Monday, June 16, 2003 4:21 PM
BY DIANA LJUNGAEUS
When writing coach and copy editor Cynthia Goldstein went to our 43rd Annual Journalism Awards Dinners for the first time two years ago, she was impressed by her fellow journalists. She saw her own paper, the Los Angeles Daily Journal, win a few awards but “ I was convinced we could do better,” she recalls. Consequently, she offered to coordinate herpaper‚s future entries. As a result of her hard work, the Daily Journal, a legal paper with a circulation of 12,000 and 20 staff-reporters, is the
most award-winning newspaper in Los Angeles with the sole exception of the Los Angeles Times. “For us it is very important to be recognized by the Los Angeles Press Club. Not only is it a wonderful inspiration for our staff, but it also helps us recruit new staffmembers.” According to Cynthia, the awards are val- idation for her small newspaper that it does important work.
Finalist Melissa Anderson, who graduated from UCLA in 1997, has worked for the Daily Journal for six years, the last two and a half as a news editor. Her September 23, 2002 “front page” is competing in the best design/layout category among publications with a circulation of less than 100,000. “This is very exciting to me,”
she says with a smile. The Daily Journal will be almost fully represented at the Journalism Awards Dinner— at least thirty people will attend. “Money is the only thing stopping us,” says Goldstein. Last year the Los Angeles Daily Journal earned 11 nominations and 10 winners for work published in 2001. This year they have
received 13 nominations for work published in 2002.
Jordi Ortega came to Los Angeles from Barcelona, Spain, only a year ago, driven by love — for an American woman. On the 21st of June the young freelance journalist will be honored as the Television Reporter Journalist Of The Year by the Los Angeles Press Club. His work was considered such stand- out material by judges in
Syracuse, New York, that he
was named the sole finalist, and therefore the winner. “I am really honored and so lucky to have Telemundo to support me,” says Jordi. He started out as a freelancer for Spanish media and now is producing material in both Spanish and English for the American market. “This is my new homeland so I really want to find my role here,” Ortega states emphatically. Soon he’ll have a prestigious award
to prove just how well he is playing his part.
For a complete list of finalists please visit our
website at www.lapressclub.org .
