HARD NEWS
Hillary Davis, Daily Pilot, “Newport Beach residents ready to sue over possible homeless shelter”
https://lat.ms/3eAhcI2
Judges’ comment: The tension between local residents and the homeless is depicted well in Davis’ coverage of a possible homeless shelter in Newport Beach.
HEADLINE
Blake Hennon, Los Angeles Times, “She is 100% that niche”
Judges’ comment: Absolute cleverness! That is, of course, if you pronounce niche the right way.
2nd Mesfin Fekadu, The Associated Press, “Regina is Already a King, but What About President?”
3rd Chris Willman, Variety, “Barbie Gets Ziggy With It as Mattel Introduces a David Bowie-Inspired Doll”
MINORITY/IMMIGRATION REPORTING
Jaweed Kaleem, Claire Collins and Irfan Khan, Los Angeles Times, “Sikh drivers are transforming U.S. trucking. Take a ride along the Punjabi American Highway”
https://lat.ms/3ciVPd0
Judges’ comment: The writers manage to take the reader along for the ride on this engaging, excellent story that looks at immigration, culture, family, religion, and business.
2nd Anh Do, Los Angeles Times, “In Little Saigon, This Newspaper Has Been Giving a Community a Voice for 40 Years”
3rd Cindy Carcamo, Los Angeles Times, “Love in the time of DACA”
GENDER/LGBTQ REPORTING
Emily Rasmussen, Long Beach Press-Telegram/SCNG, “Club Ripples, Long Beach’s oldest gay club, celebrates last Pride weekend with plans to close this summer”
https://bit.ly/2KJmq6C
Judges’ comment: An American Dream story of love and standing up to the violent biases of much of America told with insight, heart and a happy if bittersweet ending.
2nd Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, “Why the Gay Men’s Chorus of L.A. is Singing for Survival”
3rd Ramin Setoodeh and Elizabeth Wagmeister, Variety, “How Hollywood Is (and Isn’t) Getting Better at LGBTQ Inclusion”
CRIME REPORTING
Kate Linthicum and Gary Coronado, Los Angeles Times, “Meth and murder: A new kind of drug war has made Tijuana one of the deadliest cities on Earth”
https://lat.ms/3erDlrZ
Judges’ comment: Linthicum and Coronado have penned an in-depth, graphic and raw story about the tragic consequences of a Mexican drug war.
2nd Gary Baum, The Hollywood Reporter, “The Perfect Obsession”
3rd Olga Grigoryants and Sarah Favot, LA Daily News/SCNG, “These Sexual Predators Carried Guns and Badges”
SPORTS
Neal Rogers, Peter Flax and Nora O’Donnell, The Red Bulletin, “Recovery Ride”
https://bit.ly/2V9oxGK
Judges’ comment: This remarkable sports story told by The Red Bulletin writers is a must-read for both sports and general readers.
2nd Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, “High School Football Culture Exchange Brings Hope from Chicago”
3rd Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, “Many Try, but Few Finish, the World’s Toughest Baseball Quiz”
EDITORIALS
Jon Regardie, Los Angeles Downtown News, “Downtown Garbage Disaster”
https://bit.ly/35hh37T
Judges’ comment: Regardie’s editorial about an ongoing issue with the homeless in downtown L.A. and the city’s response is convincing in his suggestion of specific actions to take.
2nd Chandra Bozelko, Creators Syndicate, “Prison Rape Rates Remain a Mystery”
3rd Chandra Bozelko, Creators Syndicate, “American Death Penalty Is Like Sharia”
