SLO Tribune, Cambrian win 28 awards at California journalism competition

The Tribune and The Cambrian won 28 awards in the California News Publishers Association’s 2020 journalism contest, including second place for online general excellence.

The total included eight first-place and eight second-place awards across a wide range of subjects and involving everyone on the staff.

The Tribune competed in the California Journalism Awards competition in the 15,000-and-under daily circulation category, while The Cambrian was entered in the under 4,300-and-under weekly circulation category.

Together, The Tribune and Cambrian won 23 awards in the 2019 CNPA competition.

Regarding the Tribune’s runner-up award in online general excellence, the judge said, “This is one of the cleanest and easy-to-navigate news sites I’ve seen in a long time. Its layout and drop-down menus guide readers to a deep well of news, features, sports and commentary.”

The Tribune won first place for print general excellence in 2018 and 2019.

The Santa Maria Times won first place in that category in 2020, keeping the top honor local to the Central Coast.

Lindsey Holden’s “Substandard of Living” project on low-incoming rental housing competed in the public service category, which this year combined all newspapers in the state. The project placed fifth, behind work from the Fresno Bee, the San Diego Union Tribune and the Los Angeles Times.

Entries winning first-place awards covered a wide range of categories from breaking news and opinion to photography, education reporting and coverage of local Black Live Matters protests.

“It’s truly rewarding to see the efforts of the entire newsroom so well represented in these awards,” Tribune Editor Joe Tarica said. “Whether they’re scrambling to tell a live news story or spending weeks crafting a deep investigation of an important local issue, Tribune journalists pour their heart and soul into work that is inspiring and meaningful. These honors are a testament to that commitment.”

Here is a complete breakdown of the winning entries:

First place

• Profile story: Mackenzie Shuman, “How SLO protest leader Tianna Arata went from outsider to the middle of history”
• Coverage of protests and racial justice, news or feature stories: Mackenzie Shuman, “How SLO protest leader Tianna Arata went from outsider to the middle of history”
• Coverage of youth and education: Mackenzie Shuman, “Number of failing grades soar as SLO County students struggle with distance learning”
• Editorial comment: Stephanie Finucane, “A SLO County sheriff’s video meant to showcase diversity and concern. It was a PR flop”
• Breaking news: Nick Wilson, Matt Fountain, Lindsey Holden, Cassandra Garibay and David Middlecamp, “‘This was not a win.’ Paso Robles manhunt ends with suspect dead, officers wounded”
  
  
• Enterprise news story or series: Kaytlyn Leslie, “What do young SLO County voters care about the most? Here’s their Citizens’ Agenda”
• News photo: David Middlecamp, visit to a care home during COVID-19
• Sports action photo: Laura Dickinson, Pismo Beach surfing competition

Second place

• Online general excellence: Tribune staff
  
  
• Columns: Kathe Tanner (Cambrian), “Husband’s death results in lessons about loss, love during COVID pandemic” and “Confessions of a ‘poinsettia killer’: Why is it so hard to keep holiday plants alive?”

• Coverage of protests and racial justice, news or feature stories: Cassandra Garibay, Lindsey Holden and David Middlecamp, “How once-peaceful Black Lives Matter march in SLO ended in a standoff and tear gas”

• Coverage of youth and education: Lindsey Holden, “How do you learn remotely with no internet? SLO County families struggle to connect”

• Coverage of local government: Matt Fountain, “SLO County police agencies make big gains in diversity. And one is leading the way”

• Agricultural reporting: Nick Wilson and Laura Dickinson, “‘People are really hurting right now.’ How COVID-19 is hitting SLO County farm workers”

• News photo: David Middlecamp, hugging protesters

• Artistic photo: David Middlecamp, surfer sunset
  
  

Third place

• Wildfire feature coverage: Kaytlyn Leslie, “How the Dolan Fire turned scenic route to Big Sur into a smoldering, ghost highway”
• In-depth reporting: Kaytlyn Leslie, “SLO County child care is hard to find and even harder to afford. Here’s how to fix it”
• Coverage of business news: Nick Wilson, Kathe Tanner and Laura Dickinson, “Homebuyers streaming to SLO County in a pandemic — pushing prices to record highs”
• Writing: Kaytlyn Leslie, “Stores empty. Bars closed. People gone. How coronavirus silenced SLO one Thursday night”
• Sports feature photo: David Middlecamp, catching spring training

Fourth place

• Coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic, health reporting: Monica Vaughan and Nick Wilson, “‘We are ‘rationing health care’ — SLO County doctors face COVID-19 with limited supplies”
• Local coverage of Election 2020: Lindsey Holden and Cassandra Garibay, “SLO County city councils are almost 90% white. Young voters want change, and here’s how”

Fifth place

• Public service journalism: Lindsey Holden, Cassandra Garibay and Laura Dickinson, “Substandard of living series: What it’s like for SLO County renters stuck in bad housing”

• Coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic, health reporting: Cassandra Garibay, “‘It’s a lot of chaos.’ SLO nurses are on front lines of coronavirus pandemic in New York”

• Profile story: Kathe Tanner (Cambrian), “From a bombing to Lady Gaga, former Hearst Castle museum director has seen it all”

• Photojournalism: David Middlecamp, portfolio of work

• Feature story: Kathe Tanner (Cambrian), “Firefighter uses sand art to cope with stress. Now he’s beautifying SLO County beaches”

This story was originally published May 18, 2021 at 5:12 PM.