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September 2, 2005

Recipients of 11th annual
California Journalism Awards announced

The Center for California Studies at Sacramento State and the Sacramento Press Club have announced the winners of the 11 th annual California Journalism Awards. They will be presented at a luncheon from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 14 at the Sacramento Convention Center, 1400 J Street in Sacramento.

The awards recognize outstanding reporting on California public affairs and politics. Judging is by a panel of California journalists.

This year's award ceremony will feature a keynote address by Mandalit del Barco, a reporter on National Public Radio's national desk. She has covered issues such as bilingual education, immigration, Latino politics, race relations and world music. Del Barco has also produced documentaries on Latino hip hop music, the "home girls" of Los Angeles, the life of Frida Kahlo, Puerto Rican "casitas," which are small structures on vacant lots constructed by gardeners and used as community spaces, and other Latino-oriented topics.

Recipients of this year's awards are:

• The John Jacobs Award for print special feature/enterprise reporting: John Hill and Dorothy Korber of The Sacramento Bee won for a body of work that broke the story of top level California Highway Patrol officers' misuse of workers compensation and pension funds. Hill and Korber found that CHP chiefs claimed injuries at the end of their careers, paving the way for lucrative, untaxed medical pensions.
• The John Jacobs Award for print daily coverage: Gary Delsohn, Herbert Sample and Dan Smith of The Sacramento Bee won for a body of work relating to former Secretary of State Kevin Shelley's questionable use of federal election funds.
• For excellence in radio reporting : John Myers of KQEDPublic Radio in San Francisco for three stories: an enterprise story on budget woes for the state's campaign finance watchdog agency; a look at the changing political climate for the influential interest group the California Correctional Peace Officers Association; and a report on possible conflicts of interest regarding the workers' compensation crisis and Gov. Schwarzenegger's fundraising.
• For excellence in television reporting: Randy Paige, Frank Snepp and Richard Alvarez of KCBS-TV in Los Angeles for reports on the energy industry's influence on the five state public utilities commissioners who determine how much profit the energy companies are allowed to make.
• The Katherine M. Macdonald Award for excellence in student journalism: Kristin Mayer of the University of Southern California who wrote a story for the Capitol Weekly on the fight to put the open primary initiative on the November ballot.

The cost of the luncheon is $25 for single tickets and $15 for students with valid identification. Reservations must be made by Wednesday, Sept. 7. For more information, contact the Center for California Studies at (916) 278-6906. Additional media assistance is available from the Sacramento State public affairs office at (916) 278-6156.

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