Press Democrat honored as best newspaper of its size in California journalism contest

Other top honors included public service journalism, breaking news, business and agriculture reporting, columns, editorials and video journalism. |

California Journalism Awards

See a complete list of the 2023 winners

For the second year in a row, The Press Democrat was honored as the best newspaper of its size in California, taking home the top award for general excellence in the state’s largest journalism contest.

In all, the newspaper and its four sibling publications in Sonoma Media Investments, the Sonoma Index-Tribune, Petaluma Argus-Courier, North Bay Business Journal and Sonoma County Gazette, won a total of 89 awards from the California News Publishers Association, including 16 first places.

Every SMI publication won at least one top honor. The Press Democrat earned 10, including the coveted public service journalism award for the news organization’s yearlong coverage of campus violence in the Santa Rosa public school system. That began with the slaying of 16-year-old Jayden Pienta at Montgomery High School in March 2023.

Those stories and subsequent in-depth coverage involved many members of the newsroom, including lead roles for staff writers Alana Minkler and Adriana Gutierrez, with additional reporting by Colin Atagi, Madison Smalstig and others, and columns by Kerry Benefield.

“This extensive series exemplifies the highest standards of public service with emotional, in-depth explorations of every aspect of how the stabbing death of a 16-year-old affected the entire community,” the judges’ citation read.

The newspaper’s special print and digital coverage of the 50th anniversary marking the ending stage of the Vietnam War led to its general excellence entry, which grades newspapers not only on their journalism, but also overall design, presentation and advertising content.

The stories and videos in the package involved work by nearly all members of the newsroom, with coverage led by senior editor Marie McCain and photojournalism overseen by senior editor Allison Gibson.

“The Press Democrat’s Vietnam War special section outshines everything else in this competition,” read the judge’s citation. “Compelling stories. Thoughtful design. Photos that stick with you.”

The honors, announced at a Los Angeles gala July 13, recognized journalism published in 2023. The Press Democrat was awarded best in class among papers and online sites with 15,000 to 50,000 subscribers — a category that includes all but a handful of the largest metro papers and online sites and the state’s smaller dailies.

Overall, the newspaper and its website, pressdemocrat.com, won 55 awards for print and digital journalism in the annual California Journalism Awards, organized by the state’s largest media trade group.

Coverage of Sonoma County’s avian flu outbreak and its devastating consequences for local poultry farmers and their suppliers earned the top awards for breaking news and agriculture reporting.

“These stories were well told through excellent, even tenacious reporting and solid organization, comprehensive sourcing and stellar photos,” read the judge’s citation. “Excellent work!”

Other top awards were for columns, editorials, business reporting, music writing and video journalism.

“Our award-winning work both embraces the present — shoe-leather breaking news reporting, watchdog work, moving features reporting, and compelling print/eEdition page design — and welcomes the future, including awards for video and digital storytelling,” said Chris Fusco, who joined Sonoma Media Investments as executive editor in January. “The credit goes not only to our journalists, but to my predecessor, Rick Green, and managing editor John D’Anna, who led the newsroom during the last quarter of 2023.”

10 first place awards include:

General excellence , for two consecutive issues of The Press Democrat (Nov. 4-5) that showcased poignant reporting on legacy of the Vietnam War and its lasting fallout for a generation of American servicemen and women, their families and local communities; a trenchant investigative story on local nonprofits’ struggles to secure long-delayed payment from Sonoma County’s health department; and an installment of our signature business series on the future of downtown Santa Rosa.

The editions also included staple local sports coverage, including stories on several vaunted high school football rivalries, national and international news and commentary, and features on Sonoma’s first Afro-Indigenous farm and a resurgent Calistoga restaurant rising from failure.

Public service journalism , for coverage that began amid community anguish in the aftermath of a campus tragedy, the stabbing death of Montgomery High School student Jayden Pienta, and evolved into examinations of violence in Santa Rosa’s public schools and the pitched debate over how to respond — a question that still hangs over the city’s schools today.

“The exhaustive reporting, exceptional visuals, videos, columns and editorials showed incredible effort and dedication,” read the judge’s citation.

Enterprise news story , for Phil Barber and Alana Minkler’s story on citizen activists whose crusades for government transparency and exhaustive public record requests have become costly for taxpayers, with questionable common value.

Breaking news and agricultural reporting, for coverage led by Phil Barber and Mary Callahan, and involving Martin Espinoza, Heather Irwin, Colin Atagi and Sara Edwards, of the avian flu outbreak which gripped the county’s poultry belt late last year into this year, affecting 11 farms and requiring the destruction of more than 1.2 million birds. Business losses amounted to $20 million.

Work by PD photojournalists Christopher Chung and Kent Porter distinguished the reporting, judges wrote.

Coverage of business and the economy , for a story by Andrew Graham and Marisa Endicott, with photographs by Kent Porter, about the push by health care giant Adventist Health for a massive windfall from the Fire Victim Trust, the fund set up to compensate survivors of some of the worst PG&E-caused wildfires in Northern California. Adventist Health walked away with $200 million while abandoning the Butte County hospital it operated in Paradise.

Columns , for a pair of Kerry Benefield pieces on perseverance through illness and adversity.

Editorial comment , for Editorial Director Jim Sweeney’s reflection on a traumatic day at Montgomery High School, which also was featured in the newsroom’s winning public service entry. “This is a perfect example of the power of an editorial piece,” the judge wrote.

Music writing and reporting , for veteran arts and music correspondent Dan Taylor’s appreciation of Blair Hardman’s storied Cotati recording studio, where everyone from Guy Fieri to the author of “The Secret” have held sessions.

Video journalism , for a series by PD photojournalist Chad Surmick and freelancer Abraham Fuentes capturing the Vietnam War experience and reflections of local servicemen and women. “Impressive amount of effort expended and excellent use of Vietnam-era photos and current photos and video,” the judge wrote.

10 second place awards include:

Environmental reporting , for stories by Martin Espinoza and Kent Porter on persistent questions surrounding the ecological cost of fire retardant used battling Northern California wildfires.

Editorial comment , for a June 2023 editorial weighing in against the individual buckets of discretionary money controlled by members of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, totaling $4 million in the 2023-24 budget.

Film and TV writing and reporting , for Austin Murphy’s story on the 50th anniversary of “American Graffiti” and Petaluma’s enduring ties to the film classic. This story was judged in a field that included entries from the state’s largest publishers.

Investigative reporting , for Andrew Graham’s piercing look last year at the billing practices of embattled for-profit homeless service provider DEMA. The investigation spurred the county into ordering its own financial examination, which this year found the company could not account for up to 40% of the reviewed billing, equating to as much as $11 million. The series is “an eye-opener,” the judge wrote. “Both private and public officials are failing their communities when they keep their operations secret. The initial investigation and strong follow-up show readers that the reporting won’t stop.”

Writing and photo essay , for the story told by Kerry Benefield and photojournalist John Burgess about the life of Grace Davis, who for three years lived alone, homeless, on a street and nearby park in northern Santa Rosa. “Amazing Grace,” as she was known by some, died June 26.

Profile story , for Meg McConahey’s story, with photos by Christopher Chung, on Ty Arnold, a Santa Rosa father and lifelong athlete with deadly cancer determined to make every day with his family count.

Sports feature , for Gus Morris’ story, with photos by Kent Porter, on Ukiah High School athlete Jadyn Diaz’s perseverance through pain and family tragedy. “Inspiring,” the judge wrote.

News photo , for Kent Porter’s arresting image of a shaken pilot moments after his plane crash landed in a local vineyard.

10 third place awards include:

Coverage of local government , for watchdog columnist Marisa Endicott’s exposé on the nearly daylong lockdowns imposed on those in custody at the Sonoma County jail due to severe staffing shortages. The coverage “exposed a shameful situation” in the jail that “amounted to near solitary confinement for inmates, including those awaiting trial.”

Enterprise news story , for Phil Barber’s series, with Kent Porter photographs, on a Windsor woman’s quest to understand what happened to her little brother — Patient 19139 at Sonoma State Hospital — in his final days at the now-closed state home for severely developmentally disabled people.

Columns , for a pair of Kerry Benefield pieces on school safety in the wake of the Montgomery High fatal stabbing, encapsulating her experience that day as the parent of a Montgomery student, and calling for grace as classes resumed the following fall.

Health reporting , for Martin Espinoza’s stories on the vanishing birthing options for North Bay moms, illuminating local fallout from a nationwide trend as obstetric care networks contract in suburban and rural areas.

Investigative reporting , for Phil Barber’s stories on wage theft tied to a group of Subway shops in the Bay Area. The investigation, spurred by allegations first made by a pair of teenage Petaluma employees at one of the involved sandwich shops, led the U.S. Department of Labor to investigate and ultimately resulted in a $1 million fine against the franchisee, who was ordered to sell his businesses.

News photo , for Kent Porter’s shot of the gigantic waves that pounded the Sonoma Coast during a historic winter swell in late 2023. The photo was picked up by the Associated Press and ran in news coverage across the world.

Feature story , for Meg McConahey’s account of a local woman who reconnected with son she placed for adoption 59 years earlier.

Front page layout and design and Inside page layout and design , for work by copy desk ace Denise Szott and colleagues in selected 2023 editions. “The Press Democrat is consistently superior in its use of photographs, graphics and typography to tell compelling stories,” the judge wrote.

Photo story/essay , for PD photojournalist Beth Schlanker’s creative portraits of the NorCal Pinup girls, whose throwback flair goes into a good cause for the community.

Editorial comment , for an editorial wading into the renewed debate over housing and repurposing Santa Rosa’s downtown parking garages.

Homelessness reporting , for Jeremy Hay’s four-part series on who is dying homeless in Sonoma County.

Agricultural reporting , for a series reported by Peg Melnik, Jeff Quackenbush, Emma Molloy, with photos by Kent Porter, John Burgess and freelancer Erik Castro, on the hectic and late 2023 winegrape harvest in Sonoma and Napa counties.

Sustainability , a new category this year, honoring efforts at The Press Democrat and Sonoma Media Investments to foster partnerships in the news business, add support for aspiring and early-career journalists and expand newsroom coverage and resources — all to sustain vital local journalism for the future.

The Press Democrat and its website also were recognized with 10 fourth place awards and 11 fifth place honors. For a complete list of the winners, go here.

Honors for SMI sister publications

The Petaluma Argus-Courier won 11 awards, including two top honors for:

• Breaking news , for reporter Jennifer Sawhney’s story about the home burglary of the Petaluma couple behind Keny’s Donuts, with photos by Crissy Pascual, that detailed the outpouring of private grief and community support.
• Photojournalism , for Pascual’s work across a number of stories.

The Sonoma Index-Tribune won 11 awards, including two top honors for:

• Health reporting , for reporter Dan Johnson’s four-part series on the consumer and community ripples from a longtime local pharmacy’s closure.
• Sports feature , for Johnson’s story capturing the legacy of longtime Sonoma Valley High School sports announcer Mario Alioto Jr., who died last year.

The North Bay Business Journal won eight awards, including a top honor in:

• Film and television writing , for reporter Susan Wood’s story on the North Bay’s struggling film workers and businesses during the prolonged Hollywood strikes.

The Sonoma County Gazette won four awards, including a top award in:

• Inside page layout and design , for publisher and jack-of-all trades Amie Windsor’s work on the 2023 Sonoma County Gazette Community Hero Awards.

You can reach senior editor Brett Wilkison at 707-521-5295 or brett.wilkison@pressdemocrat.com.