| Fifth Place | Times-Standard | For the love of dogs | Not provided in entry |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Salinas Californian | Oakland filmmaker’s journey from Salinas to Netflix | Roseann Cattani |
| Second Place | CCWF Paper Trail | CCWF’S First-Ever Farmer’s Market | Megan Hogg |
| Third Place | Santa Barbara Independent | Fight for Freedom: The Chumash Uprising of 1824 | Ryan P. Cruz |
| Fourth Place | The Sacramento Observer | Relationship Goals: Sharing Black Stories | Genoa Barrow |
| Fifth Place | Santa Barbara Independent | Honoring the Dead with Dia De Muertos | Ryan P. Cruz |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Coachella Valley Independent | Roller Renaissance: There’s No Local Roller Rink, so Skaters Take to Basketball Courts, Portable Derby Tracks, City Streets and Outdoor Skate Parks | Matt King |
| Second Place | Capital & Main | A Disease Took Her Mobility. Now, at 70, She Could Lose Her Home. | Jessica Goodheart, Jessica Goodheart, Barbara Davidson |
| Third Place | Capital & Main | In the Los Angeles Housing Crisis, a Senior Fights to Keep His Place in the World | Ethan Ward |
| Fourth Place | La Jolla Light | ”La Jolla author assembles wisdom of Wooden, Walsh and ’Winning Ugly’ for new book” | Noah Lyons |
| Fifth Place | Comstock’s Magazine | Fly Like an Eagle | Judy Farah, Judy Farah |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Petaluma Argus-Courier | Owners of Viva Oaxaca speak about love, pain and what it took to start their business | Jennifer Sawhney |
| Second Place | The Almanac | Books and beyond: Longtime Menlo Park bookshop Feldman’s has become a flourishing community hub | Karla Kane |
| Third Place | Voice of OC | The Plot Twist for Used Bookstores: An Unprecedented Lockdown | Melanie Nguyen |
| Fourth Place | The Sonoma Index-Tribune | Espy the goat: Charlie’s Acres’ very own celebrity | Emma Molloy |
| Fifth Place | The Sonoma Index-Tribune | 2 coasts, 2 days: Sonoman runs 2 half marathons for autoimmune disease awareness | Emma Molloy |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Stocktonia News Service | When ‘yasoo’ means goodbye | Michael Fitzgerald |
| Second Place | The Ark | Neighbors unite in rescue mission, using dog-recovery expert — and meatballs | Naomi Friedland |
| Third Place | India Currents | This Indian American Life | Ritu Marwah, Shalini Shalini Kathuria Narang, Shabnam Arora Afsah |
| Fourth Place | Pacifica Tribune | Old and young hit the surf at Kahuna Kupuna | Ashton Hacke |
| Fifth Place | Los Angeles Daily Journal | Killing of California goat, NY squirrel is government overreach, attorneys say | Laurinda Keys, David Houston |
| Fifth Place | San Marino Tribune | Student Pours Compassion for Seniors Onto Canvas | Natalie Miranda |
Film and TV Writing/Reporting
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | San Francisco Chronicle | For ‘Sing Sing,’ Colman Domingo turned to a fellow S.F. theater veteran to make movie magic | G. Allen Johnson |
| Second Place | Los Angeles Times | ‘This is you now. It’s OK’: ‘The Swan’ contestants reflect on makeover competition 20 years later | Meredith Blake |
| Third Place | The Sacramento Bee | Matt Barnes kicked off NBC Sports California | Jason Anderson |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Desert Sun | Palm Springs International Film Festival | Ema Sasic |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Beverly Hills Courier | ‘The Seed of the Sacred Fig’—Spreading Hope | Neely Swanson |
| Second Place | Beverly Hills Courier | ‘Stay with Us’ — Stay a While | Neely Swanson |
| Third Place | Beverly Hills Courier | ‘The Taste of Things’—Very Good Indeed | Neely Swanson |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Bay Area Reporter | “‘Leonardo da Vinci’ – Documenting the supreme Renaissance Man,” | Tim Pfaff |
| Second Place | Bay Area Reporter | “‘The True Story of Tamara de Lempicka and The Art of Survival’ – Documentary explores a beautiful scandalous artistic life” | Brian Bromberger |
| Third Place | Palo Alto Weekly | ‘A hidden gem:’ community members talk local issues through public access television | Lisa Moreno |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Del Mar Times | Longtime friends from Torrey Pines High collaborate on feature film | Not provided in entry |
| Second Place | Pleasanton Weekly | Feeling ’Stuck’ | Jeremy Walsh |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | India Currents | Hasan Minhaj – ‘Off With His Head’ | Amann Mahajan |
| Second Place | 48 Hills | ’Groove’ is (still) in the heart | Tamara Palmer |
| Third Place | 48 Hills | Oh, the (budget) horrors of Unnamed Film Fest! | Daniel Bromfield |
Fine Arts Writing/Reporting
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Los Angeles Times | Behind the fine arts scene in L.A. | Jessica Gelt |
| Second Place | San Francisco Chronicle | Censorship debate ignites after Santa Rosa High cancels ‘Dog Sees God’ | Lily Janiak |
| Third Place | San Francisco Chronicle | ‘Strippers have more protection than we do’: How an S.F. immersive theater brought danger offstage | Lily Janiak |
| Fourth Place | The Sacramento Bee | Sacramento landmarks’ architectural history | Graham Womack |
| Fifth Place | Los Angeles Times | Theater Commentary and Criticism | Charles McNulty |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Desert Sun | Spirituality and diversity are unified in Desert Hot Springs artist’s body of work | Brian Blueskye |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Tribune | How a SLO drag king put self-expression center stage. ‘Drag can be so many things’ | Stephanie Zappelli, Laura Dickinson, Stephanie Zappelli, Laura Dickinson |
| Second Place | EdSource | Fine arts in California schools | Karen D’Souza |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Santa Barbara Independent | Art About Life, Death, and Clowning | Josef Woodard |
| Second Place | Zocalo Public Square | When the World Seems Awful, I Submerge Myself in the Vastness of the Universe | Derek Mong |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Coachella Valley Independent | Taking the Lead on LGBTQ+ Art: Three Artists Talk About the Palm Springs Art Museum’s Q+ Art Initiative—and an Exhibit of the Works of Gay Icon David Hockney | Haleemon Anderson |
| Second Place | Palo Alto Weekly | Spiritual shelter: Stanford exhibition explores hauntings, inheritance and the deep power of art | Karla Kane |
| Third Place | Capital & Main | Street Artists Say Graffiti on Abandoned L.A. High-Rises Is Disruptive, Divisive Art | Steve Appleford |
| Fourth Place | Bay Area Reporter | “Peter Hujar’s ‘Portraits in Life and Death’ – photo book reissued nearly 50 years on” | Robert Brokl |
| Fifth Place | Coachella Valley Independent | Candid Celebrities: A Modernism Week Talk and MAD.KAT Gallery’s ‘Hollywood Cool’ Exhibition Celebrate John Hamilton’s Photos of Hollywood Stars | Matt King |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Petaluma Argus-Courier | The Making of a Musical: From auditions to opening night | David Templeton |
| Second Place | The Business Journal | Local music teachers hope to reboot Fresno’s paid theatre scene | Ben Hensley |
| Third Place | San Fernando Valley Sun | Mural Honoring the Late Fernando Valenzuela Unveiled in Boyle Heights | Semantha Norris |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Culture OC | Hey Brother, Can You Spare an Empty Space? | Joel Beers |
| Second Place | The Trinity Journal | Highland featured artist | Timbre Beck |
| Third Place | 48 Hills | ‘The Lifespan of a Fact’ finds journalism at a perilous juncture | Charles Lewis III |
| Fourth Place | 48 Hills | Stunning lost 1970s queer Halloween street party photos rise from the dead | Marke Bieschke |
| Fifth Place | The Ark | 40 years in making, ex-Tiburon composer’s ‘The Divine Sarah’ becomes a reality on stage | Michele Caprario |
Food Writing/Reporting
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Los Angeles Times | Food Commentary and Criticism by Jenn Harris | Jenn Harris |
| Second Place | San Francisco Chronicle | Bay Area restaurant reviews by Cesar Hernandez | Cesar Hernandez |
| Third Place | The Orange County Register | Food banks could spend less, and feed more, under new national program | Andre Mouchard |
| Fourth Place | The Orange County Register | Old Towne Orange has nearly 50 restaurants. How did it become a dining destination? | Jonathan Horwitz |
| Fifth Place | San Francisco Chronicle | Food reporting by Elena Kadvany | Elena Kadvany |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Press Democrat | The unsung founders behind America’s first, modern microbrewery | Sarah Doyle |
| Second Place | The Press Democrat | The surprising story behind Sonoma County’s strawberry stands | Jennifer Graue, John Burgess |
| Third Place | The Fresno Bee | Restaurant Royalty | Bethany Clough |
| Fourth Place | The Press Democrat | Sonoma County’s best barbecue club welcomes a new member | Heather Irwin |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Bakersfield Californian | Bakersfield’s food: Best dishes, Restaurant Week and more | Stefani Dias |
| Second Place | Ventura County Star | Move over, strawberry. Oxnard to launch lima bean festival this weekend | Wes Woods II |
| Third Place | Chico Enterprise-Record | Cabin fever cookbook | Audria Ruscitti |
| Fourth Place | Record Searchlight | ‘Star Trek’ captain, brides, birdwatchers, anglers drawn to unique riverside restaurant | Jessica Skropanic |
| Fifth Place | The Tribune | SLO County cinnamon roll empire started with a simple bread mix and a little girl’s request | Kathe Tanner, Laura Dickinson |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Beach Reporter | Making pastries for the 60th South Bay Greek Festival is a labor of love for Redondo parishioners | Tyler Evains |
| Second Place | Beverly Hills Courier | The Paradox of Evan Funke | Ana Figueroa |
| Third Place | The Sacramento Observer | Hunger Pains | Genoa Barrow |
| Fourth Place | Zocalo Public Square | Zócalo’s Diaspora Cookbook | Zocalo Public Square Staff |
| Fifth Place | Monterey County Weekly | The Monterey County food scene | Dave Faries |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Palo Alto Weekly | It doesn’t get more Silicon Valley than this: Moonwake Coffee Roasters is brewing coffee out of the back of a Tesla Cybertruck | Adrienne Mitchel |
| Second Place | Comstock’s Magazine | Luscious Libations: Distilleries use local, natural flavors to enhance their creations | Scott Thomas Anderson |
| Third Place | Sacramento Business Journal | The Better Meat Co. pioneers meat alternatives in a difficult market | Mark Anderson |
| Fourth Place | Beverly Press/Park Labrea News | Alta: Keith Corbin’s opportunity for change | Tabor Brewster |
| Fifth Place | Capital & Main | Fast-Food Workers Rally Behind Know-Your-Rights Initiative | Gabriel Thompson |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Petaluma Argus-Courier | Seeking coffee shop comfort on a rainy day | David Templeton |
| Second Place | Petaluma Argus-Courier | Affogato Adventures: one writer’s caffeine fueled quest | David Templeton |
| Third Place | The Business Journal | With Yolked Kitchen debut, restaurateurs’ duo of Clovis dining spots has three daily meals covered | Ben Hensley |
| Fourth Place | Petaluma Argus-Courier | Pretzel Day in Petaluma | David Templeton |
| Fifth Place | The Business Journal | Fresno journalist returns to family donut shop with a story in mind | Frank Lopez |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Culture OC | Healthy (Vegan/Vegetarian) Dining Options for Orange County Diners | Anne Marie Panoringan |
| Second Place | A News Cafe | Unusual Turkey Roasting Technique Leads to Memories of Julia Child Encounter Bygone Newspaper Career | Doni Chamberlain |
| Third Place | Redwood City Pulse | Mother-daughter duo opens San Mateo Korean kimbap restaurant inspired by childhood picnic memories | Adrienne Mitchel |
| Fourth Place | Half Moon Bay Review | Cultivating mindfulness in the kitchen | Peter Tokofsky |
| Fifth Place | The Trinity Journal | Trinity Freezies | Timbre Beck |
General Excellence
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Los Angeles Times | Los Angeles Times | Not provided in entry |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Press Democrat | The Press Democrat | Not provided in entry |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Tribune | The Tribune | Not provided in entry |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Monterey County Weekly | Monterey County Weekly | Monterey County Weekly staff |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Comstock’s Magazine | Comstock’s Magazine | Not provided in entry |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Voice of OC | Voice of OC | Not provided in entry |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | 48 Hills | 48 Hills | Not provided in entry |
Health Reporting
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | Lifeline or power grab? Palomar Health may cede oversight of CEO, other top executives to private company | Paul Sisson |
| Second Place | San Francisco Chronicle | Pearsall Coverage | Staff Staff |
| Third Place | Los Angeles Times | Magic mushroom chocolates are having a moment. But do they even contain mushrooms? | Keri Blakinger, Connor Sheets |
| Fourth Place | Los Angeles Times | How a San Diego doctor led the antiabortion movement to embrace controversial pill ‘reversal’ | Mackenzie Mays |
| Fifth Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | More people can be held against their will under new law taking effect Jan. 1 | Paul Sisson |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Press Democrat | Firefighters say this medicine could save their lives. Why does California want to restrict it? | Austin Murphy |
| Second Place | Press-Telegram | MemorialCare lays off 72 workers at Long Beach hospitals, will close outpatient pharmacy | Kristy Hutchings |
| Third Place | The Desert Sun | A true community’: DAP Health commemorates 40th anniversary, looks back on its origins | Ema Sasic |
| Fourth Place | The Press Democrat | Half Dome the hard way: Climber with advanced colon cancer patient advocates for greater awareness of disease | Michael Shapiro, Kaare Iverson |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | EdSource | Mental Health and Disabilities issues among young people, affecting their schooling. EdSource | Mallika Seshardi, Betty Márquez Rosales, Vani Sanganeria |
| Second Place | Ventura County Star | ’We’ve never had a zero’ | Tom Kisken |
| Third Place | The Tribune | Patients witnessed ‘erratic’ behavior from SLO doctor — one said he was sexually assaulted | Kelsey Oliver, David Middlecamp |
| Fourth Place | Whittier Daily News | Cyber criminals claim they hacked 17 million patient records at PIH Health hospitals | Scott Schwebke |
| Fifth Place | The Tribune | How a SLO business owner with ‘dynamic disabilities’ uses their own struggles to help others | Stephanie Zappelli, Laura Dickinson |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Monterey County Weekly | Feeling the crunch on rising health care costs | Pam Marino |
| Second Place | CCWF Paper Trail | Pennie’s Rainbow | Nora Igova |
| Third Place | California Healthline / KFF Health News | Investigating California Mental Health Spending | Molly Castle Work |
| Fourth Place | Grunion Gazette | Long Beach’s St. Mary Medical Center to close pediatric unit | Christina Merino |
| Fifth Place | The Sacramento Observer | Head Space: Exploring The Mental Health Needs Of Today’s Black Men | Genoa Barrow, Genoa Barrow, Genoa Barrow |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Coachella Valley Independent | The Fight Against Fentanyl: Fentanyl-Related Overdose Deaths in Riverside County Are Decreasing Among Youth—but Increasing Among Older and Latinx People | Kevin Fitzgerald |
| Second Place | Comstock’s Magazine | The Life-Saving Organ Trail | Graham Womack |
| Third Place | Napa Valley Register | Napa Valley teens share mental health stories and experiences on podcast | Jennifer Huffman |
| Fourth Place | Santa Maria Sun | Limited care | Taylor O’Connor |
| Fifth Place | Capital & Main | How Islamophobia Is Driving a Mental Health Crisis Among Michigan’s Muslim Youth | Eli Cahan, Eli Cahan |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Voice of OC | Tackling Health Gaps in OC’s South Asian, Middle Eastern and North African Communities | Hosam Elattar |
| Second Place | The Sonoma Index-Tribune | ’Magical, Memory Cafes boost people with mental challenges | Dan Johnson |
| Third Place | Voice of OC | Does Orange County Need So Many Ambulance Operators? | Noah Biesiada |
| Fourth Place | San Fernando Valley Sun | San Fernando Mom Gets Long-Awaited Conservatorship for Mentally Ill Son | Maria Luisa Torres |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Santa Clara Weekly | Matriarch’s Death Sparks Wrongful Death Suit Against Local Nursing Home | Carolyn Schuk |
| Second Place | California Health Report | California Kids Wait Months or Years for Specialty Care. Here’s What Would Help | Claudia Boyd-Barrett |
| Third Place | A News Cafe | Faces of fentanyl: Grieving local parents band together to confront lethal drug that killed their sons | Mike Chapman |
| Fourth Place | Fresnoland | ’Those rules are no good’ | Gregory Weaver |
| Fifth Place | Pacific Coast Business Times | Adventist eyes healthy donations in SLO County, | Mike Harris |
Home Page Layout & Design
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | Homepage: The San Diego Union-Tribune | Union-Tribune Staff |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Press Democrat | pressdemocrat.com | Staff of The Press Democrat |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Zocalo Public Square | Zocalo Public Square’s homepage | Zocalo Public Square Staff |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Coachella Valley Independent | Coachella Valley Independent | Coachella Valley Independent Staff |
| Second Place | Capital & Main | Capital & Main | Capital & Main Staff, Capital & Main Staff, Capital & Main Staff |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Business Journal | thebusinessjournal.com | The Business Journal Staff |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | India Currents | India Currents | Vandana Kumar |
| Second Place | The Trinity Journal | www.trinityjournal.com | Staff TJ |
Homelessness Reporting
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | Homeless shelter | Jeff McDonald |
| Second Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | They didn’t create the homeless encampment. But one couple just realized it’s on them to clean up. | Blake Nelson |
| Third Place | The Sacramento Bee | Accountablility and hope in tackling the Sacramento region’s homeless crisis | Theresa Clift, Cathie Anderson, Renée Byer |
| Fourth Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | Thousands of San Diego students are homeless. Here’s how one young woman made sure you’d never notice her | Blake Nelson |
| Fifth Place | The Mercury News/East Bay Times | At 7, he lives in a San Jose homeless camp and dreams of a microwave | Ethan Varian |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Fresno Bee | Homeless crackdown in Fresno praised. Here’s what we found | Tim Sheehan, Thaddeus Miller, Erik Galicia, Bryant-Jon Anteola, Melissa Montalvo |
| Second Place | The Press Democrat | Santa Rosa church sheltered homeless people in its parking lot. Then the insurance company weighed in | Marisa Endicott, John Burgess |
| Third Place | Press-Telegram | Long Beach will wield new citation power to clear homeless encampments ‘when appropriate,’ memo says | Kristy Hutchings |
| Fourth Place | The Press Democrat | The short life and violent death of Ember Leona on Petaluma’s streets | Andrew Graham, Andrew Graham, Crissy Pascual |
| Fifth Place | The Fresno Bee | Homeless profiles | Bryant-Jon Anteola |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Modesto Bee | Charges against homeless spike before Supreme Court case | Trevor Morgan, Kathleen Quinn |
| Second Place | Santa Maria Times | Homeless in Santa Maria | April Chavez, Jennifer Best |
| Third Place | The Tribune | Morro Bay has new homeless camping rules. Do they help or say ‘get the hell out of here’? | Joan Lynch, Stephanie Zappelli |
| Fourth Place | Times-Herald | Concern over clean sweeps of encampments | Sarah Rodriguez |
| Fifth Place | Ventura County Star | A Ferrari, a $111k Birkin bag: CFO stole millions, developer of Thousand Oaks homeless project | Tony Biasotti |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Grunion Gazette | Long Beach Rescue Mission’s Lydia House reopens its doors to renovated shelter after fire | Christina Merino |
| Second Place | California Healthline / KFF Health News | Accounting for California’s Homelessness Epidemic | Angela Hart |
| Third Place | Santa Barbara Independent | No Longer Homeless in Goleta | Jean Yamamura |
| Fourth Place | Thousand Oaks Acorn | Cold, wet and scared | Makena Huey |
| Fifth Place | The Sacramento Observer | Sacramento Unhoused | Robert Hansen, Madelaine Church |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Coachella Valley Independent | Civic Solutions: Project Homekey Comes to Cathedral City to Create a Renovated Supportive-Housing Complex | Melissa Daniels |
| Second Place | Capital & Main | L.A. County’s Homelessness Initiative Is Also About Seeing Black People | Erin Aubry Kaplan |
| Third Place | Mission Local | Why some homeless people chose the street over a bed | Abigail Van Neely |
| Fourth Place | Lookout Santa Cruz | Fentanyl in Santa Cruz | James Dobbins |
| Fifth Place | Santa Maria Sun | Santa Maria Riverbed cleanup | Taylor O’Connor |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Tracy Press | Point in Time Count seeks details on the unsheltered in Tracy | Bob Brownne |
| Second Place | San Jose Spotlight | Silicon Valley’s most vulnerable live in filthy homes | Joyce Chu |
| Third Place | Voice of OC | The Year of Homeless Camp Crackdowns in Orange County | Hosam Elattar |
| Fourth Place | San Jose Spotlight | Heat wave highlights Silicon Valley homeless response problems | Annalise Freimarck |
| Fifth Place | Voice of OC | Is Orange County’s Homeless Shelter System Broken? | Noah Biesiada |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Fresnoland | ‘Where the hell can we go?’ Fresno’s unhoused residents brace for arrests ahead of new laws | Pablo Orihuela, Omar Rashad |
| Second Place | Black Voice News | Homelessness Series | Aryana Noroozi |
| Third Place | 48 Hills | Death by bullying: The fate of an unhoused high school student | Lisa ”Tiny” Gray-Garcia |
| Fourth Place | 48 Hills | ‘Where Do We Go’ launches new campaign against homeless sweeps | Lisa ”Tiny” Gray-Garcia |
| Fifth Place | ChicoSol | Blue trailer delivers to the homeless: Hot showers, clean clothes, hope | Yucheng Tang, Karen Laslo |
Housing and Land-Use Reporting
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Mercury News/East Bay Times | Investors got big tax breaks to turn luxury apartments into affordable housing. Rents went up | Kate Talerico |
| Second Place | The Sacramento Bee | Homeowners billed for sidewalk cracks in Sacramento | Theresa Clift, Phillip Reese |
| Third Place | San Francisco Chronicle | Permit Nightmares | Danielle Echeverria |
| Fourth Place | The Orange County Register | Confusion reigns on eve of real estate commission changes | Jeff Collins |
| Fifth Place | Los Angeles Times | Latino residents slam ‘trust fund hipsters’ in ugly L.A. gentrification battle | Clara Harter |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Press Democrat | Lives in limbo for Point Reyes’ farmworkers and ranchers | John Beck, Kent Porter, Raquel Issenberg |
| Second Place | Press-Telegram | Downtown Long Beach’s Union Bank building sold, 3 other waterfront parcels on the market | Kristy Hutchings |
| Third Place | The Desert Sun | From vacant to vibrant: How Indio is revitalizing downtown with new shops, dining, homes | Paul Albani-Burgio |
| Fourth Place | The Press-Enterprise | In Riverside County, land meant for homes is being eyed for warehouses | Jeff Horseman |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Pasadena Star-News | South Pasadena’s historic ‘710 homes’ return to the market | Teresa Liu, Anissa Rivera |
| Second Place | Chico Enterprise-Record | United we stand, and divided we’ll grow | Mike Wolcott |
| Third Place | Whittier Daily News | An Uptown Whittier project was all set to remove 108 trees. Some residents say not so fast | Whittier Daily News Staff |
| Fourth Place | The Tribune | Would Measure A-24 block Morro Bay battery plant project? New law could leave loophole | Stephanie Zappelli, David Middlecamp |
| Fifth Place | The Reporter | The rise of California Forever put on hold | Nick McConnell |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Beverly Hills Courier | One Beverly Hills Breaks Ground | Clara Harter |
| Second Place | Thousand Oaks Acorn | The Borchard Property | Makena Huey, Becca Whitnall |
| Third Place | Santa Barbara Independent | Housing Boom on the Horizon? | Ryan P. Cruz |
| Fourth Place | Beverly Hills Courier | State to Approve the Beverly Hills Housing Element | Clara Harter |
| Fifth Place | Monterey County Weekly | A close look at a growing city | Celia Jiménez |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | San Francisco Business Times | San Francisco’s fire sale | Sarah Klearman |
| Second Place | San Francisco Business Times | A city built from scratch | Hannah Kanik, Adam Pardee |
| Third Place | Capital & Main | Out With the Old: The Loophole California Landlords Use to Get Around Rent Control | Jack Ross |
| Fourth Place | Comstock’s Magazine | The Soaring Cost of Homeowners Insurance | Steven Yoder |
| Fifth Place | Coachella Valley Independent | Changing (Golf) Course? Time May Be Running Out for the Proposed Prescott Preserve, as Neighbors Continue to be Concerned About the Oswit Land Trust’s Restoration Plans | Kevin Fitzgerald |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Sonoma Index-Tribune | Environmental impact report on Hanna Center development | Dan Johnson |
| Second Place | The Business Journal | Scannell warehouse project series | Not provided in entry |
| Third Place | Petaluma Argus-Courier | Capri Villa mobile home residents in Petaluma decry ‘harassment’ ahead of arbitration hearing | Jennifer Sawhney |
| Fourth Place | The Almanac | East Palo Alto council approves new area plan, making way for millions of square feet of development | Eleanor Raab |
| Fifth Place | The Almanac | Menlo Park plans to construct low-income housing on city-owned parking lots downtown | Not provided in entry |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Valley Voice | Opposition to Visalia Sam’s Club | Dave Adalian |
| Second Place | Valley Voice | Visalia BMX track | Catherine Doe |
| Third Place | Santa Clara Weekly | Apartment Complex ADU Creates New Model for Affordable Housing | Diane Andrews |
| Fourth Place | 48 Hills | Vancouver study shows how the Yimby narrative has failed, in real time | Tim Redmond |
| Fifth Place | Mountain View Voice | Google quietly terminates mega office development in Mountain View | Emily Margaretten |
Illustration
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | Hollywood Returns to Comic-Con | Michelle Guererro |
| Second Place | The Mercury News/East Bay Times | Highway Robbery | Jeff Durham |
| Third Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | 150 Years and Counting | Michelle Guererro |
| Fourth Place | The Mercury News/East Bay Times | ”Like we’re playing God” | Jeff Durham |
| Fifth Place | The Orange County Register | Turkey politics | Jeff Goertzen |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Press Democrat | County in Crisis: Sonoma County’s staffing crisis | Alana Minkler |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Zocalo Public Square | Is ‘Uberveillance’ Coming for Us All? | Jason Lord |
| Second Place | Zocalo Public Square | Look to California to Understand Jim Crow | Be Boggs |
| Third Place | Santa Barbara Independent | Best of Santa Barbara® 2024 Cover Illustration | Ben Ciccati, Xavier Pereyra |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Palo Alto Weekly | Palo Alto Weekly – Barbenheimer illustration | Douglas Young |
| Second Place | Comstock’s Magazine | How Did We Get So Mean? | Mariah Quintanilla |
| Third Place | Comstock’s Magazine | Dilemma of the Month: Can the Boss Take Zoom Calls in the Shower? | Jefferson Miller |
| Fourth Place | Mission Local | Neil Ballard on venture capitalist (and ”small business owner”) Mark Farrell | Neil Ballard |
| Fifth Place | Mission Local | Neil Ballard draws billionaire Michael Moritz | Neil Ballard |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Business Journal | Farmers selling fast in 2024 illustration | Not provided in entry |
| Second Place | The Business Journal | INC 5000 Fresno illustration | Not provided in entry |
4-Year University Division
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | CSU Fullerton-Daily Titan | Daily Titan – Opinion: CSUF president must mend campus community | Camila Torres-Padilla |
| Second Place | Cal Poly-Pomona-The Poly Post | Keep your hands off our bodies | Lauren Wong |
| Third Place | Cal Poly-Pomona-The Poly Post | Why are convicted rapists allowed to compete in the Olympics? | Ruthie Johns |
2-Year College Division
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | El Camino College-The Union | Spoiled students | Nikki Yunker |
| Second Place | Southwestern College-The Sun | I STAND TO HONOR MY MILITARY FAMILY, REJECT INJUSTICE | Zeke Watson, Carla Labto |
| Third Place | De Anza College-La Voz News | Is my professor my ‘dude?’ | Alice Shen |
| Fourth Place | Southwestern College-The Sun | NATIVE AMERICAN STUDENTS ADVOCATE FOR MISSING WOMEN | Carla Labto |
| Fifth Place | El Camino College-The Union | Balancing act: How the American lifestyle led to confusing views of identity | Jeremiah Dela Cruz |
High School Division
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Archbishop Riordan High School-The Crusader | Soda Soars to Satisfy | Ashley Villing |
| Second Place | Sacramento Country Day School-The Octagon | Country Day Bathrooms are Washed | Claire Gemmell |
| Third Place | Archbishop Riordan High School-The Crusader | Menendez brothers: revisiting a killer case | Daniella Lainez |
| Fourth Place | Sacramento Country Day School-The Octagon | Dance! | Claire Gemmell |
| Fifth Place | Castro Valley High School-The Olympian | Olympian Homecoming Banner | Elliot Lucas |
Immigration Reporting
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | Mexican inspection stations are blocking gaps in the San Diego desert border fence. Will it slow crossings? | Alexandra Mendoza |
| Second Place | The Orange County Register | Trump immigration policy: Will Southern California’s undocumented community face deportation? | Hanna Kang, Victoria Ivie, Mona Darwish |
| Third Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | County aims to further limit cooperation with immigration authorities, but sheriff pushes back | Alexandra Mendoza |
| Fourth Place | The Sacramento Bee | Beyond the Border | Rosalio Ahumada, Mathew Miranda |
| Fifth Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | Campaign rhetoric around U.S.-Mexico border is extreme. Living there is a lot more nuanced. | Alex Riggins, Alexandra Mendoza |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Los Angeles Daily News | ACLU sues government for records detailing Trump’s mass deportation plan | Scott Schwebke |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Daily Press | Is the Adelanto ICE processing center closing? | McKenna Mobley |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | CCWF Paper Trail | Kicked Out of Their World: Reflections on the Fate of Immigrants Post-Incarceration | Nora Igova |
| Second Place | San Quentin News | Undocumented face deportation despite parole suitability | Stuart Clarke |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Capital & Main | As Election Nears, Republicans Pour Millions Into Anti-Immigrant Ad Campaign | Adolfo Flores |
| Second Place | Capital & Main | Locked Up and in Limbo: Immigrants Win Their Cases But Remain in ICE Custody | Kate Morrissey |
| Third Place | Comstock’s Magazine | Photo Essay: Afghans Resettling in Sacramento | Sasha Abramsky, Fred Greaves |
| Fourth Place | Capital & Main | Detained Immigrants Lose a Lifeline as ICE Ends Free Phone Time Program | Kate Morrissey |
| Fifth Place | Coachella Valley Independent | Beyond the Moshing: Bronca Mixes English and Spanish to Deal With Topics of Oppression, Code-Switching and Culture Wars—and Puts on a Raucous Live Show | Matt King |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Trinity Journal | Secret War | Timbre Beck |
| Third Place | Burbank Leader | Bridges To Burbank: City the ’Top Destination’ for Armenians Starting a New Life | Gavin Quinton |
| Fourth Place | Los Angeles Daily Journal | Supremacy clause hinders California’s resistance to Trump deportation plans | Craig Anderson, David Houston |
| Fifth Place | India Currents | Immigration: The American Dream & Nightmares | Harshini Rajchander, Anjana Nagarajan Butaney, Shabnam Arora Afsah |
In-Depth Reporting
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Orange County Register | What do changing real estate rules mean to you? | Jeff Collins |
| Second Place | San Francisco Chronicle | Tony Robbins was reeling from backlash. Then came an unlikely ally: Stanford | Susie Neilson |
| Third Place | Los Angeles Times | False Confessions | Anita Chabria, Jessica Garrison |
| Fourth Place | The Sacramento Bee | Threats against Sikhs | Joe Rubin |
| Fifth Place | San Francisco Chronicle | A street race crash left twin girls orphaned. Did the case against the teen driver deliver justice? | Annie Vainshtein |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Desert Sun | California elections: The Trump effect | Kathryn Palmer, Paul Albani-Burgio, Tom Coulter, Janet Wilson |
| Second Place | The Press Democrat | Dwindling ranks, demoralized workers: Sonoma County’s staffing crisis | Emma Murphy, Martin Espinoza, Chad Surmick, Emma Murphy, Martin Espinoza, Chad Surmick |
| Third Place | Press-Telegram | The Long Beach Recovery Act kept the city afloat during COVID — but things are changing | Kristy Hutchings |
| Fourth Place | The Press Democrat | Landmark change for Point Reyes National Seashore | John Beck, Kent Porter, John Beck, Kent Porter, Raquel Issenberg, Mary Callahan |
| Fifth Place | Daily Breeze | Palos Verdes Peninsula landslide coverage | Lisa Jacobs, Michael Hixon |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Marin Independent Journal | Trump’s Marin Impact | Adrian Rodriguez, Richard Halstead, Keri Brenner, Cameron Macdonald, Krissy Waite, Alan Dep, Gary Klien, Jennifer Upshaw Swartz, Joe Konte, Adrian Rodriguez, Richard Halstead, Keri Brenner, Cameron Macdonald, Krissy Waite, Alan Dep, Gary Klien, Jennifer Upshaw Swartz, Joe Konte |
| Second Place | San Bernardino Sun | What’s it like inside Amazon’s San Bernardino air hub? | Jeff Horseman |
| Third Place | EdSource | John Fensterwald in-depth coverage of California education at EdSource | John Fensterwald |
| Fourth Place | The Tribune | SLO County gun range violated contract and owes nearly $400K, audit says. Could it close? | Chloe Jones, Laura Dickinson |
| Fifth Place | Ventura County Star | Chaos and devastation: How the Mountain Fire erupted | Cheri Carlson, Tom Kisken, Cheri Carlson, Tom Kisken |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Grunion Gazette | So Cal cities reconsider fireworks | Kristy Hutchings |
| Second Place | Santa Barbara Independent | Santa Barbara’s Hospitality Game-Changers | Matt Kettmann |
| Third Place | The Sacramento Observer | Caught In The Crosshairs – a series on gun violence and its impact on the Black community in Sacramento | Not provided in entry |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Mission Local | BigMoneySF: The network bankrolling San Francisco politics | Joe Rivano Barros, Will Jarrett, Joe Eskenazi, Joe Rivano Barros, Will Jarrett, Joe Eskenazi |
| Second Place | GV Wire | Inside Look at Fresno County Westside Solar Plan to Power 9 Million Homes | Nancy Price |
| Third Place | Napa Valley Register | South Napa earthquake, 10 years later | Howard Yune, Barry Eberling, Kevin Courtney, Donovan Growney, Jennifer Huffman, Riley Palmer, Lisa James, J.L. Sousa |
| Fourth Place | The Acorn | Rebecca Grossman murder trial and conviction | Eamon Murphy, John Loesing |
| Fifth Place | Capital & Main | More Is Less: The High Cost of America’s Extreme Wealth | Daria Solovieva, Marcus Baram |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Voice of OC | Battle Between OC Equestrians & Fairgrounds | Angelina Hicks |
| Second Place | Voice of OC | Prop 1 | Hosam Elattar, Spencer Custodio |
| Third Place | The Almanac | Former Sequoia staffers accuse district of discrimination | Jennifer Yoshikoshi, Jennifer Yoshikoshi |
| Fourth Place | Voice of OC | Santa Ana City Manager Settlement Fallout Series | Hosam Elattar |
| Fifth Place | San Fernando Valley Sun | The Right-Wing Agenda Reveals Itself in the San Fernando Valley | Semantha Norris |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Trinity Journal | Jail deaths | Josh Cozine |
| Second Place | Valley Voice | Former key officials sue City of Lindsay, claiming corruption | Tony Maldonado Jr |
| Third Place | Calexico Chronicle | Backlash Builds Over LGBT Center Rebrand | Eric Everwine, Eric Everwine |
| Third Place | Calexico Chronicle | Backlash Builds Over LGBT Center Rebrand | Eric Everwine, Eric Everwine |
| Fourth Place | The Voice of San Francisco | Four years after Troy McAlister killed Hanako Abe and Elizabeth Platt, their families still wait for justice | Susan Reynolds |
| Fifth Place | India Currents | Aging in America: ‘Leaving A Legacy Like A Dewdrop On A Lotus Leaf’ – Asian Indians Redefine Aging In America | Meera Kymal |
Informational Graphic
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | Aztec for the Ages | Tony Lariccia |
| Second Place | San Francisco Chronicle | Mass incarceration devastated S.F. Japantown. For the first time, we know how much | San Francisco Chronicle Staff nan, Nami Sumida, John Blanchard, Stephanie Zhu, Santiago Mejia, Peter Hartlaub, Staff nan |
| Third Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | Walk Off This Way | Tony Lariccia |
| Fourth Place | The Mercury News/East Bay Times | City-worker costs have skyrocketed | Pai W, Harriet Rowan, Jeff Durham |
| Fifth Place | The Orange County Register | Focus on Alcatraz | Jeff Goertzen, Kurt Snibbe |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Press Democrat | Jail deputy vacancies, 2019-2023 | Emma Murphy, Martin Espinoza, Sara Edwards |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | EdSource | EdSource graphics: college eligibility, lead, | Yuxuan Xie, Daniel Willis, Emma Gallegos |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Zocalo Public Square | Visual note for What Is a ’Latino’? With Héctor Tobar | Soobin Kim |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Mission Local | Understanding San Francisco’s election | Xueer Lu, Kelly Waldron, Junyao Yang |
| Second Place | San Francisco Business Times | Anatomy of a clinical trial | Meredith Sheffer, Ron Leuty |
| Third Place | Mission Local | BigMoneySF: How nonprofits use tax law for politics | Will Jarrett |
| Fourth Place | Mission Local | BigMoneySF: The network map of money in San Francisco politics | Will Jarrett |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Black Voice News | Tapestry: “The Cultural, Ethnic, and Racial Threads of an Evolving Community” | Not provided in entry |
| Second Place | The Ark | Tiburon HOA fights to undo accidental tax auction | Francisco Martinez, Kevin Hessel |
| Third Place | The Ark | Tiburon police detentions 2024 | Kevin Hessel |
Innovative Technology Award
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Sacramento Bee | AI radio project | Daniel Hunt, Tyler Dukes, Alex Devoid |
| Second Place | San Francisco Chronicle | The Kamala Harris News Assistant: Connecting Readers to 30 Years of SFChronicle Reporting | Ryan Serpico, Brittany Schell |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Third Place | The Tribune | AI mapping | Joe Tarica, Kaytlyn Leslie |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fourth Place | Stocktonia News Service | The cruise ship Aurora in virtual reality | Josh Susong, Emmanuel Lozano, Mike Caronna, Edward Lopez, Michael Fitzgerald |
Investigative Reporting
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Los Angeles Times | Dirty Weed | Paige St. John, Sean Greene, Lorena Iñiguez Elebee, Alex Halperin, Paige St. John, Sean Greene, Lorena Iñiguez Elebee, Alex Halperin |
| Second Place | Los Angeles Times | Pets for Profit | Melody Gutierrez, Alene Tchekmedyian, David Wharton, Sean Greene |
| Third Place | San Francisco Chronicle | Right to Remain Secret | Katey Rusch, Casey Smith, Katey Rusch, Casey Smith |
| Fourth Place | San Francisco Chronicle | It’s been called junk science as accurate as a Ouija board. Why are police agencies using this tool? | Susie Neilson, Matthias Gafni |
| Fifth Place | Los Angeles Times | Scientology tried to ‘derail’ star’s rape trial by harassing prosecutor, suit says, church calls claim ‘false’ | James Queally |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Fresno Bee | Pitman Farms: Deadly work for high-end poultry | Melissa Montalvo |
| Second Place | The Desert Sun | Dark money in Imperial County | Janet Wilson |
| Third Place | Daily Breeze | Investigation into Harbor-UCLA physician | Scott Schwebke |
| Fourth Place | The Press Democrat | Implosion of DEMA, Sonoma County’s dominant pandemic-era homeless housing provider | Andrew Graham |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | EdSource | Calling the Cops: a series of stories and informational graphics by EdSource | Thomas Peele, Daniel Willis, Emma Gallegos, Monica Velez, Mallika Seshadri, Zaidee Stavely |
| Second Place | The Modesto Bee | Data show police use-of-force and stops persistently target Black and Hispanic individuals | Julietta Bisharyan, Trevor Morgan |
| Third Place | The Tribune | Paso Robles councilman, Cal Coast News reporter fabricated lies to oust city manager, couple says | Chloe Jones, Sadie Dittenber, Joe Tarica, Stephanie Finucane |
| Fourth Place | The Union Democrat | Misconduct files uncovered | Alex MacLean, Alex MacLean |
| Fifth Place | Ventura County Star | Officer hit by bullet fragment in accidental shooting at Port Hueneme police headquarters | Tony Biasotti |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Monterey County Weekly | Revealing institutional failures in Carmel Unified School District | Not provided in entry |
| Second Place | Santa Barbara Independent | ‘I Have to Live Every Day Knowing That My Innocent Child Was Violated’ | Callie Fausey |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Capital & Main | In Los Angeles, Your Chic Vacation Rental May Be a Rent-Controlled Apartment | Robin Urevich, Haru Coryne |
| Second Place | Capital & Main | The Rising Cost of the Oil Industry’s Slow Death | Mark Olalde, Nick Bowlin, Mark Olalde, Nick Bowlin |
| Third Place | North Coast Journal | NCJ Investigative | Thadeus Greenson |
| Fourth Place | Palo Alto Weekly | The Reckoning: The story of how a violent arrest forced out two veteran Palo Alto cops | Gennady Sheyner |
| Fifth Place | Beverly Press/Park Labrea News | Beverly Hills auto showroom denied and investigated after multiple stories published in Beverly Press | Tabor Brewster |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | San Jose Spotlight | San Jose councilman accused of child sex crimes | Ramona Giwargis, Brandon Pho, Annalise Freimarck, Moryt Milo |
| Second Place | Voice of OC | Questionable Contracting at the County of Orange | Noah Biesiada |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Fresnoland | ‘Very, very unusual.’ Is Valley Children’s taking more than it’s giving back? | Omar Rashad, Omar Rashad |
| Second Place | A News Cafe | The Redemption of Eric Magrini Parts 1&2 | Not provided in entry |
| Third Place | The Vallejo Sun | Benicia teacher charged with sexual acts with student was previously arrested in Napa | Holly McDede |
| Fourth Place | A News Cafe | After Months, Years, Rumors Lead to Facts Revealed About Candidate Corkey Harmon’s Tragic Family Ties | Not provided in entry |
| Fifth Place | A News Cafe | Victims, Classmates, Parents, County Staff Reveal Supervisor Kevin Crye’s Dark, Devious, Demented Side | Not provided in entry |
Labor Reporting
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Orange County Register | Southern California group, officials face return of old problem: child labor | Andre Mouchard |
| Second Place | The Sacramento Bee | Cal-OSHA staffing and failures | Joe Rubin, Joe Rubin |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Modesto Bee | Employees allege union busting and unsafe work conditions at Modesto plant | Julietta Bisharyan |
| Second Place | The Modesto Bee | Store manager of more than 20 years reaches ’breaking point’ and sues super market chain | Dominique Williams |
| Third Place | Redlands Daily Facts | Working conditions at VA Loma Linda | Scott Schwebke |
| Fourth Place | The Bakersfield Californian | The unionization fight between the United Farm Workers and Wonderful | John Cox |
| Fifth Place | The Tribune | Who will ref the games? High school sports in SLO County face ‘dire situation’ | Matthew Ho, Matthew Ho |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Santa Barbara Independent | After Near-Strike and Historic Teachers’ Raise, Santa Barbara Unified Grapples with Teacher Turnover, a $10M Budget Shortfall, and ‘Residual Frustration’ | Callie Fausey |
| Second Place | Grunion Gazette | Thousands of CSU faculty expected to strike across California starting Monday, Jan. 22 | Kristy Hutchings |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | New Times | Battling the System | Samantha Herrera |
| Second Place | GV Wire | Planned Fresno Probation Gun Buyback Program Runs Afoul of State Law and SEIU | David Taub |
| Third Place | Capital & Main | Striking Back | Capital & Main Staff |
| Fourth Place | GV Wire | Unions Aren’t Just Bankrolling Local Campaigns. They’ve Got a Candidate This Year. | Nancy Price |
| Fifth Place | North Coast Journal | NCJ Did Your Check Clear? | Jennifer Fumiko Cahill |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Business Journal | Inside the numbers: Valley’s union membership during ‘Labor Summer’ | Not provided in entry |
| Second Place | Pleasanton Weekly | Workplace bullying at Orkin | Christian Trujano |
| Third Place | Voice of OC | Irvine Removes Hotel Worker Protections, Repealing Maximum Workload Thresholds | Angelina Hicks |
| Fourth Place | San Fernando Valley Sun | Scilicosis Rampant in Northeast San Fernando Valley Series | Semantha Norris |
| Fifth Place | Voice of OC | Comparing Disneyland Labor Battles, Did Unions Cut a Good Deal in Anaheim? | Hosam Elattar |
Local Coverage of Election 2024
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Sacramento Bee | Sacramento mayor’s race | Theresa Clift, Darrell Smith |
| Second Place | The Sacramento Bee | California Senate race | David Lightman |
| Third Place | The Orange County Register | California voters receive mailers tracking when they voted. How private is your information? | Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Teri Sforza |
| Fourth Place | Los Angeles Times | Political Coverage by Taryn Luna | Taryn Luna Taryn Luna |
| Fifth Place | The Orange County Register | OC’s most high-profile, high-stress job this week? Election worker | Andre Mouchard |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Press Democrat | The Wine Country tribes, billionaires and everyday donors who bankroll U.S. campaigns | Emma Murphy, Martin Espinoza, Phil Barber, George Buce |
| Second Place | The Press-Enterprise | At least 104 Southern California voters mailed their ballots on time. They weren’t counted | Jeff Horseman |
| Third Place | The Press Democrat | Measure J, Sonoma County’s divisive anti-factory farm initiative | Phil Barber, Staff of The Press Democrat, Phil Barber, Staff of The Press Democrat |
| Fourth Place | The Desert Sun | Fate of local hospital hinges on Measure AA vote | Ema Sasic |
| Fifth Place | The Press Democrat | Elección 2024: Latino political power in Sonoma and Napa counties | Paulina Pineda, Martin Espinoza, George Buce, Raquel Issenberg, Elissa Torres, Emma Murphy, Edward Booth, Jennifer Sawhney, Martin Espinoza, Photojournalism staff of The Press Democrat, Joseph Trevino, Adriana Gutierrez |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Marin Independent Journal | Nov. 5 live election night coverage | Adrian Rodriguez, Richard Halstead, Cameron Macdonald, Krissy Waite, Giuseppe Ricapito, Gary Klien, Joe Konte, Dave Allen, Jennifer Upshaw Swartz, Alan Dep, Sherry LaVars, Keri Brenner, Adrian Rodriguez, Richard Halstead, Cameron Macdonald, Krissy Waite, Giuseppe Ricapito, Gary Klien, Joe Konte, Dave Allen, Jennifer Upshaw Swartz, Alan Dep, Sherry LaVars, Keri Brenner |
| Second Place | The Tribune | 2 church groups sent political questionnaires to SLO County candidates. Are they legal? | Chloe Shrager |
| Third Place | The Bakersfield Californian | The quest to fill a cascade of political positions: How Kevin McCarthy’s ouster from the speakership led to more than a year of consequences | John Donegan |
| Fourth Place | The Tribune | Election Reality Check: How does SLO County test and secure its Dominion voting machines? | Chloe Shrager |
| Fifth Place | Record Searchlight | Historic election could usher in Shasta County’s first openly transgender elected official | Damon Arthur |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Santa Barbara Independent | Santa Barbara County Election Update From the White House to City Hall: Some Surprising and Not-So-Surprising Results | Nick Welsh |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Bay Area Reporter | SF Mayoral Candidates in the Castro | John Ferrannini |
| Second Place | Lookout Santa Cruz | Lookout Santa Cruz election coverage | Christopher Neely, Max Chun, Hillary Ojeda |
| Third Place | GV Wire | Fresno Unified Taxpayers Are Paying for 5 Bond Measures Already. When Will Those Taxes Expire? | Nancy Price |
| Fourth Place | Mission Local | See How They Run | Joe Rivano Barros, Kelly Waldron, Junyao Yang, Xueer Lu, H.R. Smith |
| Fifth Place | Capital & Main | California Cut $200 Million for Extreme Heat and Other Climate Disasters. Voters Can Reverse That. | Aaron Cantú |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | San Jose Spotlight | Follow the Money, Election Guide and on-the-record with candidates | B. Sakura Cannestra, Ramona Giwargis |
| Second Place | Pleasanton Weekly | Sunol: A small town divided | Christian Trujano |
| Third Place | San Jose Spotlight | Silicon Valley congressional candidate tied to fake newspaper | Brandon Pho, Ramona Giwargis |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | A News Cafe | Cover of the Shasta County District 3 Board of Supervisors Race 2024 | Doni Chamberlain |
| Second Place | ChicoSol | City Council District 7: Voters have a clear choice | Yucheng Tang |
| Third Place | The Ark | Tiburon Peninsula election results | Kevin Hessel, Francisco Martinez, Naomi Friedland |
| Fourth Place | The Berkeley Scanner | ||
| Fifth Place | The Vallejo Sun | Vallejo Sun election coverage | Ryan Geller |
4-Year University Division
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | San Jose State University-Spartan Daily | Spartan Daily Election Issue | Kaya Henkes-Power, Christine Tran |
2-Year College Division
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | San Diego City College-City Times Media | City Times Media | sdcitytimes.com | City Times Media Staff, City Times Media Staff |
| Second Place | Santa Rosa Junior College-The Oak Leaf | Study Abroad students offer unique view on gun control issue & election | Tara Thompson, Kathryn Mauck |
| Third Place | Santa Rosa Junior College-The Oak Leaf | Local election measures – Measure J and Measure FF | Emelle Raschein, Jordan Garcia, Henry Fliflet, Hana Seals, Elliott Kennedy, Yna Bollock, Nathan Morris, Oak Leaf Staff |
High School Division
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Archbishop Riordan High School-The Crusader | Breed faces four challengers for SF mayor | Vincent Douglas & Daniella Lainez |
| Second Place | Sacramento Country Day School-The Octagon | High school students discuss results of 2024 presidential election | Aaryan Gandhi, Jacob Rabe |
| Third Place | Archbishop Riordan High School-The Crusader | Great Highway to close despite neighbors’ opposition | Angela Jia |
| Fourth Place | Archbishop Riordan High School-The Crusader | Law & Order: Voters to elect DA, Sheriff | Daniella Lainez |
Music Writing/Reporting
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Mercury News/East Bay Times | Los Tigres del Norte, Jim Harrington | Jim Harrington |
| Second Place | San Francisco Chronicle | Are Bay Area clubs the new concerts? These music lovers seem to think so | Zara Irshad, Zara Irshad |
| Third Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | Review: Sabrina Carpenter gets fizzy with it at her flirty San Diego concert | George Varga |
| Fourth Place | San Francisco Chronicle | How a UC Berkeley student went from making cringey TikToks to playing festival sets | Todd Inoue, Todd Inoue |
| Fifth Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | Willie Nelson’s San Diego concert defined, not defied, the passing of time. He turns 91 on April 29. | George Varga |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Press-Enterprise | Coachella festival coverage | Press-Enterprise Staff |
| Second Place | The Desert Sun | Blake Shelton review | Paul Albani-Burgio |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Chico Enterprise-Record | A good reason to ’keep the party going’ | Mike Wolcott, Mike Wolcott |
| Second Place | Marin Independent Journal | Remembering Phil Lesh and the community spirit of Terrapin Crossroads | Paul Liberatore |
| Third Place | EdSource | Music and education. Stories by EdSource | Karen D’Souza |
| Fourth Place | Marin Independent Journal | Sausalito’s historic Record Plant rocks back to life as a nonprofit recording studio | Paul Liberatore |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Santa Barbara Independent | The Brasscals Bring Honk to Santa Barbara | Nick Welsh |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Bay Area Reporter | “Finding David Bowie’s queer roots” | Michael Flanagan |
| Second Place | Coachella Valley Independent | A Need for Nostalgia: The Emo/Alt Music Scene Offers Community at a Time of Increasing Hate and Divisiveness | Matt King |
| Third Place | Bay Area Reporter | “Charles Ives at 150: Jeremy Denk plays the piano works” | Tim Pfaff |
| Fourth Place | Comstock’s Magazine | Comstock’s Concert Hall | Casey Rafter |
| Fifth Place | Lookout Santa Cruz | How did the Grateful Dead’s archive end up in Santa Cruz? | Christopher Neely |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | 48 Hills | Dissecting SF’s big surprise rave | Tamara Palmer, Tamara Palmer |
| First Place | 48 Hills | Dissecting SF’s big surprise rave | Tamara Palmer, Tamara Palmer |
| Second Place | Calaveras Enterprise | Calaveras girl makes good | Jason Currier |
| Third Place | Culture OC | Five Reviews of the Pacific Symphony as They Prepare For a New Music Director | Timothy Mangan |
| Fourth Place | Claremont Courier | Attuned to the ancient ways: Tim Easton returns to Folk Music Center Saturday | Mick Rhodes |
| Fifth Place | 48 Hills | Remember Me: How ‘California Soul’ legend Marlena Shaw took on a changing world | John-Paul Shiver |
News Photo
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Sacramento Bee | Vigil for KJ | Lezlie Sterling |
| Second Place | The Mercury News/East Bay Times | Oakland Coliseum buyers closing in on Alameda County’s approval of massive sale | Jose Fajardo |
| Third Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | News Photo: Street Kayak — The San Diego Union-Tribune | K.C. Alfred |
| Fourth Place | The Orange County Register | Peaceful protest | Leonard Ortiz |
| Fifth Place | The Sacramento Bee | Longtime homeless camp cleared | Renée C. Byer |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Press Democrat | Too Weak to Walk | Kent Porter |
| Second Place | The Press Democrat | The Point Fire | Kent Porter |
| Third Place | The Desert Sun | Bird survey at the Salton Sea | Jay Calderon |
| Fourth Place | The Press Democrat | Prison Partners | Christopher Chung |
| Fifth Place | The Press Democrat | A Narrow Miss | Kent Porter |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Ventura County Star | Two small bicycles remain standing in the flaming wreckage of a home along Marine View Drive after the Mountain fire | Dominic Massimino |
| Second Place | The Tribune | Black Lake fire | David Middlecamp |
| Third Place | Ventura County Star | Jesse Narvaez, 30, votes at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, as his son, Brendan Narvaez, 2, looks up at him. | Juan Carlo |
| Fourth Place | Santa Maria Times | Taken down after courthouse explosion | Joaquin Aguilar |
| Fifth Place | Marin Independent Journal | Sculpture installation | Alan Dep |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Lookout Santa Cruz | face-off | kevin painchaud |
| Second Place | Santa Barbara Independent | UCSB Academic Workers Strike Photo | Ingrid Bostrom |
| Third Place | Lookout Santa Cruz | Seeking asylum | Kevin Painchaud |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Acorn | Out of the sky | Michael Coons |
| Second Place | Napa Valley Register | Nick Otto, Napa Valley Register | Nick Otto, Nick Otto, Nick Otto, Nick Otto |
| Third Place | Chino Champion | World War II-era plane crashes at Chino Airport, killing two | Josh Thompson |
| Fourth Place | Capital & Main | Election Night at Howard University | Barbara Davidson |
| Fifth Place | Palo Alto Weekly | President Biden is met with protesters in Portola Valley, Palo Alto ahead of fundraisers | Anna Hoch-Kenney |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Sonoma Index-Tribune | Gaza protest on Sonoma Plaza | Robbi Pengelly |
| Second Place | Pleasanton Weekly | Joseph Roberts sentenced for dismemberment murder | Christian Trujano |
| Third Place | The Sonoma Index-Tribune | Sonoma Valley school board meeting on school closures | Robbi Pengelly |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Calaveras Enterprise | Local Rodeo at Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee | Corissa Davidson |
| Second Place | Redwood City Pulse | Uncertain future for a North Fair Oaks church, food bank and family resource center | Anna Hoch-Kenney |
| Third Place | Claremont Courier | Gaza war college protest | Andrew Alonzo |
| Fourth Place | Auburn Journal | ’I guess you can say I lucked out’: Ophir oak crushes cottage, spares resident | Not provided in entry |
4-Year University Division
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Cal Poly-Pomona-The Poly Post | Photo Essay: Bridge fire scorches SoCal | Darren Loo |
| Second Place | Cal Poly-Pomona-The Poly Post | Dodgers host championship parade at home after 36 years | Christian Magdaleno |
| Third Place | CSU Fullerton-Daily Titan | Daily Titan – Students protest, mourn year of violence | Bryan Jimenez |
| Fourth Place | Cal Poly-Pomona-The Poly Post | Wildfires rage through Southern California mountain ranges | Darren Loo |
2-Year College Division
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Santa Monica College-Corsair | Lone firefighter at night in Bridge Fire | Jake Crandall |
| Second Place | De Anza College-La Voz News | Flint center demolition | Frank Mayers |
| Third Place | Santa Rosa Junior College-The Oak Leaf | Santa Rosa Junior College hosts Día de Muertos event | Yna Bollock |
| Fourth Place | Santa Rosa Junior College-The Oak Leaf | Election night coverage | Nathan Kaito Morris, Nathan Kaito Morris |
| Fifth Place | San Joaquin Delta College-The Collegian | Tree of Lights | Layla Carrasco |
High School Division
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Sacramento Country Day School-The Octagon | Leading Loud | Rehan Afzal |
| Second Place | Archbishop Riordan High School-The Crusader | Lurie wins over San Francisco voters | Not provided in entry |
| Third Place | Sacramento Country Day School-The Octagon | Lurking Thief | Rehan Afzal |
| Fourth Place | Archbishop Riordan High School-The Crusader | Students voice concern over rising costs, smoke in cafeteria | Not provided in entry |
Online Story Presentation Page Layout & Design
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Capital & Main | Capital & Main | Capital & Main Staff, Capital & Main Staff, Capital & Main Staff |
| Second Place | Coachella Valley Independent | Coachella Valley Independent | Coachella Valley Independent Staff |
Photo Story/Essay
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Los Angeles Times | Photos: A visual report from the border following President Biden’s rollout of asylum restrictions | Robert Gauthier |
| Second Place | The Sacramento Bee | Families return to find homes destroyed by California’s Park Fire. ‘I’m just lost’ | Bailey Stover |
| Third Place | The Orange County Register | Sunburst Youth Academy: 5 1/2 months for a second chance | Mindy Schauer |
| Fourth Place | The Sacramento Bee | The A’s have played their final game in Oakland. Here’s what it looked like | Renée C. Byer |
| Fifth Place | San Francisco Chronicle | We’re going to win this | Chronicle and Hearst staff nan, Staff na |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Press Democrat | Bottle Rock | Beth Schlanker |
| Second Place | The Press Democrat | Lake Nagasawa Rescue | Kent Porter |
| Third Place | The Desert Sun | Behind the scenes at King of the Hammers | Andy Abeyta |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Marin Independent Journal | Dog photography workshop for kids | Alan Dep |
| Second Place | Chico Enterprise-Record | History in ruins | Dan Reidel, Michael Weber |
| Third Place | Santa Maria Times | ’Peter and the Wolf’ | Len Wood |
| Fourth Place | The Tribune | Without a home, without healthcare | David Middlecamp |
| Fifth Place | Santa Maria Times | A makeshift village of struggle | Randy de la Pena |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Santa Barbara Independent | Santa Barbara Solstice Parade Takes a Flight of Fancy Up Santa Barbara | Ingrid Bostrom |
| Second Place | Monterey County Weekly | Worlds Away—a music festival in photos | Daniel Dreifuss, Sloan Campi |
| Third Place | Santa Barbara Independent | Downtown Comes to Life for Day of the Dead Free Family Day | Ingrid Bostrom |
| Fourth Place | Monterey County Weekly | Worlds Away—a music festival in photos (copy) | Daniel Dreifuss, Sloan Campi |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Palo Alto Weekly | Caltrain showcases its new electrified trains in San Carlos | Anna Hoch-Kenney |
| Second Place | Comstock’s Magazine | Afghans Resettling in Sacramento | Sasha Abramsky, Fred Greaves |
| Third Place | Palo Alto Weekly | Free Buena Vista summer camp provides a place for kids to unwind throughout redevelopment | Anna Hoch-Kenney |
| Fourth Place | Capital & Main | This Union Leader Is the Kind of Voter Who Could Swing the Presidential Race | Kalena Thomhave, Dustin Franz |
| Fifth Place | Capital & Main | Aging Out of Home in Los Angeles | Barbara Davidson |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | San Fernando Valley Sun | Think Blue | Semantha Norris |
| Second Place | The Almanac | Woodside-based equine therapy facility is changing lives | Anna Hoch-Kenney, Anna Hoch-Kenney |
| Third Place | Voice of OC | An Original Chicano Barrio in Santa Ana Gets a New Mural and Pocket Park | Julie Leopo |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Black Voice News | ”We Grow Older Together.” The Journey of Parent Caregivers | Aryana Noroozi |
| Second Place | Mountain View Voice | A taste of the wild: A local naturalist teaches how to forage for edible plants responsibly | Karla Kane, Magali Gauthier |
| Third Place | Half Moon Bay Review | The summer in pictures | Not provided in entry |
| Fourth Place | Half Moon Bay Review | Holy Ghost Festival returns | Ashton Hacke |
| Fifth Place | The Ark | The holiday spirit arrives in Tiburon and Belvedere | Leo Leung, Ted McDonnell |
Photojournalism
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | Photojournalism: The San Diego Union-Tribune | Ana Ramirez, Nelvin Cepeda |
| Second Place | The Mercury News/East Bay Times | Captured moments in photojournalism 2024 | Dai Sugano, Jose Carlos Fajardo, Ray Chavez, Karl Mondon, Jane Tyska, Aric Crabb, Shae Hammond, Nhat V. Meyer |
| Third Place | The Orange County Register | Southern California News Group photojournalism | Southern California News Group Photo Staff |
| Fourth Place | The Sacramento Bee | Sacramento Bee staff photos | Sacramento Bee staff |
| Fifth Place | San Francisco Chronicle | Photojournalism: San Francisco Chronicle | Staff na |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Desert Sun | Desert Sun 2024: The year in photos | Andy Abeyta, Jay Calderon, Taya Gray |
| Second Place | The Press Democrat | The Press Democrat, 2024 Year in Photojournalism | Kent Porter, John Burgess, Christopher Chung, Chad Surmick, Beth Schlanker |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Tribune | Tribune photojournalism portfolio | David Middlecamp, Laura Dickinson |
| Second Place | Santa Cruz Sentinel | Shmuel Thaler’s 2024 photojournalism | Shmuel Thaler |
| Third Place | The Record | Ntxhais Deevsiab’s performance at the annual Hmong New Year celebration. | Cliff Oto |
| Fourth Place | Santa Maria Times | 2024 in pictures | Randy de la Pena, Len Wood, Joaquin Aguilar |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Lookout Santa Cruz | Kevin Painchaud | kevin Painchaud |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Napa Valley Register | Nick Otto, Napa Valley Register | Nick Otto, Nick Otto, Nick Otto, Nick Otto |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Petaluma Argus-Courier | The Photojournalism of Crissy Pascual | Crissy Pascual |
| Second Place | The Almanac | Las Lomitas teachers commence a strike | Anna Hoch-Kenney |
| Third Place | Voice of OC | Photo of Todd Spitzer by Julie Leopo | Julie Leopo |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Ark | Ark photojournalism | Nick Shorten Jr., Leo Leung, Ted McDonnell, Clara Lu, Francisco Martinez, Naomi Friedland |
| Second Place | India Currents | Boys Can Learn Bharatanatyam Too Says Orinda Highschooler Avya Poddatoori | Sree Sripathy |
Print Front Page Layout & Design
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | San Francisco Chronicle | Willie Mays | Chronicle and Hearst staff nan |
| Second Place | The Sacramento Bee | Sacramento Bee front pages | Sacramento Bee staff |
| Third Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | Three Front Pages: The San Diego Union-Tribune | Michael Price |
| Fourth Place | San Francisco Chronicle | Trumped | The Chronicle and Hearst staff nan |
| Fifth Place | The Mercury News/East Bay Times | Print Front / Mercury News and East Bay Times | Chris Gotsill |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Press Democrat | Identity Crisis | Denise Szott |
| Second Place | The Press Democrat | Lost Opportunity | Denise Szott |
| Third Place | The Press Democrat | An extraordinary eclipse | Staff of The Press Democrat, Kent Porter |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Chico Enterprise-Record | We are devasted | Josie Doan |
| Second Place | Times-Standard | 1Third Place4 flood: ’An amazingly sad time’ | Audria Ruscitti & Ruth Schneider |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Monterey County Weekly | Monterey County Weekly covers | Karen Loutzenheister, Daniel Dreifuss |
| Second Place | Monterey County Weekly | Monterey County Weekly covers (copy) | Karen Loutzenheister, Daniel Dreifuss |
| Third Place | Santa Barbara Independent | Santa Barbara Independent Front Covers – Words on Fire, Smell the Roses, and Year in Photos | Xavier Pereyra |
| Fourth Place | The Sacramento Observer | Observer Front Pages | Kenyon Shafer |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Comstock’s Magazine | Comstock’s 35th Anniversary Issue | Ruvi Palafox, Ruvi Palafox |
| Second Place | Palo Alto Weekly | Palo Alto Weekly front pages | Douglas Young |
| Third Place | Coachella Valley Independent | Coachella Valley Independent Covers | Dennis Wodzisz |
| Fourth Place | San Francisco Business Times | King Kong | Meredith Sheffer |
| Fifth Place | North Coast Journal | NCJ Front Page | Dave Brown, Heidi Bazán Beltrán, Rory Hubbard |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Pleasanton Weekly | Covers by Doug Young | Doug Young |
| Second Place | The Business Journal | Kids, Inc 5000, farmers covers | Not provided in entry |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Claremont Courier | Claremont Courier front page entry 2 | Skylar Anderson |
| Second Place | Claremont Courier | Claremont Courier front page entry 1 | Skylar Anderson |
| Third Place | The Ark | Ark front pages | Kevin Hessel |
Print Inside Page Layout & Design
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | San Francisco Chronicle | We’re going to win this | Chronicle and Hearst staff nan, Staff na |
| Second Place | The Mercury News/East Bay Times | Weekender: The Year’s Best Shows | Randy McMullen, Trinity Powells |
| Third Place | San Francisco Chronicle | The San Francisco Influence List | Chronicle and Hearst staff nan |
| Fourth Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | Three Inside Pages: The San Diego Union-Tribune | Tony Lariccia |
| Fifth Place | San Francisco Chronicle | Japantown | Chronicle and Hearst Staff nan |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Santa Barbara Independent | Santa Barbara Independent Inside Layout – Indy Awards | Xavier Pereyra |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | North Coast Journal | NCJ Inside Layout ”The River Runs Free” | Journal Production Department |
| Second Place | Palo Alto Weekly | Palo Alto Weekly inside pages | Douglas Young |
| Third Place | Comstock’s Magazine | Comstock’s Women in Leadership 2024 | Ruvi Palafox |
| Fourth Place | Comstock’s Magazine | Will We Ever Fix Our Waterfront? | Ruvi Palafox |
| Fifth Place | San Francisco Business Times | Steph Inc. | Ron Leuty, Meredith Sheffer |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Almanac | The Almanac inside pages | Douglas Young |
| Second Place | Pleasanton Weekly | Taste Tri-Valley Restaurant Week | Doug Young |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Calaveras Enterprise | Sports Layout | Guy Dossi |
| Second Place | The Ark | Designers turn Paradise Cay home into a waterfront oasis | Kevin Hessel |
| Third Place | The Ark | Fall’s best cookbooks offer variety to satisfy every appetite | Kevin Hessel |
| Fourth Place | Claremont Courier | Holiday magic | Skylar Anderson |
| Fifth Place | The Ark | Belvedere Island home styled to create calm retreat | Kevin Hessel |
Print Special Section
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | Challenge at Hand | Tony Lariccia |
| Second Place | The Orange County Register | SCNG Premium | Samantha Dunn |
| Third Place | San Francisco Chronicle | San Francisco Influence List special section | Chronicle and Hearst staff nan |
| Fourth Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | Challenge at Hand special section | Tony Lariccia |
| Fifth Place | The Mercury News/East Bay Times | Space Magazine | Jackie Burrell, Chris Gotsill, Jack Browning |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Press Democrat | Vida! Elección 2024: The scope of Latino political reach in Sonoma and Napa counties | Edward Booth, Jennifer Sawhney, Adriana Gutierrez, Martin Espinoza, Emma Murphy, and Joseph Trevino, led by editors Elissa Torres, Raquel Issenberg and Brett Wilkison. |
| Second Place | The Bakersfield Californian | Bakersfield Life October 2024 | The Bakersfield Californian The Bakersfield Californian |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Santa Maria Times | Day of Hope | Jennifer Best, Santa Maria Times Staff |
| Second Place | Santa Maria Times | Elks Rodeo 2024 | Elliott Stern, Santa Maria Times Staff |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Grunion Gazette | Grunion Gazette election guide | Not provided in entry |
| Second Place | The Beach Reporter | Beach Reporter Kindness Section | Not provided in entry |
| Third Place | Monterey County Weekly | Family Guide | Monterey County Weekly staff |
| Fourth Place | Grunion Gazette | Grunion Gazette Grand Prix Preview | Not provided in entry |
| Fifth Place | Beverly Hills Courier | Beverly Hills Courier Summer STYLE | Not provided in entry |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Coachella Valley Independent | Best of Coachella Valley 2024-2025 | Staff and Contributors |
| Second Place | Palo Alto Weekly | Info — and insiders guide to the Midpeninsula | Linda Taaffe |
| Third Place | San Francisco Business Times | Business of Pride | Not provided in entry |
| Fourth Place | Beverly Press/Park Labrea News | Our People Our Places | Karen Villalpando, Michael Villalpando, Edwin Folven, Rance Collins, Tabor Brewster, Lionel Ochoa, Chris Erskine |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Business Journal | Made in the Central Valley 2024 | Not provided in entry |
| Second Place | Tracy Press | Best of Tracy 2024 | Tracy Press |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Los Angeles Daily Journal | Salute to Veterans | David Houston |
| Second Place | The Ferndale Enterprise | Enterprise Flood | Enterprise Staff |
| Third Place | The Ark | Home, fall 2024 | Emily Lavin, Ark Staff |
Print Special Section Cover
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Mercury News/East Bay Times | Space | Not provided in entry |
| Second Place | The Orange County Register | SCNG Premium covers | Jeff Goertzen |
| Third Place | The Mercury News/East Bay Times | Glow | Not provided in entry |
| Fourth Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | Three covers: Challenge at Hand, Fantastic Finishers, Fall Arts Preview | Tony Lariccia, Michael Rocha, K.C. Alfred |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Beach Reporter | Beach Reporter Kindness | Jeff Goertzen |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Business Journal | Book of Lists, How She Leads, Made in the Central Valley 2024 | Not provided in entry |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Claremont Courier | Claremont Courier print special section cover | Skylar Anderson |
| Second Place | The Trinity Journal | Recreation, Wildfire and Veterans | Not provided in entry |
| Third Place | The Ark | The Ark – Special Section Covers | Kevin Hessel |
Profile Story
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | San Francisco Chronicle | How a UC Berkeley student went from making cringey TikToks to playing festival sets | Todd Inoue, Todd Inoue |
| Second Place | Los Angeles Times | How California teen Chloe Cole emerged as a leader of the ‘detransition’ movement — and a right-wing icon | Mackenzie Mays |
| Third Place | Los Angeles Times | How San Francisco became a launching pad for the most powerful women in politics | Jessica Garrison, Hannah Wiley |
| Fourth Place | The Orange County Register | He’s won professor of the year four years in a row. What makes him so popular? | Jonathan Horwitz |
| Fifth Place | The Orange County Register | Former OC Register, L.A. Times sports columnist T.J. Simers dies at 73 | Todd Harmonson |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Press Democrat | McGuire on the Move | Andrew Graham, Kent Porter |
| Second Place | The Fresno Bee | Black female cattle rancher blazing trail | Robert Rodriguez |
| Third Place | The Desert Sun | Scouting ‘super’ blooms in the desert with Sicco Rood | Janet Wilson, Jay Calderon |
| Fourth Place | Press-Telegram | Grand Prix of Long Beach: Katherine Legge is driving progress — on and off the race track | Kaitlyn Schallhorn |
| Fifth Place | The Press Democrat | Fighting for the underdog | Jeremy Hay, Kent Porter |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Monterey Herald | A mission to inspire and educate | Arianna Nalbach |
| Second Place | Santa Maria Times | Solvang’s top librarian handing in her keys, but not her library card | Jennifer Best |
| Third Place | Redlands Daily Facts | San Gorgonio football program’s Aden ‘A-Dog’ Pawlowicz exemplifies character, perseverance and reliability (copy) | Not provided in entry |
| Fourth Place | Santa Maria Times | Security guard’s quick actions prevent bomb suspect from fleeing | April Chavez |
| Fifth Place | The Tribune | How a SLO drag king put self-expression center stage. ‘Drag can be so many things’ | Stephanie Zappelli, Laura Dickinson, Stephanie Zappelli, Laura Dickinson |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Sacramento Observer | Bunmi Awoniyi, Sacramento’s First Black Presiding Judge | Williamena Kwapo |
| Second Place | The Salinas Californian | A hero’s honor: Salinas Valley woman accepts Congressional Gold Medal for grandfather killed in WWII | Roseann Cattani |
| Third Place | Santa Barbara Independent | Smell the Roses: JJ Ortiz Battles Cancer to Bring First Tattoo Convention to Santa Barbara | Ryan P. Cruz, Xavier Pereyra |
| Fourth Place | Beverly Hills Courier | The Paradox of Evan Funke | Ana Figueroa |
| Fifth Place | Monterey County Weekly | Artist Belle Yang, transforming trauma into art (copy) | Agata Popeda |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Beverly Press/Park Labrea News | The WWII hero of Hancock Park: Veteran Harry Corre looks back | Tabor Brewster |
| Second Place | Mission Local | Pulling his own teeth with a pair of pliers started Chester Moody’s career | Naomi Beth Marcus |
| Third Place | Sacramento Business Journal | Kauer Guitars’ Elk Grove custom shop makes instruments by hand | Mark Anderson |
| Fourth Place | Capital & Main | Days Before Eviction, 70-Year-Old Los Angeles Woman Contemplates Living in Her Car With Her Cat | Jessica Goodheart |
| Fifth Place | Coachella Valley Independent | Back Home, Back to Art: Artist Onnissia Harries Celebrates Black Womanhood With Her Large Canvas Paintings | Haleemon Anderson |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Petaluma Argus-Courier | Petaluma woman returns Native American artifacts to their tribes (copy) | David Templeton |
| Second Place | San Fernando Valley Sun | Trans Male from Van Nuys ‘Renews’ Quinceañera to Express His True Gender | Maria Luisa Torres |
| Third Place | Tracy Press | Shelter director sees her work as its own reward | Bob Brownne |
| Fourth Place | The Sonoma Index-Tribune | Miracle comeback: Sonoma runner beats death, returns to the finish line | Emma Molloy |
| Fifth Place | Pleasanton Weekly | Schools’ unsung heroes | Christian Trujano |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | A News Cafe | ‘A tough kid’: Redding teen triumphs over rare medical condition | Mike Chapman |
| Second Place | The Ark | Strawberry instructor makes salsa a journey | Francisco Martinez |
| Third Place | Culture OC | Suitors Become Owners of the Old/New Wayfarer | Jessica Peralta |
| Fourth Place | The Ark | Couple’s restaurant offers haven for queer community | Naomi Friedland, Naomi Friedland |
| Fifth Place | Glendale News-Press | After Primary Win, Friedman Fortifies Race for Congress | Kennedy Zak |
4-Year University Division
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | CSU Fullerton-Daily Titan | Daily Titan – New ASI president ready to engage community | Emily Wilson |
| Second Place | Cal Poly-Pomona-The Poly Post | Student-led punk band ZOMBIELOAF rocks CPP | Athena Flores, Athena Flores |
| Third Place | Cal Poly-Pomona-The Poly Post | Cal Poly Pomona alumnus Kyle Smith named NFL’s first fashion editor | Phoenix Guevara |
| Fourth Place | CSU Dominguez Hills-The Bulletin | McKibbin caps off Toros soccer career with top CCAA honors | Jeremiah Rojas |
| Fifth Place | Cal Poly-Pomona-The Poly Post | Concrete, community: Cal Poly Pomona Skate Club provides a creative outlet for students | Athena Flores, Athena Flores |
2-Year College Division
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Southwestern College-The Sun | SOUTHWESTERN SUPERMAN JMS | Nicolette Monique Luna |
| Second Place | Southwestern College-The Sun | NATIONAL CITY’S IMMORTAL ‘ANGEL BABY’ | Alexa Lima |
| Third Place | De Anza College-La Voz News | Bay Area hardcore musician archives the local scene | Vincent Scrivens |
| Fourth Place | Santa Ana College-el Don | Sculpting Dreams: Ceramics student Andy Martinez embraces psychology and clay | Sophia Cortez |
| Fifth Place | Santa Rosa Junior College-The Oak Leaf | Finding Their Stride: The history and people of SRJC’s dance program | Lucas Cadigan-Carranza, Yna Bollock |
High School Division
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Sacramento Country Day School-The Octagon | Country Day Collections | Anisha Mondal |
| Second Place | Sacramento Country Day School-The Octagon | Michelle Myers departs Country Day after shaping generations | Eesha Dhawan |
| Third Place | Archbishop Riordan High School-The Crusader | Serrano embarks on literary journey | Naomi Lin |
| Fourth Place | Sacramento Country Day School-The Octagon | Athletic Director Matt Vargo named model coach of the year | Ava Levermore, Aaryan Gandhi |
| Fifth Place | Archbishop Riordan High School-The Crusader | Boston 20 stapler connects past to present | Emilio Rocha |
Public Service Journalism
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Los Angeles Times | Parenting classes are routinely ordered in child abuse cases. California isn’t ensuring they work | Mackenzie Mays |
| Second Place | San Francisco Chronicle | Fast and Fatal | Jennifer Gollan, Susie Neilson |
| Third Place | The Sacramento Bee | Cyclist deaths | Ariane Lange, Ariane Lange |
| Fourth Place | Los Angeles Times | Dirty Weed | Paige St. John, Sean Greene, Lorena Iñiguez Elebee, Alex Halperin, Paige St. John, Sean Greene, Lorena Iñiguez Elebee, Alex Halperin |
| Fifth Place | The Mercury News/East Bay Times | Colma has a small population but leads Bay Area in crime rate | Jovi Dai |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Fresno Bee | Pitman Farms: Deadly Work for High-end Poultry | Melissa Montalvo |
| Second Place | The Desert Sun | Traffic officer crashes into crowd at Palm Springs holiday parade | Ani Gasparyan, Andy Abeyta, Niki Kottmann, Paul Albani-Burgio, Sam Morgen |
| Third Place | The Press Democrat | County in Crisis | Andrew Graham, Emma Murphy, Martin Espinoza, Marisa Endicott, Jeremy Hay |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Times-Standard | ’We dodged a bullet’ | Not provided in entry |
| Second Place | The Record | San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office refuses to answer questions regarding visit to reporter’s home | Hannah Workman |
| Third Place | The Tribune | Paso Robles city manager files $2 million claim, alleging harassment from councilman | Chloe Jones, Sadie Dittenber, Stephanie Finucane, Joe Tarica |
| Fourth Place | Ventura County Star | Mountain Fire coverage | Ventura County Star Staff, Ventura County Star Staff |
| Fifth Place | The Modesto Bee | Stanislaus County restaurant health inspection reports | Dominique Williams |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Zocalo Public Square | What Is a Good Job Now? | Zocalo Public Square Staff |
| Second Place | Monterey County Weekly | Monterey County Media Literacy Coalition | Monterey County Weekly staff, Monterey County Media Literacy Coalition members |
| Third Place | The Sacramento Observer | Head Space: Exploring The Mental Health Needs Of Today’s Black Men | Genoa Barrow, Genoa Barrow, Genoa Barrow |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | North Coast Journal | NCJ Public Service | North Coast Journal Staff |
| Second Place | Simi Valley Acorn | Looming water rate hikes make waves | Michele Willer-Allred |
| Third Place | Capital & Main | Surviving on $1,800 a Month in Social Security, She Died Looking for a Place to Live | Jessica Goodheart, Jessica Goodheart, Barbara Davidson |
| Fourth Place | Palo Alto Weekly | Peninsula Volunteers expands Meals on Wheels service to Palo Alto | Lisa Moreno |
| Fifth Place | Mission Local | On Potrero Hill, everyone gets scammed | Eleni Balakrishnan, Eleni Balakrishnan, Eleni Balakrishnan |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Voice of OC | Reopening OC’s Animal Shelter | Angelina Hicks |
| Second Place | The Almanac | Demand for food assistance has skyrocketed, food distribution services say they need more help heading into holidays | Eleanor Raab, Eleanor Raab |
| Third Place | Petaluma Argus-Courier | Training at Petaluma’s Casa Grande High School instructs parents, students how to treat opioid overdoses | Jennifer Sawhney, Crissy Pascual |
| Fourth Place | Pleasanton Weekly | Tri-Valley candidate forum series | Jeremy Walsh, Gina Channell Wilcox, Jeanita Lyman, Christian Trujano, Jude Strzemp |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Lincoln News Messenger | https://goldcountrymedia.com/news/311376/hundreds-attend-lincoln-protest-of-homeless-medical-respite-center/ | Not provided in entry |
| Second Place | Fresnoland | Ventana Hills | Julianna Morano, Julianna Morano |
| Third Place | A News Cafe | Faces of fentanyl: Grieving local parents band together to confront lethal drug that killed their sons | Mike Chapman |
| Fourth Place | The Ark | Martha belongs to Marin | Francisco Martinez, Naomi Friedland, Ted McDonnell, Leo Leung |
| Fifth Place | India Currents | Election 2024: Desis on the Ballot | Meera Kymal, Snigdha Sen, Nandita Bose, Anjana Nagarajan-Butaney, Prachi Singh, Tanay Gokhale |
Religion and Faith Writing
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | San Francisco Chronicle | As a Muslim interfaith hospital chaplain, this is what matters to me when serving patients | Sondos Kholaki |
| Second Place | Los Angeles Times | ‘It’s a lot of UFO stuff and a lot of healing’: Inside L.A.’s wackiest spiritual convention | Deborah Netburn |
| Third Place | The Orange County Register | California weighs law to protect adults from clergy abuse | Kaitlyn Schallhorn |
| Fourth Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | Public school, religious instruction: Many San Diego County charter school students are also enrolling in religious programs | Kristen Taketa |
| Fifth Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | In Coronado, Awaken Church sparks a citywide debate over faith, freedom and hate | Maura Fox |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Desert Sun | ’Church is nonexistent to this current generation’: Local faith leaders working to get young people to worship | Brian Blueskye |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Modesto Bee | Modesto woman displays almost 1,000 nativity sets during Christmas season | Maria Figueroa |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | San Quentin News | Rabbi, Imam come together to host discussion on unity amid war | Anthony Manuel Caravalho |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Bay Area Reporter | Queer young adults say coming out deepened their faith | John Ferrannini |
| Second Place | Capital & Main | Power of the Pulpit: How Conservative Congregations Scale the Church-State Wall to Political Victory | Jim Hinch |
| Third Place | Coachella Valley Independent | Connection With Nature: The Discovery of an Endangered Plant Leads a Rancho Mirage Church to Create a ‘Sacred Garden’ | Haleemon Anderson |
| Fourth Place | Capital & Main | Los Angeles’ Black Churches Join National Effort to Support Dementia Patients and Their Families | George B. Sánchez-Tello |
| Fifth Place | GV Wire | A Packed Fresno City Hall Witnesses Badhesha’s Historic Moment for Sikhs | David Taub |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Voice of OC | Orange County Celebrates a Fresh Start This Spring | Hosam Elattar |
| Second Place | The Sonoma Index-Tribune | New Jewish Chabad Center opens to share faith, community | Isabel Beer |
| Third Place | Voice of OC | Light at The End of the Tunnel: OC Celebrates The Winter Holidays | Hosam Elattar, Erika Taylor |
| Fourth Place | The Sonoma Index-Tribune | Beloved Sonoma Zen leader reflects on his life and teachings | Dan Johnson |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | A News Cafe | Sean Feucht, Former Bethel-Music Leader, is Mega-Rich from Redding-Grown MAGA Christian Empire | Shawn Schwaller |
| Second Place | India Currents | Journeys of Faith | Partha Sircar, Vijay Rajvaidya, Pradeep Deshpande |
| Third Place | Fresnoland | How the 2×2 sect silenced Central Valley sexual abuse survivors and their fight for justice across the globe | Gisselle Medina |
Social Media Innovation Award
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Los Angeles Times | Hollywood Slowdown | Vanessa Franko, Christi Carras, Jim Cooke, Karen Garcia, Kaitlyn Huamani, Stacy Perman, Stacy Perman, Kaitlyn Huamani, Don Lee, Samantha Masunaga, Josh Rottenberg, Meredith Blake, Yvonne Villarreal, Christi Carras, Stacy Perman, Kaitlyn Huamani, Don Lee, Samantha Masunaga, Josh Rottenberg, Meredith Blake, Yvonne Villarreal, Christi Carras |
| Second Place | The Orange County Register | SoCal Local | Carolyn Burt |
| Fourth Place | The Orange County Register | Social media and the 2024 election | Dorothy Elder |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Third Place | The Business Journal | BJ social media | Not provided in entry |
Sports Action Photo
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | Petco Park Rodeo | Meg McLaughlin |
| Second Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | Padres Sunset | K.C. Alfred |
| Third Place | The Sacramento Bee | Sabonis in air | Paul Kitagaki Jr. |
| Fourth Place | San Francisco Chronicle | San Francisco 49ers’ Jauan Jennings catches a pass for a 45-yard gain against New England Patriots’ Marcus Jones in 4th quarter during NFL game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, September 29, 2024. (Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle) | Scott Strazzante |
| Fifth Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | Super Girl Surf | Nelvin Cepeda |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Press Democrat | Cross Country Championships | Kent Porter |
| Second Place | Los Angeles Daily News | Walk-off slam | Keith Birmingham |
| Third Place | The Mercury News/East Bay Times | Overtime Thriller | Kent Porter |
| Fourth Place | The Desert Sun | King of the Hammers | Andy Abeyta |
| Fifth Place | The Desert Sun | ASU basketball player outmaneuvers opponents for rebound | Jay Calderon |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Santa Cruz Sentinel | Backstroke | Raul Ebio |
| Second Place | Inland Valley Daily Bulletin | Here’s the catch | Will Lester |
| Third Place | Ventura County Star | Buena utility player Jack Pointner takes a shot during the Channel League boys water polo championship game | Dominic Massimino |
| Fourth Place | Marin Independent Journal | Rainy defense | Sherry LaVars |
| Fifth Place | The Record | Sac-Joaquin Section Girls Masters Wrestling Tournament | Clifford Oto |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Lookout Santa Cruz | slam! | kevin painchaud |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second Place | Chino Champion | Huskies baseball wins Division 5 crown | Josh Thompson |
| Third Place | Napa Valley Register | Nick Otto, Napa Valley Register | Nick Otto, Nick Otto, Nick Otto, Nick Otto |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | San Fernando Valley Sun | Triple J | Maxim Elramsisy |
| Second Place | Los Gatan | Going Stratospheric | Jonathan Natividad, Emanuel Lee, Drew Penner, Haley Tweedell, Dina Kuhar |
| Third Place | Tracy Press | THS vs Franklin baseball | Glenn Moore |
| Fourth Place | The Sonoma Index-Tribune | Martial Arts School | Robbi Pengelly |
| Fifth Place | The Almanac | Pickleball comes to Atherton | Magali Gauthier |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Trinity Journal | Enduro check-in | Timbre Beck |
| Second Place | The Trinity Journal | Bullrider tossed | Timbre Beck |
| Third Place | The Ferndale Enterprise | Enterprise Rodeo | Mark Larson |
| Fourth Place | The Ferndale Enterprise | Enterprise Football photo | Denise Grinsell |
| Fifth Place | The Trinity Journal | Wet & wild | Wayne Agner |
4-Year University Division
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | CSU Fullerton-Daily Titan | Daily Titan – CSUF men’s water polo drops senior night against No. 16 Cal Baptist, 15-7 | Ty Therien |
| Second Place | Cal Poly-Pomona-The Poly Post | Women’s basketball bests Cal State Dominguez Hills 80-70 in physical matchup | Alexander Novoa |
| Third Place | Cal Poly-Pomona-The Poly Post | CPP baseball breaks winning streak with loss against Point Loma | Teresa Acosta |
2-Year College Division
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | El Camino College-The Union | Airborne football action (copy) | Greg Fontanilla |
| Second Place | De Anza College-La Voz News | Men’s soccer season comes to a close after 2-0 loss to Butte | Frank Mayers |
| Third Place | El Camino College-The Union | Evading the tackle (copy) | Greg Fontanilla |
| Fourth Place | Santa Monica College-Corsair | Diving soccer kick | Rebecca Villagracia |
| Fifth Place | De Anza College-La Voz News | Soccer team | Frank Mayers |
High School Division
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Sacramento Country Day School-The Octagon | Captain’s Clutch | Simon Lindenau |
| Second Place | Sacramento Country Day School-The Octagon | Ike George Rock Climbing | Rehan Afzal, Rehan Afzal |
| Third Place | Castro Valley High School-The Olympian | Trojans football | Grace Lopez |
| Fourth Place | Archbishop Riordan High School-The Crusader | Football tackles tough competition | Not provided in entry |
| Fifth Place | Sacramento Country Day School-The Octagon | Hard Hitter | Simon Lindenau |
Sports Feature Story
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Orange County Register | Other cities can’t compete with Tracktown, USA | Scott M. Reid |
| Second Place | The Sacramento Bee | Is your kid’s head safe playing high school football? What Sacramento-area coaches say | Chris Biderman, Joe Davidson |
| Third Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | B-boys and B-girls spin into — and promptly out of — Olympic orbit | Mark Zeigler |
| Fourth Place | Los Angeles Times | The desperate hours: a pro baseball pitcher’s fentanyl overdose | David Wharton, Nathan Fenno |
| Fifth Place | San Francisco Chronicle | ‘Hard not to cry’: For coach Kyle Smith and son with autism, Stanford could be life changing | Ron Kroichick |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Press Democrat | Half Dome the hard way | Michael Shapiro, Kaare Iverson |
| Second Place | The Press Democrat | Project by Cardinal Newman student, a budding course designer, revives long-lost bunker at Northwood Golf Club | Gus Morris, Christopher Chung |
| Third Place | The Desert Sun | Can ultra-exclusive oasis in Thermal reshape the image of desert golf? The owners of Ladera think so | Larry Bohannan |
| Fourth Place | The Press Democrat | American Canyon exchange student Edoardo Pelagatti takes a chance at playing football, ends up a state champion | Kienan O’Doherty, Christopher Chung |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Merced Sun-Star | El Capitan football | Not provided in entry |
| Second Place | The Tribune | Who will ref the games? High school sports in SLO County face ‘dire situation’ | Matthew Ho, Matthew Ho |
| Third Place | Marin Independent Journal | Go Niners? Go Goff? | Danny Schmidt |
| Fourth Place | Chico Enterprise-Record | Peppers remain in a league of their own | Evan Tuchinsky |
| Fifth Place | Daily Press | Barstow’s bare knuckle fighter ready for the moment of a lifetime at BKFC KnuckleMania IV | Not provided in entry |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Beverly Hills Courier | Candace Parker Powering Forward | Lisa Friedman Bloch |
| Second Place | Beverly Hills Courier | JAY LENO AND BRUCE MEYER HOW THEY BECAME THE KINGS OF CARS | Lisa Friedman Bloch |
| Third Place | Zocalo Public Square | How Television Made Willie Mays a Star | James Cobb |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Comstock’s Magazine | Pickleball Fever | Laurie Lauletta-Boshart |
| Second Place | Coachella Valley Independent | Success Via Sport: Nationwide Nonprofit ACEing Autism Brings Its Tennis Program for Young People on the Autism Spectrum to Palm Desert | Kevin Fitzgerald |
| Third Place | Lamorinda Weekly | Justin Pines found new ways to be himself | Jon Kingdon |
| Fourth Place | Coachella Valley Independent | Coachella-Born Olympian: Local Native Citlalli Ortiz Heads for the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics as Part of Mexico’s Boxing Team | Kevin Fitzgerald |
| Fifth Place | Bay Area Reporter | Gay Olympian Kenworthy promotes mental health at SF event | matthew bajko |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Petaluma Argus-Courier | Petaluma ‘swimrun’ athlete headed to world championship | Amelia Richardson |
| Second Place | The Business Journal | Fresno developer reflects on childhood, sports career at A’s last game in Oakland | Dylan Gonzales |
| Third Place | Patterson Irrigator | Modesto Nuts 2024 Champs | Jorge Marciel |
| Fourth Place | The Business Journal | Fresno State NIL deals a player lifeline | Estela Anahi Jaramillo |
| Fifth Place | Del Mar Times | Del Mar triathlete is the top female finisher at Ironman 70.3 Hawaii | Not provided in entry |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Auburn Journal | All roads lead home: How faith led former Potter, Jessup star back to baseball | Not provided in entry |
| Second Place | Auburn Journal | Western States runner aims to become first visually impaired finisher | Not provided in entry |
| Third Place | Santa Clara Weekly | Wilcox Features Youngest Quarterback in Decades | Andrew Bensch |
| Fourth Place | Half Moon Bay Review | A special season for Cougars junior varsity footbal | Peter Tokofsky |
| Fifth Place | The Folsom Telegraph | finley-named-athletic-director-of-the-year | Not provided in entry |
Sustainability Award
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Press Democrat | We answer the call: Journalism that builds community and matters | Eric Johnston, Chris Fusco, John D’Anna, Sarah Brownell, Matt Kehoe, Allison Gibson, Annika Toernqvist |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second Place | Stocktonia News Service | Newswell partners with Stocktonia | Stocktonia Staff |
Technology Reporting
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | When we asked these candidates questions, they answered with AI | Kristen Taketa |
| Second Place | The Orange County Register | Local members of Congress and artificial intelligence | Beau Yarbrough, Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Hanna Kang, Clara Harter |
| Third Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | AI-narrated books are here | Roxana Popescu |
| Fourth Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | SDSU is betting $80 million it can become a key player in the lithium industry | Gary Robbins |
| Fifth Place | San Francisco Chronicle | How AI depicts San Francisco — and what it gets wrong | John King, Chase DiFeliciantonio, Jenny Kwon |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Sacramento Observer | From The Streets To The Hardwood: Tech Pioneer’s Road To Success | Christine Shelby |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Capital & Main | In Rural Pennsylvania, Crypto Mining Offers a Lifeline for Dying Gas Wells | Audrey Carleton |
| Second Place | Comstock’s Magazine | Speaking Out | Jennifer Junghans |
| Third Place | San Francisco Business Times | Deepfakes come for the C-suite | Will Hicks |
| Fourth Place | Comstock’s Magazine | The Power and Potential of Seaweed | Russell Nichols |
| Fifth Place | Capital & Main | Like It Or Not, a Hydrogen Ecosystem Is Coming to New Mexico | Jerry Redfern |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Business Journal | Journey into AI | Not provided in entry |
| Second Place | The Business Journal | Black-owned tech firm brings lesson plans to your fingertips | Not provided in entry |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Los Angeles Daily Journal | As lawyers and lawmakers tackle AI, the 1990s loom large | Jack Needham, David Houston |
| Second Place | Pacific Coast Business Times | The Nexstera big thing, Live Data keeps real-time information on employment status, Kingmakers: Visus’ deep expertise delivers strong website for USA Swim team | Jorge Mercado |
| Third Place | Mountain View Voice | Computer History Museum unveils new AI exhibit featuring chatbots | Emily Margaretten |
Tourism/Travel Writing/Reporting
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Los Angeles Times | A total eclipse is more than a spectacle. So I’m on the road to see it — again | John Penner |
| Second Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | San Diego’s short-term rental rules a year later: Is the city cracking down on scofflaws? | Lori Weisberg, Roxana Popescu |
| Third Place | SFGATE | The Long and Winding Road to Protect San Francisco’s Coolest Museum | Julie Zigoris |
| Fourth Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | The great journey north: Thousands arrive in San Diego County for an ultimate hiking challenge | Maura Fox, Maura Fox |
| Fifth Place | The Orange County Register | Here’s how to have the most enjoyable experience at the Hollywood Bowl | Todd Harmonson |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Press-Telegram | Exploring more than 7,000 years of history during a single day trip to Catalina Island | Kristy Hutchings |
| Second Place | The Desert Sun | Desert Hot Springs set out to revitalize its famed spas. How is it going? | Ani Gasparyan |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Zocalo Public Square | A Binational Christmas Miracle | Mia Armstrong-López |
| Second Place | Grunion Gazette | Fairmont Breakers Hotel — a iconic landmark — takes new life in downtown Long Beach | Christina Merino |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Comstock’s Magazine | Off the Beaten Track | Steve Martarano |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | North Bay Business Journal | Embracing a Love for the Universe to Help the Bottom Line | Cheryl Sarfaty |
| Second Place | The Business Journal | Valley tourism spending soars, airport expansion ‘tremendous’ | Ben Hensley |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Ark | Grand County an adventurous gateway to Rocky Mountains | Marybeth Bond-Sheppard |
| Second Place | The Ark | An island-hopping cruise in Greece | Marybeth Bond-Sheppard |
| Third Place | The Ark | Immerse in healing waters of Sonoma | Marybeth Bond-Sheppard |
Transportation Reporting
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | San Diego freight trains continue running despite threat of San Clemente landslides | Phil Diehl |
| Second Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | Solana Beach clashes with Del Mar over train tunnel route | Phil Diehl |
| Third Place | The Sacramento Bee | Cyclist deaths | Ariane Lange, Ariane Lange |
| Fourth Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | In 3 years since trolley’s Blue Line extension, why hasn’t more housing been developed along it? | David Garrick |
| Fifth Place | Los Angeles Times | In a city known for gridlock, LAX is a standout. Can it be fixed? | Colleen Shalby |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Press Democrat | Trouble on the Tarmac: Failing infrastructure at Sonoma County’s growing airport | Emma Murphy, Martin Espinoza, Kent Porter, Chad Surmick |
| Second Place | The Desert Sun | Palm Springs airport plans to grow and so does Thermal | Paul Albani-Burgio |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Modesto Bee | Cyclist survives after being hit by truck and recalls her experience | Trevor Morgan, Dominique Williams |
| Second Place | The Tribune | Where are SLO County’s deadliest roads? These 3 areas have the most fatal crashes | Hannah Poukish |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Monterey County Weekly | The path to approval for a controversial busway | David Schmalz |
| Second Place | Zocalo Public Square | Riding the Cablebús Over Mexico City | Natalia Escobar |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Palo Alto Weekly | Airport plans ruffle feathers in the Baylands | Gennady Sheyner |
| Second Place | Lookout Santa Cruz | Coastal Rail Trail | Max Chun |
| Third Place | The Acorn | Sharing the road saves lives | Sylvie Belmond, John Loesing |
| Fourth Place | Capital & Main | Drivers for Lyft and Uber Are Building a National Movement | Tatiana Walk-Morris |
| Fifth Place | Comstock’s Magazine | What’s Holding Up Valley Rail? | James Stout |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Voice of OC | OCTA Livestream Meetings | Erika Taylor, Hosam Elattar |
| Second Place | North Bay Business Journal | All Aboard the Air Taxi | Cheryl Sarfaty |
| Third Place | Petaluma Argus-Courier | Riders, drivers praise Petaluma’s fare-free bus program | Jennifer Sawhney, Crissy Pascual |
| Fourth Place | Voice of OC | Irvine Launches New Shuttle System as OC Bus Service Continues Shrinking | Noah Biesiada |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second Place | The Voice of San Francisco | Mayor Lurie faces questions on Muni as potential service reductions loom this summer | Jerold Chinn |
| Third Place | 48 Hills | Are cars, buses, bikes, small businesses, and safe walking a zero-sum game? | Tim Redmond |
| Fourth Place | The Trinity Journal | Continuing crumbling commute | Timbre Beck |
| Fifth Place | 48 Hills | How do we save BART and regional transit? | Tim Redmond, Tim Redmond |
| Fifth Place | 48 Hills | How do we save BART and regional transit? | Tim Redmond, Tim Redmond |
Video Journalism – News
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Sacramento Bee | After losing their home in California’s Park Fire, they share what made it special to them | Bailey Stover |
| Second Place | The Sacramento Bee | Rio Linda homeless campers evicted from longtime encampment | Renée C. Byer |
| Third Place | Los Angeles Times | Restoring the Klamath River | Albert Brave Tiger Lee, Ian James |
| Fourth Place | The Sacramento Bee | See Japanese Americans from Sacramento region return to WWII Arkansas incarceration camps | Paul Kitagaki Jr. |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Tribune | See drone video of eroding bluffs in Pismo Beach | David Middlecamp |
| Second Place | Ventura County Star | Mountain Fire: Sifting through the ashes | Juan Carlo |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Capital & Main | Making America Hate Again: The Rise of White Supremacy in the Trump Era | Marco Amador |
| Second Place | GV Wire | Sheriff’s Memorial for Fallen Officers: In Valor There Is Hope | Jahz Tello |
| Third Place | Palo Alto Weekly | A clean sweep for Butano broomcraft | Magali Gauthier |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | A News Cafe | North State Breakdown Episode 30: Election Integrity Under Fire: Fraud Claims and Double Standards in Shasta County | Benjamin Nowain |
| Second Place | A News Cafe | North State Breakdown Episode 22: Preferential Appointments, Political Retaliation by Shasta County Board Majority | Benjamin Nowain |
| Third Place | Mountain View Voice | Roller Derby in Silicon Valley | Magali Gauthier |
4-Year University Division
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | CSU Fullerton-Daily Titan | Daily Titan – A ’Chalk on Wilshire’ event aims to keep a popular parklet program | Isaiah Mallari, Matt Hong |
| Second Place | Cal Poly-Pomona-The Poly Post | Poly Post Now: CPP gamers participate in Fragfest fall 2024 | Scotty Ninh, Nicholas Lira |
| Third Place | San Jose State University-Spartan Daily | Madison Wilber — Video News Story | Madison Wilber |
| Fourth Place | CSU Long Beach-Daily 49er | Family remember CSULB staff member killed by drunken driver | Not provided in entry |
| Fifth Place | Cal Poly-Pomona-The Poly Post | Poly Post Now: CPP skaters compete in Battle at the BRIC | Bryan Doan, Raveena Rahman |
2-Year College Division
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | El Camino College-The Union | The hidden history of surfing at El Camino College (copy) | Katie Gronenthal |
| Second Place | Los Medanos College-Experience | LMC-Video Journalism-Define American | Jordan Suisala, Darcy Meadows, Aliyah Ramirez, Gabbie Munoz |
| Third Place | De Anza College-La Voz News | De Anza monthly Flea Market | Xitlaly Martinez, Jose Islas |
| Fourth Place | Santa Rosa Junior College-The Oak Leaf | The Journey of a Quilter: Santa Rosa’s Forgotten Community spreading love, support and kindness one quilt at a time. | Cristan Molinelli-Ruberto, Jessica Guzman Larios |
| Fifth Place | San Diego City College-City Times Media | CTTV | City Times Media | CTTV Staff |
High School Division
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Castro Valley High School-The Olympian | Trojans express creativity through ceramics | Maison Jordan, Gavin Peters |
| Second Place | Castro Valley High School-The Olympian | State leaders discuss Prop. 1 | Matthew Wong |
Video Journalism – Other
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | San Francisco Chronicle | Video: Should transgender women be able to compete in women’s sports? | Sarah McGrew |
| Second Place | Los Angeles Times | The last L.A. Times print run at the Olympic Plant in downtown Los Angeles | Mark E. Potts |
| Third Place | The Sacramento Bee | See the Kelce brothers – along with Swifties and Chiefs fans – invade Lake Tahoe | José Luis Villegas |
| Fourth Place | Los Angeles Times | Zoe Saldaña talks ‘Emilia Perez,’ Puerto Rican food and her new pop album | Mark E. Potts, Nicholas Ducassi |
| Fifth Place | The Sacramento Bee | Watch how tomatoes are harvested and processed at this Colusa County plant | Hector Amezcua |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | EdSource | Ballet brings the joy of dance to school children | Andrew Reed |
| Second Place | The Tribune | Coach Teaches Pickleball To Inmates At SLO Prison. ’It’s Addicting’ | David Middlecamp |
| Third Place | The Tribune | Ali’s 20,000 mile journey to United States through Amazon | David Middlecamp |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | GV Wire | Who Is Making a Difference in Fresno? Roosevelt Fishing Club | Jahz Tello |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second Place | Calexico Chronicle | High School Madness | Francisco Orozco, Francisco Orozco |
| Second Place | Calexico Chronicle | High School Madness | Francisco Orozco, Francisco Orozco |
| Third Place | GV Wire | Fresno Photo Journalist John Walker: 42 Years of Making a Difference | Eric Martinez, Jahz Tello |
Writing
Division 1
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Mercury News/East Bay Times | Santa Clara County Department of Family and Children Services series | Julia Prodis Sulek |
| Second Place | The Sacramento Bee | A California family fractures | Jenavieve Hatch |
| Third Place | San Francisco Chronicle | A Chronicle reporter went undercover in high school. Everyone is still weighing the fallout | Peter Hartlaub |
| Fourth Place | The Orange County Register | Holy Jim was a sanctuary, but after Airport fire, it could soon become a memory | Chris Haire, Chris Haire |
| Fifth Place | The San Diego Union-Tribune | ‘A rite of passage’: San Gorgonio looms over Southern California as a challenge for serious adventurers | Maura Fox |
Division 2
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Press Democrat | The short life and violent death of Ember Leona on Petaluma’s streets | Andrew Graham, Andrew Graham, Crissy Pascual |
| Second Place | The Press Democrat | A Fishing Vessel Ran Aground on the Sonoma Coast. Could It Have Been Saved? | Mary Callahan |
| Third Place | The Press Democrat | Grace lived unapologetically in a Santa Rosa park. Her death brought the community together | Kerry Benefield |
Division 3
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Ventura County Star | Chaos and devastation: How the Mountain Fire erupted | Cheri Carlson, Tom Kisken, Cheri Carlson, Tom Kisken |
| Second Place | The Tribune | Ranch the size of San Francisco preserved forever in eastern SLO County | Stephanie Zappelli, David Middlecamp, Stephanie Zappelli |
| Third Place | Redlands Daily Facts | Although Pacific High School is without a varsity team, the football program plays on | Not provided in entry |
| Fourth Place | The Tribune | ’I will die owning Eberle.’ How the godfather of Paso Robles wine made his mark on SLO County | Kathe Tanner |
| Fifth Place | Ventura County Star | Camarillo man spent 3 years clearing his name in kidnapping attempt. Here’s what happened | Tony Biasotti |
Division 4
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Beverly Hills Courier | The Paradox of Evan Funke | Ana Figueroa |
| Second Place | Santa Barbara Independent | Santa Barbara Seen: The Art of Pedro De La Cruz | Matt Kettmann |
| Third Place | Thousand Oaks Acorn | Ethical Borderline | Makena Huey |
Division 5
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Napa Valley Register | Brothers, always: In Napa, would-be star Hank McGraw remembers Tug McGraw, the star who was | Howard Yune |
| Second Place | Capital & Main | A Disease Took Her Mobility. Now, at 70, She Could Lose Her Home. | Jessica Goodheart, Jessica Goodheart, Barbara Davidson |
| Third Place | GV Wire | Fresno Schools Building Family Leadership through Gourmet Cooking? | Nancy Price |
| Fourth Place | North Coast Journal | NCJ Writing | Jennifer Fumiko Cahill |
| Fifth Place | Mission Local | So many Speedo jokes at Aaron Peskin’s roast | H.R. Smith |
Division 6
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Sonoma Index-Tribune | For 60 years the Hello Girls fought for veterans status | Emma Molloy |
| Second Place | Petaluma Argus-Courier | Toppled tree in Petaluma cemetery damages 135-year-old grave | David Templeton |
| Third Place | Voice of OC | Could OC’s District Attorney Office Be Facing A Jury Trial Like Never Before? | Noah Biesiada |
| Fourth Place | Petaluma Argus-Courier | Fans flock to Cattlemens in Petaluma before it’s gone | Don Frances |
| Fifth Place | Patterson Irrigator | K9 units donate school supplies | Jessica Wilkinson |
Division 7
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | The Ark | Mallard Pointe developers introducing 70-unit project | Francisco Martinez, Kevin Hessel |
| Second Place | Fresnoland | ‘It’s horrible.’ Fresno’s record-breaking settlement highlights region’s larger drinking water problem | Gregory Weaver, Gregory Weaver |
| Third Place | St. Helena Star | Welcome home: Donkeys that survived Glass Fire return to Deer Park | Jesse Duarte |
| Fourth Place | Banning Beaumont Record Gazette | Little person managing quite well for Cougars | Not provided in entry |
| Fifth Place | The Berkeley Scanner | Alyx Herrmann fought for her life. Her bite mark may have helped catch her killer. | Emilie Raguso |
4-Year University Division
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Cal Poly-Pomona-The Poly Post | CPP spends $4.1M of MacKenzie Scott donation on new logo, motto, website | Ava Uhlack, Victoria Mejicanos, Ava Uhlack, Victoria Mejicanos, Katie Priest, Christian Park-Gastelum, Ava Uhlack, Victoria Mejicanos |
| Second Place | Cal Poly-Pomona-The Poly Post | Student-led punk band ZOMBIELOAF rocks CPP | Athena Flores, Athena Flores |
| Third Place | CSU Fullerton-Daily Titan | Daily Titan – OC’s punk legacy lives on at Fullerton record store | Sara Leon |
| Fourth Place | Cal Poly-Pomona-The Poly Post | Concrete, community: Cal Poly Pomona Skate Club provides a creative outlet for students | Athena Flores, Athena Flores |
2-Year College Division
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Southwestern College-The Sun | ‘GOOD DAY TO BE AN INDIAN’ | Alexa Lima, Emily Esparza, Briana Nuñez |
| Second Place | Los Medanos College-Experience | LMC-Writing-Banned books | Jordan Suisala |
| Third Place | De Anza College-La Voz News | Undocumented and uncertain: Facing fears under Trump administration | Wylder Robison |
| Fourth Place | Southwestern College-The Sun | I STAND TO HONOR MY MILITARY FAMILY, REJECT INJUSTICE | Zeke Watson, Carla Labto |
| Fifth Place | El Camino College-The Union | All about the basics: For Basic Needs Coordinator Sharonda Barksdale helping students in need is more than a job, its a calling (copy) | Delfino Camacho |
High School Division
| Place | News Publication | Entry Title | Contributors |
|---|---|---|---|
| First Place | Sacramento Country Day School-The Octagon | Viral Beats or Empty Feats? | Jacob Rabe |
| Second Place | Archbishop Riordan High School-The Crusader | Seams of Success: Tailored! | Aliana Urdaneta-Rodas |
| Third Place | Sacramento Country Day School-The Octagon | Controversy surrounds safe sex education at Country Day | Anika Nadgauda, Ishaan Sekhon |
| Fourth Place | Sanger High School – Hi-Lights | Viviana Delsid | Not provided in entry |
| Fifth Place | Sacramento Country Day School-The Octagon | Is Dating Dead? | Zema Nasirov |
