To protect and serve the common interests of its newsmedia members, to help members inform and thereby strengthen their communities, and to foster the highest ideals, ethics and traditions of journalism, a free press and the news profession.
Below is the list of the 2018 California Journalism Awards winners for publications in the the “Best of the Best” Open Contest — the first-place winners from all circulation and audience divisions in the Print and Digital contests in Columns, Enterprise News Story or Series, Feature Photo, Feature Story, In-Depth Reporting, Investigative Reporting, News Photo, Public Service Journalism.
| Category | Publication | Entry Title | Credits | Judge's Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columns | The Recorder | A Criminal Waste of Space | William Bedsworth | Well written, humorous and informative |
| Enterprise News Story or Series | San Francisco Chronicle | 150 Minutes of Hell | Lizzie Johnson, Guy Wathen, Lucio Villa, Evan Wagstaff | Stunning blend of words and images. Smart storytelling with exceptional writing and powerful use of video. This entry was in class by itself. A multimedia tour de force. Bravo. |
| Feature Photo | Thousand Oaks Acorn | Long Trip Down | Michael Coons | Photographer had amazing timing and terrific composition. |
| Feature Story | San Francisco Chronicle | 150 Minutes of Hell | Lizzie Johnson, Guy Wathen, Lucio Villa, John Blanchard | "150 Minutes of Hell" has you on the edge of your seat from the opening horrifying sound of wind and the glow of fire. With every new chapter you wonder who will live and who will die. The animated maps, video and audio make Lizzie Johnson's powerful narrative even more spellbinding. "150 Minutes o Hell" is in a class of its own. |
| In-Depth Reporting | San Francisco Chronicle | The Miracle Cell | Erin Allday, Joaquin Palomino, Audrey DeBruine, Manjula Varghese | From conception to writing, graphics and display, this is a superb series. A heavy topic was made accessible through poetic writing and smart visual storytelling. This is an unusually talented team of journalists who put readers first. |
| Investigative Reporting | The Mercury News/East Bay Times | Burned Out | Thomas Peele, Harriet Blair Rowan | Uncovered a frightening hole in safety for thousands. |
| News Photo | Taft Midway Driller | Firefighters on roof | Doug Keeler | Incredible angle. Photographer could not have captured a better image. |
| Public Service Journalism | Los Angeles Times | A Scandal at USC | Harriet Ryan, Matt Hamilton, Paul Pringle | Overcoming entrenched stakeholders, The Times was able to thoroughly uncover all sides of a story many wanted to keep hidden. |
