L.A. Times Scores 11 Honors in the Best of the West Journalism Competition
The Los Angeles Times has earned 11 awards, including two first-place wins, in the Best of the West journalism competition. The contest rewards journalistic excellence and promotes freedom of information.
Among the honors, Times staff earned first place in the Growth and Environment Reporting category for the series “Colorado River in Crisis.”
“The Colorado River and the water it supplies to so much of the West is central to environmental reporting in the region, and with these stories, the Los Angeles Times illuminated the stakes and the challenges it faces,” the competition judges wrote. “This was essential reporting at a moment when the future of the river is in perhaps more jeopardy than ever, and when huge decisions are being made about how to change that. Not only did the team show all of this to readers in words, but in such revelatory video and audio, as well, all in exemplary fashion.”
Times Columnist Anita Chabria earned first place for General Interest Column Writing for a collection of columns including “Killed for shoplifting snacks and a Sprite: San Francisco, Walgreens and an ugly legacy;” “California prison guards are dying too young. How Norway (yes, Norway) can help;” and “Shooting uncovers ‘plantation mentality’ in a rich, liberal California enclave.”
“Anita Chabria combines empathetic storytelling with aggressive reporting to reveal the complexities of dealing with crime, poverty and mental illness in these politically divisive times,” the judges wrote.
The Best of the West Awards are administered by First Amendment Funding Inc., an Arizona nonprofit corporation, and draws about 1,200 entries each year from journalists in the 14 states in the West.
Here’s the full list of honorees from The Times:
Growth and Environment Reporting
First Place: Los Angeles Times staff, “Colorado River in Crisis”
Immigration and Border Reporting
Second Place: Hamed Aleaziz, Muslim disparity in prosecutions at the border
Breaking News Reporting
Second Place: Los Angeles Times staff, a Lunar New Year mass shooting at a Monterey Park dance studio
Explanatory Reporting
Third Place: Jessica Garrison, Ian James and Susanne Rust, How powerful land barons shaped where water flowed in California’s historic floods
Arts and Entertainment Writing
Second Place: Corinne Purtill, This space artist changed the way we see the universe
Business and Financial Reporting
Second Place: Laura J. Nelson, The Californians whose scam PACs tricked Trump and Clinton supporters out of millions
Sports Reporting
Second Place: Nathan Fenno, How an FBI agent’s wild Vegas weekend stained an investigation into NCAA basketball corruption
General Interest Column Writing
First Place: Anita Chabria, collection of columns
Headline Writing
Second Place: Gerard Lim, “When it Ryan, it pours” on a first-person story about meetups for people named Ryan
Third Place: Doug Norwood, “And the Rez is history” for a piece by TV critics looking back on the FX series “Reservation Dogs”
Audio Storytelling
Second Place: Faith E. Pinho, Asal Ehsanipour and Alex Higgins, “Foretold” episode 1 “The G-Word”
View the complete list of competition winners at bestofthewestcontest.org.
