CalMatters has carved out a leadership role as a trusted brand and “go-to” hub for in-depth news and information on statewide issues.
Our work has led to changes in policy, new legislation and investigations and discussions at the Capitol, in political groups and beyond — and because of our collaborative approach, people across the state are more engaged in solving the problems California is tackling.
Inside the Newsroom
Awards
We’re proud that our team and our work have been recognized and honored with many local, state, and national awards.
Human Right to Housing Awards
National Homelessness Law Center
Stewart B. McKinney Award
Judges: “(This honor is for CalMatters’) multi-part, multimedia series, spending several months interviewing experts on homelessness, doing a deep dive on all available data and most importantly, visiting encampments to document firsthand how enforcement efforts have displaced unhoused people and the devastating aftermath of these cruel and inhumane sweeps. It is exactly this type of journalistic integrity that our country so desperately needs in this time of misinformation, and we are so grateful for the high-quality reporting that CalMatters is bringing to the homelessness crisis.”
CalMatters honored with the Stewart B. McKinney Award by the National Homelessness Law Center
Criminal Justice Awards
California Attorneys for Criminal Justice
Journalistic Integrity Award
Anat Rubin, Investigative Reporter
Judges: “Through rigorous investigation and compelling storytelling, she has brought national attention to the urgent need for reform in public defense. Rubin’s work exemplifies the highest standards of journalistic integrity and advances public understanding of justice, due process, and equal protection.”
Online Journalism Awards
Online News Association
First Place, General Excellence, Medium-Sized Newsroom
Judges: “(We) chose to honor the innovative Digital Democracy project and the comprehensive multi-platform Voter Guide, recognizing a winner that fully meets the criteria for general excellence. These useful, hands-on tools and their stories that led to real-world impact stood out as fulfilling their mission to demystify California government.”
CalMatters First Place for General Excellence, Medium-Sized Newsroom
Finalist, Social Media Engagement
CalMatters Voter Guide on TikTok
Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards
Finalist, Informational Series
Robert Meeks, CalMatters’ Director of Video Strategy, in partnership with PBS SoCal
The specific SoCal Matters videos that merited the nomination are: a look at a bill to pilot better voting access for eligible inmates, why maternity wards are closing in Southern California, and a look at CHP policy on using less-lethal rounds at UCLA to break up protests.
California Politics & Public Policy Awards
Sacramento Press Club
1st Place, Daily Capitol beat reporting
Alexei Koseff
Judges: “We found Koseff’s entry to have an impressive range of Capitol-related stories, with stories that would meet the interests and needs of all Californians. We appreciated the mix of Capitol coverage approaches — accountability, following the money, and an inside glimpse at how the sausage is made. The entry covering Gov. Newsom’s promises on gun control was singled out for its approach and ability to cast a national eye on what happens in California’s Capitol. His entry reflected a deep understanding and skill on this vital beat.”
Koseff was awarded for highlights of his beat reporting: stories explaining why Gavin Newsom’s gun control constitutional amendment hasn’t gone beyond California, how California Democrats struck back against local conservative rebellions on LGBTQ rights and abortion, why no one spent more money than Google to lobby California officials, how Gavin Newsom had fallen short of his pledge to release his tax returns every year, and why Democratic messaging pivoted from ‘Trump-proofing’ California to affordability after the November election.
1st Place, Environmental reporting
Rachel Becker
Judges: “These stories, with their geographic sweep and intimate portraits, reveal the human toll of the state’s failure to confront its multiple water challenges, and the interplay between them. Becker documents how the depletion of groundwater in the San Joaquin Valley has led to a wrenching battle between farmers and regulators, while tens of thousands of low-income residents lack the most basic necessity – clean drinking water. Becker’s coverage shines because of her deep reporting, thoughtful storytelling and empathy for people caught in the crosshairs of water politics.”
Her 2024 reporting exposed policy failures underlying California’s collapsing fisheries, dwindling groundwater, polluted drinking water and aging infrastructure. She paid special attention to disadvantaged rural communities and skillfully covered generations-old tensions between agriculture and wildlife.
1st Place, Opinion and commentary
Yousef Baig
Judges: “We’ve all heard the attacks on the ‘train to nowhere.’ It’s never particularly easy to go against the pack. But Yousef Baig decided to get past the rhetoric and do real reporting on California’s high-speed rail project. For most Californians high speed rail is out of sight, out of mind, one of a long list of state government boondoggles. But in Fresno, people see hope for the future and a chance for revival. Without pulling punches – Baig writes about the delays and cost overruns – he delivered an honest, clear-eyed and compelling defense of the nation’s most ambitious high-speed rail project, interviewing merchants and workers, and high government officials in an especially strong piece of commentary.”
Baig’s commentary reviews California’s high-speed rail project outside of the traditional political worldview: centered in the Central Valley cities where the bullet train’s path will be centered.
1st Place, TV enterprise reporting
A CalMatters collaboration with CBS News. Reporting by Julie Watts of CBS News, CalMatters reporter Ryan Sabalow and Foaad Khosmood, an architect of Digital Democracy at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
“California’s Fentanyl Fight” focused on advocates for fentanyl legislation who were upset to learn through Digital Democracy that their bills died when legislators declined to vote.
Northern California Area Emmy Awards
First Place, Politics & Government News
CalMatters reporters Sameea Kamal and Ryan Sabalow; Foaad Khosmood, a computer science professor at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and an architect of Digital Democracy; in collaboration with reporter Julie Watts of CBS Sacramento
Finalist, Politics & Government News, Short-Form
Foaad Khosmood, a computer science professor at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and an architect of Digital Democracy; in collaboration with reporter Julie Watts of CBS Sacramento
Why some California Democrats take Big Oil money and vote against environmental laws
Poynter Journalism Prizes
Punch Sulzberger Prize for Journalism Innovation
CalMatters reporters Sameea Kamal and Ryan Sabalow; Foaad Khosmood, a computer science professor at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and an architect of Digital Democracy; in collaboration with reporter Julie Watts of CBS Sacramento
Best of News Design
Society for News Design
Award of Excellence, Experimental
Mohamed Al Elew, Erica Yee, Anna Almendrala, Soo Oh and Gabriel Hongsdusit
Freedom of the Press Awards
Freedom of the Press Rising Star
CalMatters and The Markup Chief Impact Officer Sisi Wei
Sisi Wei recognized as a Freedom of the Press Rising Star in 2024 RCFP awards
Northern California Area Emmy Awards
Winner, Criminal Justice
CalMatters reporter Nigel Duara in collaboration with reporter Julie Watts of CBS Sacramento
How California investigates shootings by law enforcement officers of unarmed civilians
Asian American Journalists Association Awards
Leadership in Diversity & Solidarity
CalMatters and The Markup Chief Impact Officer Sisi Wei
Judges: “Sisi Wei is a transformative leader who has turned The Markup into a diverse organization dedicated to having a real-world impact on people’s lives.”
Chief Impact Officer Sisi Wei honored for leadership in diversity and solidarity
California Journalism Awards
California News Publishers Association
First Place, Investigative Reporting
Byrhonda Lyons
Judges: “Great storytelling and impressive depth of reporting” and said this: “CalMatters’ rehab investigation by Byrhonda Lyons revealed how a prisoner rehab operator manipulated the very people who came to him for help. Lyons’ work with court records is outstanding.”
California spent $600 million to house and rehab former prisoners — but can’t say whether it helped
First Place, Environmental Reporting
Second Place, Investigative Reporting
Robert Lewis and Wendy Fry
Judges on the environmental reporting award: “A well-reported and well-written series of articles that focuses on what could easily have been an overlooked problem.”
Judges on the investigative reporting award: “This is a great example of explanatory journalism about a potentially dull topic. I wasn’t bored at all as a reader, and even though it was a very long series of stories, it kept me engaged and curious about what’s being dumped in our own landfills.”
Hidden Hazards: Toxic Waste in California
First Place, In-Depth Reporting
Lauren Hepler
Judges: “Powerful, impactful journalism done by a single staffer over the course of a year. Truly impressive. It localized a national issue while showing how deserving people suffered while criminals victimized and businesses profited.” In another category, the judges called her work “top-notch” and said she “methodically strips away the chaos and the finger pointing to show how tens of billions of dollars evaporated.”
California’s unemployment crash
First Place, Newsletter Writing
Lynn La
Second Place, Business and Economy Reporting
Alexei Koseff
Judges: “This series gave an in-depth look into how the legalization of the cannabis industry changed things for the key stakeholders. The human elements to the story were presented with empathy balanced with facts and voices from those impacted.”
Emerald Triangle communities were built on cannabis. Legalization has pushed them to the brink
Second Place, Homelessness Reporting
Marisa Kendall
How Texas shrank its homelessness population — and what it can teach California
Third Place, Housing and Land-Use Reporting
Ben Christopher
Judges: “I really enjoyed Christopher’s ability to take state/local policy matters and mold them into locally relevant, well-written portraits of how things are playing out on the ground in communities like San Diego and Santa Monica.”
Ongoing housing and land-use reporting
Third Place, Environmental Reporting
Julie Cart
Judges: “Well-researched articles. Proposed questions that nobody can answer, yet was effective because that is really the whole point of the stories.”
Third Place, Feature Reporting
Rachel Becker
The world’s largest dam demolition has begun. Can the dammed Klamath River finally find salvation?
Third Place, News Photography
Miguel Gutierrez, Jr.
Gavin Newsom, the sequel: Governor starts second term as leader of liberal America
Third Place, Labor Reporting
Nicole Foy
The hidden cost of California’s hot workplaces: 20,000 job injuries a year
Fourth Place, Public Service Journalism
Alexei Koseff
A failure to communicate: California government cuts back press access
Fourth Place, Youth and Education Coverage
Joe Hong and Erica Yee
Judges: “A detailed and well-presented series on the reasons why some schools struggle to hold onto experienced teachers, the effects of high turnover on student achievement and the barriers to solving the problem. The writers ask tough questions of lawmakers in charge.”
Fourth Place, Enterprise Reporting
Kristen Hwang, Ana Ibarra and Erica Yee
Judges: “An important topic fleshed out with interviews and data; good graphics, too. Should be held up by readers demanding action.”
Excellence in Journalism Awards
SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS NORCAL CHAPTER
Unsung Hero Award
Senior Director of Product Sapna Satagopan
Judges: Satagopan has been the visionary leader behind products like Digital Democracy, Recall Voter Guide, newsletters and explainers. She also founded Xyza: News for Kids, a subscription news platform for young readers. Satagopan believes in democratizing news access and works behind the scenes to bring Californians news products that help them make informed decisions.
CalMatters’ Sapna Satagopan celebrated as ‘unsung hero’
Commentary Analysis
Yousef Baig
From ‘train to nowhere’ to Fresno’s dream: What high-speed rail means for the Central Valley
Environmental Reporting
Rachel Becker
The world’s largest dam demolition has begun. Can the dammed Klamath River finally find salvation?
Explanatory Journalism
Lauren Hepler
California’s Unemployment Crash
Health Reporting
Kristen Hwang, Ana B. Ibarra and Erica Yee
Investigative Reporting
Nigel Duara and Jeremia Kimelman
Photojournalism, Breaking News
Jules Hotz
A photo of a pro-Palestinian protester being arrested after being surrounded by police officers at the University of Southern California
Photojournalism, Photo Essay
Larry Valenzuela
Go to the people’: Street medicine teams bring health care to the unhoused
Photojournalism, Single Image
Jules Hotz
A photo of Screen Actors Guild members and Writers Guild of America members picket at the Amazon Culver Studios in Culver City
National Headliner Awards
Third Place, Staff Photo Portfolio
CalMatters’ visuals team: visuals editor Miguel Gutierrez Jr., assistant editor Adriana Heldiz and photographer Larry Valenzuela
Judges: the award is for “a portfolio of pictures taken throughout the year, judged by the power of its best pictures.”
Best of the West Awards
First Place, Business and Financial Reporting
Alexei Koseff
Judges: “Alexei Kosoff takes readers on a compelling journey through communities that got caught up in the ‘green rush’ of legalized pot, only to see their hopes dashed by harsh realities. He explains what went wrong with the economics of the industry while weaving in heart-rending tales of numerous people who are losing their livelihoods.”
Emerald Triangle communities were built on cannabis. Legalization has pushed them to the brink
Investigative Reporters & Editors Awards
Finalist, Print/Online – Division III
Robert Lewis, Jeremia Kimelman, Miguel Gutierrez Jr. and Wendy Fry
Judges: “In recent years, nearly half of California’s hazardous waste has left the Golden State, much of it bound for states with weaker regulatory laws. This impressive package drove home how a huge industry has carved out disturbing workarounds of California’s strict environmental laws.”
Covering Climate Now Awards
First Place, Long Form Writing
Julie Cart
Judges: “Audiences need to know not only that the planet is on fire but why that’s happening and what can be done about it.”
Trial by fire: The trauma of fighting California’s wildfires
California Journalism Awards
California News Publishers Association
First Place, General Excellence
Staff
Judges: “CalMatters’ digital platform presents insightful political news in an extremely engaging yet digestible way. The reporting dives deep into complex topics while catching the eye with amazing visual content. The headlines are attention-grabbing, the photography is superb and each vertical has extensive, important coverage.”
First Place, Informational Graphic
Jeremia Kimelman, John Osborn D’Agostino, Erica Yee
This honor is for the drought and water tracker that provides a current and historical perspective on water issues facing the state using a variety of publicly available datasets.
Second Place, Coverage of the Environment
Rachel Becker
Judges: “This reporting provides so much context that it is actually a road map to helping fix some of our most vexing issues. The graphics are extremely informative as well. The reporter provides all this information while at the same time telling compelling stories.”
How can California boost its water supply?
Second Place, Coverage of the Business and the Economy
Alexei Koseff
Judges: “Comprehensive reporting that sheds light on multiple players in the cannabis industry, as well as the political implications of Newsom’s support and eventual inattention to the cause. Each story flowed nicely with thorough reporting highlighting personal stories from all over the state.”
Problems facing legal cannabis
Second Place, Feature Photo
Martin do Nascimiento
Judges: “Well lit endearing portrait. Maybe a slightly different crop on the bottom to resolve the pinky finger distraction. Expressions are great for the concern.”
Photo in a story about an infant formula shortage
Third Place, Health Coverage
Kristen Hwang
Judges: “The depth of on-the-ground reporting here is impressive, and the writing stands out. Nice work.”
Third Place, Coverage of Youth and Education
Mikhail Zinshteyn, Julie Watts, Michaella Huck
Judges: “Reporters Mikhail Zinshteyn, Julie Watts and Michaella Huck took what could have been routine data analysis and instead uncovered a flaw in how the CSU system reports progress among Black students. The benefit of digging deeper.”
Series on low graduation rates for Black students at California State University
Third Place, Newsletter
Emily Hoeven
Judges: “impressed by the design, quality of writing and wide variety of topics featured in this engaging and useful newsletter. The bullet points help draw a reader in and focus on the most important parts of the day’s news, especially important for readers looking for bite-size information and quick access to California’s top headlines.”
Hoeven’s newsletters at CalMatters, including one featuring legislators’ trips on climate change
Journalism Excellence Awards
Asian American Journalists Association
First Place, Science/Environment/Health Reporting
Kristen Hwang
Judges: “Sexually transmitted diseases are too often a taboo topic, and rates have only worsened during the pandemic as Hwang expertly covers in her reported feature on congenital syphilis rates in California. She takes on the discomfort and sensitivity of the subject with great care and empathy, and captures the heartbreak, uncertainty, and fear in pregnant people’s voices as they hear a positive diagnosis of congenital syphilis — highlighting a growing public health issue in a racially, economically diverse landscape of the Central Valley of California.”
Northern California Area Emmy Awards
Winner
CalMatters reporter Julie Cart in collaboration with reporter Julie Watts of CBS Sacramento
Finalist
CalMatters’ reporters Jeanne Kuang, Alejandro Lazo and Lil Kalish with project editor Denise Amos in partnership with reporter Julie Watts of CBS Sacramento
Wage Theft: When Bosses Don’t Pay
National Headliner Awards
First Place, TV Business and Consumer Reporting
CalMatters’ reporters Jeanne Kuang, Alejandro Lazo and Lil Kalish with project editor Denise Amos in partnership with reporter Julie Watts of CBS Sacramento
Judges: “Low-wage and minority workers are most likely to be underpaid for their time on the clock, but the CBS Sacramento – CalMatters team uncovers more ways in which California businesses may be shortchanging workers’ paychecks, especially if those workers are unaware of labor laws and employee rights. Even when challenging employers for their due amount, various state systems hinder the process and businesses don’t end up paying out, but the reporting uncovers solutions being piloted with success that could be adopted state-wide, and beyond.”
Wage Theft: When Bosses Don’t Pay
Best of the West Awards
First Place, Growth and environment reporting
Julie Cart
Judges: “An amazing series about the psychological price paid by the California Fire Service because of the escalating intensity and frequency of wildfires caused by climate change. A terrific example of beat reporting that leads to unprecedented access to a group therapy session by Cal Fire firefighters, gasp-worthy stats and quotes, and ability to write with authority about complex topics and take the reader inside a new world as if they were right there in the thick of a forest fire. Beautiful writing. Ryan’s story was gut-wrenching.”
Trial by fire: The trauma of fighting California’s wildfires
First Place, Feature Writing: Long Form
Julie Cart
Trial by fire: The trauma of fighting California’s wildfires
Judges: “A knockout series on a subject on which more people need to be informed.”
First Place, Informational Graphic
Jeremia Kimelman, John Obsborn D’Agostino and Erica Yee
Judges: “The ‘California Drought and Water Tracker’ by CalMatters is a sophisticated presentation of a huge amount of data,” the judge wrote. “The amount of information being conveyed in presentation would be overwhelming if not for the way in which the interface is designed. The presentation includes maps, diagrams, charts, graphs, tables, timelines and data visualizations that help readers understand the complexities of the issues impacting water in California. I particularly liked the sophisticated way in which maps came alive with information throughout the presentation. Really great job bringing a huge volume of data to life!”
Tracking California’s water supplies
2nd Place, Social Justice Reporting
California Divide team
Judges: “The story is a methodical, well-told chronicling of how wages are routinely stolen from some of the state’s hardest workers who keep our society afloat. Labor reporting is too often overlooked, as are low-wage employees who don’t speak English or are vulnerable to exploitation. ‘Unpaid Wages: A Waiting Game’ makes sure these stories are told and has already ensured accountability.”
California Politics & Public Policy Awards
Sacramento Press Club
Public Health
Kristen Hwang
Kristen placed first for her stories including an in-depth look at California’s abortion access policy, a story bringing to light soaring congenital syphilis rates as public health funding dwindled prior to the pandemic, and a first-hand look at street teams working to provide homeless health care.
Judges: “Her work demonstrated solid investigative chops, as well as in-depth, fact-based reporting. The judges described the winners’ work as “terrific public policy reporting that gives Californians clear insights into what is and what is not working in the Medi-Cal program.”
Social Justice & Equity
Jocelyn Wiener
Jocelyn placed first for her gripping tale told the story of Lorenzo Mays, an intellectually disabled man who spent years lost in a criminal justice system in California that too often fails people with developmental disabilities and mental illness.
Judges: “The story is thoroughly reported, and the writing is exquisite. It explains the challenges that face courts and social service agencies when they confront the issue of how to handle mentally incompetent accused individuals, and details both failures and some progress in that arena.”
Daily Capitol Coverage
Alexei Koseff
Alexei was awarded first place, along with Dustin Gardiner of the San Francisco Chronicle, for daily Capitol coverage.
Judges: “Alexei impressed with sharp angles about the people and issues shaping state politics and with his engaging prose. His CalMatters piece on the state’s cannabis industry deftly explored the pressure facing Gov. Gavin Newsrom to address problems with a change he championed.”
AWARD
Alejandro Lazo, Jeanne Kuang, Lill Kalish and Erica Yee with CBS 13 Reporter Julie Watts
The team was awarded first place for short form TV California politics and policy coverage.
Judges: “This piece’s focus on wage theft was well-researched and presented in a clear and interesting fashion. They humanized the issue by profiling individuals such as a fast food employee who had not received a raise in 17 years. The judges called the work “a good example of accountability journalism that pointed to lack of enforcement of state law.”
Excellence in Health Care Journalism
Association of Health Care Journalists
Consumer Feature Reporting
CalMatters placed first for Kristen’s reporting on rising congenital syphilis rates accompanied by dwindling public health funding.
Judges: “Solid data, told with color and emotion. We loved how the reporter covered the on-the-ground, door-to-door campaign to help pregnant women understand the danger their unborn baby is facing; it felt like we were there ringing doorbells with them. Mostly, though, this story won because the work and data were there — this important topic was covered thoroughly and well. Excellent job.”
Eppy Awards
Editor & Publisher
Best Online-Only News Website in the Nation
Judges: “Love the interactive features that immerse the reader into a deeper experience,” the judges said. “Great content that’s specific to a defined audience.”
California Journalism Awards
CALIFORNIA NEWS PUBLISHERS
First Place, General Excellence
CalMatters Staff
CalMatters placed first among the largest California news sites
Judges: “CalMatters stood out for its relentless approach to telling engaging stories from multiple perspectives.”
First Place, Newsom Recall Election Coverage
Laurel Rosenhall, Sameea Kamal, Emily Hoeven, Matthew Reagan
Judges: “Great collection of stories that take a fresh look at common element of an election, voting blocs.”
California Recall Election 2021
First Place, Coverage of Youth and Education
Jocelyn Wiener, Erica Yee, Anne Wernikoff
Judges: “Great use of interactive graphics/maps. Also personalized voices helped bring the struggle home.”
How California kids experienced COVID-19 inequality
First Place, Enterprise News Story
Sameea Kamal
Both in our size category and in the overall “open” category.
Judges: “An excellent series explaining the fine details and overall plan for state redistricting. Clear writing as well as fine graphics make the changes in districts easy to understand.”
California redistricting 101: What you need to know
First Place, Investigative Reporting
Robert Lewis and Jeremia Kimelman
Judges: “The research plus the individual perspectives plus the presentation/organization made for a comprehensive and moving narrative that delved deeply with tangible takeaways.”
First Place, Land Use Reporting
Manuela Tobias
Judges: “This is “the” topic of the day in California, and the CalMatters team showed out here. Stellar in-depth but understandable reporting on a complex and dense topic.”
Why is it so difficult to get housing bills through the California Legislature?
Second Place, Public Service
CalMatters Staff
Judges: “Excellent use of graphics, photos, videos and other multimedia. The recall voter guide component of this project is really eye-catching and user-friendly. I appreciate the straightforward presentation of the ‘what he has and hasn’t done’ coverage. That really spells it out for readers and makes it clear what’s been accomplished and what is still lacking. The illustrated guide to the Newsom recall was one of my favorite parts of this entry: fun, unique and easy to follow while not being patronizing. And while all of this is stand-out public service journalism already, the ‘how to vote in the recall election’ guide really drives that point home. Fantastic work.”
Newsom Recall Voter Guide (Stories 1, 2, 3 and 4)
Second Place, Newsom Recall Election Coverage
Ben Christopher
Judges: “Great idea to take what could’ve been a simple story and instead do in-depth reporting about the overall practice of polling and the specific impact the SurveyUSA poll had. Excellent writing, diverse sourcing and use of graphics.”
Polling error: How one survey changed the Newsom recall campaign
Third Place, Youth and Education Coverage
Ricardo Cano and Elizabeth Aguilera
Judges: “Good use of characters in the story.”
Special-needs children still seek help after year adrift
Third Place, Writing
Robert Lewis
Judges: “Exhaustive research and a heartbreaking story.
Outgunned: The story of a woman, an abuser and California’s failing gun control
Second Place, In-Depth Reporting
Rachel Becker, Julie Cart, Jeremia Kimelman
California’s Drought Crisis (Stories 1, 2 and 3)
Fourth Place, Enterprise News
Byrhonda Lyons and Laurel Rosenhall
Judges: “Strong on writing, research and organization; hits the key point of a lack of training at the core of the problem today and likely in the future without action. Mixes the human toll with the data to show personal impact.”
Is California’s new police deadly force law making a difference?
Fourth Place, Feature Story
Ana Ibarra
Judges: “Until I read this story, I had no idea about this topic. Good writing and good visuals.”
COVID lungs: Transplants are last resort for many California patients
Fourth Place, Infographics
John Osborn D’Agostino
Judges: “This interactive put me in the shoes of a legislator. It’s hard work! Very clean presentation. The titles and descriptions for the options were fun to read and kept me engaged. Also valued seeing how my answers compared to other users on the results page.”
Spend the surplus: This game puts you in charge of California’s budget
Fifth Place, Breaking News
Emily Hoeven
Judges: “As its headline makes explicit, the article makes clear California’s standing in the world’s efforts to combat climate change. Its writing deftly highlights the disparity between what Gov. Newsom has been saying and others with different opinions and the relevant knowledge like Assembly Speaker Rendon. Its publication amid the UN conference on climate change in Scotland also underscores the urgency of the matter.”
Assembly leader: California isn’t leading on climate
Online Journalism Awards
Online Journalism Association
Finalist, Explanatory Reporting
Rachel Becker, Julie Cart and Marla Cone
CalMatters was a finalist with the entry “Lessons Learned: Drought Then and Now” amongst finalists national nonprofit newsroom, ProPublica, and collaborative reporting by ProPublica with WBUR.
Finalist, Feature
Robert Lewis
CalMatters was a finalist with the investigative story “Outgunned” amongst finalists of a collaborative project between ProPublica and Alive in Afghanistan, Univision News Digital, ProPublica and the San Francisco Chronicle.
Excellence in Water Journalism
Water Education Foundation
Rita Schmidt Sudman Award
Rachel Becker
Judges: “We’ve been following Rachel’s coverage of water issues for some time now as they often end up in our weekday newsfeed,” Bowles said. “Her reporting has been thorough. It’s no surprise that she has been honored for her reporting before.”
Silver Gavel Award
AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION
Finalist
Robert Lewis
Finalist (Two of the five finalists in this national competition were by Robert.)
State politics and policy awards
SACRAMENTO PRESS CLUB
First Place: Housing and Homelessness Coverage
Manuela Tobias
For a year’s worth of reporting on housing issues.
Finalist: Impact in Journalism
Jocelyn Wiener
California’s Broken System of Nursing Home Oversight
Finalist: Reporting on Racial Justice
Byrhonda Lyons
In Absentia: No Latino Superior Court judges in these majority-Latino California counties
Excellence in Health Care Journalism
ASSOCIATION OF HEALTHCARE JOURNALISTS
Second Place
Barbara Feder Ostrov
From maggots to sex abuse, nursing homes sue California to overturn citations, fines
Online Journalism Awards
ONLINE NEWS ASSOCIATION
Finalist, General Excellence in Online Journalism, Small Newsrooms
CalMatters was one of four finalists for ONA’s top prize for online journalism.
The OJAs are the only comprehensive prizes honoring excellence in digital journalism.
General Excellence Award
Awards for Reporting on the Environment
SOCIETY OF ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISTS
First Place, Outstanding Beat Reporting
Rachel Becker
Judges: “Rachel’s “in-depth, yet easy-to-digest reporting on California’s contaminated air and drinking water resources. Her stories on water, in particular, revealed that a number of unaware communities might be consuming water tainted by industrial chemicals — some left in the aftermath of the state’s many wildfires. Her writing was chock full of helpful statistics and underpinned by science in a way that informed but did not overwhelm.”
- Oil and Babies Don’t Mix: Wells Linked to Low Birthweight
- A Collision of Crises; Central Valley Suffers Searing Heat, Smoke and Virus Hot Spots
- Unsafe To Drink: Wildfires Threaten Rural Towns With Tainted Water
- Well Water Throughout California Contaminated With ‘Forever Chemicals’
- Legacy of a Clean-Air Czar: Clearer Skies, Bold Alliances and Bitter Controversy
Excellence in Journalism Awards
SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS NORCAL CHAPTER
Best Scoop
Laurel Rosenhall
Exclusive: California wires mask dealer half a billion dollars, then claws it back
Explanatory Journalism
Jackie Botts, Lo Bénichou and Kate Cimini
Close Quarters: California’s overcrowded homes fuel spread of coronavirus among workers
National Headliner Awards
NATIONAL PRESS CLUB
Online Beat Coverage
Laurel Rosenhall
Judges: “Laurel Rosenhall’s coverage of the California statehouse should be required reading for all statehouse reporters in the country. Her beat coverage this year offered several sure-to-outrage-citizens stories, including how politicians are allowed to set up nonprofits to accept unlimited donations.”
Sigma Awards
Finalists, World’s best data journalism
Jackie Botts, Lo Bénichou and Kate Cimini
Judges: “One of the first stories to link overcrowded housing to the spread of coronavirus.”
Close Quarters
State politics and policy awards
SACRAMENTO PRESS CLUB
Journalist of the Year
Laurel Rosenhall
Laurel also won first place for Beat Reporting, and the Press Club named a scholarship in her honor.
Judges: “Laurel Rosenhall uses tenacious reporting and public records to hold politicians and other powerful people accountable for their decisions and actions.”
Finalist, Impact in Journalism
Jackie Botts, Kate Cimini, Laurence Du Sault and Manuela Tobias
Finalist, Capitol Enterprise
Lauren Hepler and Stephen Council
How Bank of America Helped Fuel California’s Unemployment Meltdown
Finalist, Environmental Reporting
Rachel Becker
Finalist, Best Multimedia Package
CalMatters Staff
California Election Guide, November 2020
Greater Bay Area Journalism Awards
SAN FRANCISCO PRESS CLUB
First Place, Photo
Anne Wernikoff
First Place, General News
Jocelyn Wiener
How BofA Fueled California’s Unemployment Meltdown
First place, Investigative
Lauren Hepler and Stephen Council
How BofA Fueled California’s Unemployment Meltdown
First place, Environmental
Rachel Becker and Rebecca Sohn
Second Place, Columns
Ben Christopher
Post-It 2020 Election Coverage
California Journalism Awards
CALIFORNIA NEWS PUBLISHERS
First Place, Public Service
CalMatters Staff
First Place, Pandemic Coverage
CalMatters Staff
Year of Loss series profiling families of COVID victims.
First Place, Data Journalism
Ben Christopher
2020 election data analysis
First Place, Writing
Jocelyn Wiener
Mental health tsunami looms: Can California prevent a surge in suicides?
First Place, Features
Nigel Duara
Judges: “Duara captures the uncertainty from inside, nailing the voices of the frustrated owners frantically looking for answers [and] the servers struggling to make the rent and feed their own families.“
12 Hours in an L.A. restaurant
First Place, Enterprise
Laurel Rosenhall
Judges: “This is true enterprise springing from a reporter who noticed patterns that seemed not to make sense. The conflict of interest was staggering.”
NAACP president aids corporate prop campaigns
Second Place, In-Depth Reporting
Jackie Botts, Lo Bénichou, Kate Cimini and Marla Cone
Judges: “This was an extremely strong entry that could win first place in many years.”
Close Quarters
Second Place, News Photo
Anne Wernikoff
Second Place, Informational Graphic
John Osborn D’Agostino and Lo Bénichou
Judges: “ … daily virus tracker loads instantaneously and is packed with useful information.“
Coronavirus Hospitalization Tracker
Second Place, Land-Use Reporting
Julie Cart
Third Place, Feature Story
Elizabeth Aguilera
Judges: “… important and under-told story about the pandemic’s stunting effect on migrant students’ education.”
For some California teens, school closures led to work in the fields
Fourth Place, In-Depth Reporting
Rachel Becker and Rebecca Sohn
Judges: “Excellent examination of contaminated wells that provide drinking water … [showing] how the low rate of well testing left many Californians with no idea what the true extent of contamination is.”
California’s Toxic Legacy of “Forever Chemicals
Fifth Place, Enterprise News Story or Series
Jocelyn Wiener
Judges: “This is journalism with impact, with lawmakers and advocates citing this story before they passed a law to expand mental health parity.“
Why Californians with mental illness are dropping private insurance
Fifth Place, Investigative Reporting
Laurel Rosenhall
Judges: “Sweet Charity made an immediate impact. California’s political ethics commission is now investigating this growing trend. Nice work.
Sweet Charity
Poverty and Inequality Awards
NATIONAL PRESS FOUNDATION
Poverty and Inequality Reporting
Nigel Duara, Orlando Mayorquin, Jackie Botts, Laurence Du Sault and Kate Cimini
Judges: “… highlighted not only the struggles but also the resourcefulness of renters throughout the Golden State. … “The human stories take the reader beyond the policy debates.”
Staying Sheltered
Best of the West
Investigative Journalism, Second Place
Jackie Botts and Kate Cimini
Judges: “Their work changed policies that certainly saved some lives and it was a real work of public service journalism.“
COVID rips through motel rooms of guest workers who pick nation’s produce
Price Child Health and Welfare Journalism Awards
UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO SCHOOL OF LAW CHILDREN’S ADVOCACY INSTITUTE
Price Child Health and Welfare Journalism Award
Elizabeth Aguilera
Pandemic coverage including:
- For some teens, school closures led to work in the fields
- Over a million students still lack access to remote learning
- Home is a perilous place for some during pandemic
- Coronavirus stretches special education system to the brink
National Headliner Awards
NATIONAL PRESS CLUB
National Headliner Award
Jocelyn Wiener
Local Public Radio News Awards
PUBLIC MEDIA JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION
Second Place, Podcasts
Laurel Rosenhall
Awards for Reporting on the Environment
SOCIETY OF ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISTS
First Honorable Mention
Julie Cart
Judges: “In Cart’s clear, zingy style, she rips into the state’s climate goal playbook and lets readers know what’s working and what hasn’t yet worked.”
Road to Zero
Edward R. Murrow Award
CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
California Dream collaboration among KQED, KPCC, KPBS, CapRadio and CalMatters
Graying California
Best of the West
First Place, Project Reporting
Julie Cart, Judy Lin and Byrhonda Lyons
Judges: “May others learn from this supreme example of sharp exposition.“
California’s Worsening Wildfires, Explained
Capitol Weekly
Top 100
Laurel Rosenhall
Judges: “Sacramento has no shortage of great reporters, but Laurel Rosenhall of CalMatters is in a class by herself.”
Excellence in Journalism Awards
SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS NORCAL CHAPTER
Excellence in Journalism Award, Explanatory Journalism
Matt Levin, Ben Christopher and John Osborn D’Agostino
Californians: Here’s why your housing costs are so high
California Journalism Awards
CALIFORNIA NEWS PUBLISHERS
First Place, General Excellence
CalMatters Staff
Judges: “… easy navigation, good art, superbly written stories and even interactivity.“
First Place, In-Depth Reporting, Second Place, Enterprise News, Third Place, Investigative Reporting
Jocelyn Wiener
Judges: “It is clear that much time was devoted to in-depth research; great reporting with diverse sources that add the human element to the issue.”
Breakdown: California’s Mental Health System, Explained
First Place, Investigative Reporting, Second Place, Public Service Journalism, Third Place, Writing
Ricardo Cano, Mohamed Al Elew and John Osborn D’Agostino
Judges: “This series armed lawmakers to make informed decisions. … [It] shows how journalists can take numbers and turn them into something useful, not only for the general public but also for the government.”
Disaster Days
First Place, Land-Use Reporting
Elizabeth Castillo and Matt Levin
Judges: “Great enterprise reporting of a huge conflict-of-interest issue that could affect all Californians.”
Lawmakers and landlords: More than a quarter of California legislators are both
Second Place, Coverage of Local Government
Ben Christopher
Judges: “Such an important topic, and one that hasn’t received enough attention.”
Will state crack down on predatory lending?
Second Place, Story Presentation
Julie Cart and Judy Lin
Judges: “Many strong layouts. The tone of the subheads … made the dry subject more engaging.”
California’s on Fire, unplugged and out of easy answers. So why don’t we…
Third Place, Coverage of Youth and Education
Ricardo Cano
How far will California schools go on charter schools?
Third Place, Home Page Layout & Design
CalMatters Staff
Judges: “The site is attractive and simple, without a lot of invasive ads and pop-ups adding clutter. Headlines are strong and compelling.”
Fourth Place, Feature Photo
Anne Wernikoff
Judges: “The photos helped tell the story of this doctor and what he means to the community.”
Paging more doctors: California’s worsening physician shortage
In-Depth Reporting
Ben Christopher
Judges: “Good lead, excellent news value with good infographics, subtopics and video. Shows a considerable degree of research and investigation.”
How California got tough on guns
Video Journalism
Byrhonda Lyons
Awards for Reporting on the Environment
SOCIETY OF ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISTS
Third Place, Outstanding Beat Reporting
Julie Cart
Judges: “This series of reports brings the topic of climate change down to Earth, as it offers multimedia coverage of related issues such as cap-and-trade, adaptation of the electrical grid and the real challenges of abandoning fossil fuels.”
Online Journalism Awards
ONLINE NEWS ASSOCIATION
Finalist, Visual Digital Storytelling
John Osborn D’Agostino
Excellence in Journalism Awards
SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS NORCAL CHAPTER
Winner, Data Visualization
John Osborn D’Agostino
Features Journalism
Dan Morain
A Capitol Crime: How a 16-year-old murder reached California’s highest offices
Ongoing Coverage
Felicia Mello
Science, Environment and Health Reporting
Jocelyn Wiener
National Headliner Awards
NATIONAL PRESS CLUB
National Headliner Award
CalMatters Staff
Californians: Everything you need to know before you vote
California Journalism Awards
CALIFORNIA NEWS PUBLISHERS
First Place, Public Service Journalism
Ben Christopher, Byrhonda Lyons and John Osborn D’Agostino
Judges: “An absolute wonderful example of public service.”
CalMatters 2018 Election Guide
First Place, Homepage Design
John Osborn D’Agostino, David Lesher and Marcia Parker
Judges: “Solid, effective layout, design and headline use. Good variety of photos and colors. It’s the best for both desktop and mobile versions.”
First Place, Investigative Reporting and First Place, Coverage of Youth and Education
Felicia Mello
Judges: “The writer did a great job pushing ahead with this story despite state regulators refusing to cooperate.”
California’s for-profit college watchdog fails to police
First Place, Coverage of Local Government
Laurel Rosenhall
Judges: “This is a powerful piece of journalism that vitally serves the public interest in two ways: explaining Kinney’s cozy relationship to California’s new governor and how relatively unknown people exert great influence behind the scenes.”
A Capitol fixer is poised to ascend with Gavin Newsom—and legal weed
First Place, Feature Story
Laurel Rosenhall
Judges: “Easy to read (clear) writing. Well organized. Huge relevance (a major story with focus on key element).”
No legislator has confronted the effects of wildfire like this forensic dentist
First Place, Enterprise
David Gorn
Judges: “Great balance of stories about people and data.”
Stories on wellness
First Place, Video Journalism
Byrhonda Lyons and Julie Cart
Judges: “Explaining California’s war on climate change in fewer than five minutes is no easy task. But this video does so in an engaging, effective way.”
CalMatters explains California’s war on climate change
First Place, Land-Use Reporting
Matt Levin
Judges: “The stories gave context to complex issues and used a variety of digital layers to connect readers with the information.”
2018 Housing/Zoning Coverage
Second Place, General Excellence
CalMatters Staff
Judges: “Rarely does a non-profit, community funded news website rise to the level of what CalMatters offers. … You get the sensation that you are visiting a large news organization.”
Second Place, Feature Writing
Matt Levin
Judges: “A story that needs to be told that can help lead to answers of a serious problem.”
California housing costs create harsh reality for refugees
Second Place, Breaking News
Dan Morain, Laurel Rosenhall, Ben Christopher and CalMatters Staff
Judges: “Impressive wall-to-wall coverage of the statewide general election (that) reflected well-thought-out planning and the team’s deep knowledge of the candidates and the issues.”
2018 Election Night Coverage
Second Place, Investigative Reporting and Second Place, Local Government
Ricardo Cano, Shawn Hubler
Judges: “The story is reader- friendly because it isn’t drowning in numbers, and Cano effectively mixes in interviews with officials trying to get facilities built.
California’s School Bonds: the Rich Get Richer and the Poor, not so Much
Third Place, Writing
Felicia Mello
Staff: “A great lead and a well-written and heartbreaking story about a talented young man’s struggle to go to college.”
California Campuses Confront a Growing Crisis: Homeless Students
Third Place, In-Depth Reporting, Third Place, Local Government and Fifth Place, Youth & Education
Jessica Calefati
Judges: “Great reader service of identifying how ballooning teacher pensions are going to spell financial disaster for schools down the road.”
Teacher Pension Debt Swamps School Budgets
Third Place, Enterprise News
Matt Levin, John Osborn D’Agostino
Judges: “Very nice graphics. Lots of data. Solid reporting.”
Digging into the data: California Dream
Fourth Place, In-Depth Reporting
Julie Cart
Judges: “Top-notch series that shows climate-change regulations are shortchanging taxpayers.”
Climate Change coverage
Fourth Place, Writing
Ben Christopher
Judges: “It’s hard to stand out when writing a profile about Gavin Newsom since there are so many written already. But this well-written one did provide a lot of unusual quotes and facts that gave a bigger more nuanced picture of California’s governor.”
Gavin Newsom Profile
Fourth Place, Feature Story
Laurel Rosenhall
Colusa County welcomes Jerry Brown
Fourth Place, Video Journalism
Byrhonda Lyons, Laurel Rosenhall
Judges: “Alternating between chilling shooting video, and the highlighting of legal documents, this video tackles a crucial topic.”
Online Journalism Awards
ONLINE NEWS ASSOCIATION
First Place, Feature
Matt Levin, Ben Christopher and John Osborn D’Agostino
Californians: Here’s Why Your Housing Costs Are So High
EPPY Awards
EDITOR & PUBLISHER
Best Feature Story
Matt Levin and Ben Christopher
Californians: Here’s Why Your Housing Costs Are So High
Best Innovation Project
CalMatters Staff
California Journalism Awards
CALIFORNIA NEWS PUBLISHERS
First Place
For a collaboration with the Los Angeles Times and Capital Public Radio
Jack Bates Award
CALIFORNIA PRESS ASSOCIATION
Marcia Parker
Honors distinguished service to the California press through effective leadership in addressing newspaper challenges and assisting journalism education.
Most Influential Latina Journalists
CALIFORNIA LATINO JOURNALISTS NEWS MEDIA ASSOCIATION
15 Most Influential Latina Journalists of the Year
Elizabeth Aguilera
Special Projects
California Legislator Tracker
Californians elect 120 legislators to make important decisions. Our tracker gives residents their representatives’ background, profile and policy priorities based on voting records analyzed by software written by political scientists at UCLA, USC and the University of Georgia and Rice.
California Drought Tracker
An in-depth look into the state’s drought as we experience the second driest year on record. We investigate what’s improved, what’s worsened since the last drought, the current statewide situation and what’s impacting California’s people and places as a result.
California Dream Project
For two years we partnered with Capital Public Radio, KPBS, KPCC and KQED to tell stories of the new California dream: issues of economic opportunity, quality-of-life and the future of success. Support came from The James Irvine Foundation and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Votebeat
In 2020 CalMatters participated in a collaborative nonpartisan reporting project covering local election integrity and voting access across eight states. We hosted the collaboration along with the Fresno Bee, the Long Beach Post and the UC Berkeley Investigative Reporting Program.