Place Name: First Place Contestant Name: San Francisco Chronicle Entry Title: The Evidence Burns Away Entry Credit: Lizzie Johnson Judge Comment: With California wildfires getting more intense each year, this story stands out by examining the back story behind one main fire, something that isn't always covered in this much detail in the news. The writing style was reminiscent of a crime novel. The transitions were smooth and the cliffhangers built the suspense.
Place Name: Second Place Contestant Name: Los Angeles Times Entry Title: Impeachment. Primaries. Kobe. Coronavirus rushed in while our focus was elsewhere Entry Credit: James Rainey, Kiera Feldman Judge Comment: Wow. A great scope of how the virus became known and how officials realized (or didn't realize) the gravity of the situation early on in the pandemic. The quotes throughout the piece helped capture a historic time.
Place Name: Third Place Contestant Name: Los Angeles Times Entry Title: Back from the dead Entry Credit: Molly O'Toole Judge Comment: Throughout the article, the writer works through the impact of the tragic mix-up on both sides and helps bring them together by the end.
Place Name: Fourth Place Contestant Name: Los Angeles Times Entry Title: Blankets, canned tuna and faith in God — how fleeing Venezuelans survive Entry Credit: Andrea Castillo Judge Comment: Structuring the story around people during each stop of the journey provided an arc that was understood without having to provide an explanation. Each slice of life had similarities with one another, and together helped give multiple lenses to understand the Venezuelan migration crisis.
Place Name: Fifth Place Contestant Name: Kaiser Health News Entry Title: Hard Lives Made Harder by Covid: Homeless Endure a 'Slow-Moving Train Wreck' Entry Credit: Anna Maria Barry-Jester, Angela Hart Judge Comment: Great diversity in sources and detail into each person's life. The contrast between the governor's commitment to providing housing before the pandemic and a rundown of what has and needs to be done brought everything together.
