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The Palo Alto Weekly’s staff was recognized with 16 awards for coverage of breaking news, local government, education and land use, as well as for its investigative reporting, enterprise stories, photojournalism, editorial comment and design, in this year’s California Journalism Awards.
The annual competition is organized by the California News Publishers Association and covered work produced in 2019. This year, 168 print, digital and campus publications — ranging from the Los Angeles Times to the Spartan Daily at San Jose State University — submitted 2,969 entries. Out-of-state journalists critiqued the work and ranked the top picks. The results were announced ahead of a scheduled May 16 awards ceremony in Long Beach, which has been canceled due to the coronavirus crisis.
Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner’s first-place land-use story on Stanford University’s withdrawal of its general-use-permit application was described by judges as “a deeply reported, fairly written look on how Stanford’s plans for a major campus expansion fell apart.”
Staff Writer Sue Dremann’s second-place investigative report on John Arthur Getreu, who is facing charges for two cold-case murders near Stanford University in the 1970s, was described by judges as “utterly chilling and wonderfully put together.”
The Weekly employs a newsroom staff of 11 journalists under Editor-in-Chief Jocelyn Dong. The community media outlet’s work competed against other weekly publications across the state with circulations of more than 25,000.
This year’s awards were for:
• Land-use reporting (first place): “ Inside Stanford’s bid to expand — and how it came undone,” Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner.
• Editorial comment (first place): “ When local government leaders refuse to answer questions, they become their own worst enemies,” Publisher Bill Johnson.
• Coverage of youth and education (second place): “ The challenge of charter schools,” Staff Writer Elena Kadvany.
• Breaking news (second place): “ Pay to play: College admissions scandal,” Staff Writers Sue Dremann and Elena Kadvany and Digital Editor Jamey Padojino.
• Investigative reporting (second place): “ On the trail of a killer,” Staff Writer Sue Dremann.
• Breaking news (third place): “ Cellphone video captures heated MAGA confrontation that went viral,” Staff Writer Sue Dremann.
• Photo Story/Essay (third place): “ Living on four wheels” by Staff Photographer Veronica Weber.
• Special section (third place): “ Palo Alto Weekly 40th anniversary edition” by Weekly staff.
• Inside page layout & design (third place): “ A Radio ‘Miracle,'” Designer Doug Young.
• Front page layout & design (third place): April 12, June 21 and Dec. 20. 2019, Design Director Kristin Brown and designers Doug Young and Rosanna Kuruppu.
• Photojournalism (third place): Submissions on Feb. 8, April 12 and July 12, 2019 by Staff Photographer Veronica Weber and contributors Jenny Rodriguez, Keith Ferrell and Karen Ambrose Hickey.
• Coverage of local government (fourth place): “ Whose rules?” Staff Writer Gennady Sheyner.
• Photo Illustration (fourth place): “ Whose rules?” by Staff Photographer Veronica Weber and Editor Jocelyn Dong.
• Informational graphic (fourth place): “ Anatomy of a fraud” by Associate Editor Linda Taaffe and Design Director Kristin Brown.
• Enterprise news story or series (fifth place): “ The price of paradise, Weekly staff.
• Photo Story/Essay (fifth place): “ Rethinking waste” by Staff Photographer Veronica Weber.
The Weekly was founded by Publisher and CEO Bill Johnson in 1979 and established a digital presence through Palo Alto Online, which launched in 1994. The website is also home to Town Square, an online discussion for the community. In addition, the news outlet produces Express, a daily email news digest; Weekend Express, a weekly newsletter of local arts and entertainment; and the Peninsula Foodist, a biweekly newsletter focusing on the Midpenisula dining scene.
The Weekly is one of five newspapers operated by Embarcadero Media, which relies on reader subscriptions and advertising revenue. For more information on subscriptions, visit PaloAltoOnline.com/subscribe.
Thank you PA Weekly for your fair, balanced and courageous reporting.
Your organization of dedicated journalists is a local treasure.
So deserved — I appreciate the PA weekly so much and we are definitely paid subscribers!
I read about the accomplishments of the MV Voice in their paper.someone pointed out that this self promoting organization, CNPA, gives out over 1000 awards. So everyone gets a trophy!!!!
Yay! I am one of those paid subscribers and The Weekly is worth every sent. Special congratulations to Gennady. I treasure his reporting on local issues. And hearty congratulations to Sue as well.
I feel very fortunate to live in a community that can boast such fine local reporting.
Take a bow, Weekly staff, for garnering your well deserved glory. Without you we would be banging around in the dark not knowing half of what was going on in town, our people or at city hall.
That 40h Anniversary issue was dynamite, and Veronica’s photo essay “Rethinking Waste” (I miss her) was odd and interesting.
Gennady, Sue and Elena, we’ve come to trust that you will be our eyes and ears day after day, and you do that so well.
Bill’s editorials are our good fortune – and also that he thought up Embarcadero Media.
I have no idea how Jocelyn keeps it all together – it would make me nuts.
I never subscribed but will now, knowing that it is vital to support all and the Weekly in these and all times. And thank you Bill for asking for that support, and also PASZ for doing so.
I’ve read a thousand stories in the Weekly and on PAW online over the years, but I have to say I have not read the bulk of the prize-winners. Cool, one more thing to fill my day during the shelter in place.
Kudos for your fine reporting.
We in our community are fortunate to have this level of journalism at our fingertips. The Palo Alto Weekly keeps us informed and aware of pressing issues. Chapeaux to Sue Dremann, Gennady Sheyner, Bill Johnson and all those who contribute to this fine newspaper.