Bay Area News Group papers honored by organization for work
The California News Publishers Association recently honored the Mercury News, East Bay Times and sister Bay Area News Group publications, including the Marin Independent Journal, with several California Journalism Awards for reporting, photography, writing and design in 2021.
The Mercury News and East Bay Times picked up first-place awards in coverage of local government, feature photo and writing, as well as a fifth-place award for general excellence among publications whose circulation exceeds 50,000. The Marin Independent Journal won first place for general excellence in its division (circulation under 15,000).
Here is a list of the awards in alphabetical order:
Print awards Agriculture reporting
Third place, Mercury News/East Bay Times, “Drought's grip tightens on California Ag,” Lisa M. Krieger
Artistic photo
Third place, Marin Independent Journal, “Skyline view,” Alan Dep
Arts & entertainment coverage
Fourth place, Mercury News/East Bay Times, “Netflix's Crazy Canines” and “Top Bassists,” Randy McMullen, Trinity Powells
Fifth place, Marin Independent Journal, “Exploring the past; Life after Huey Lewis and the News,” Vicki Larson
Breaking news
First place, Marin Independent Journal, “Marin congressman Huffman calls Capitol riot `sedition,' ” Will Houston
Fifth place, Marin Independent Journal, “Marin storm havoc — flooding, power outages, damage,” Gary Klien
Coverage of local government
First place, The Mercury News/East Bay Times, “Santa Clara County's COVID Fining Frenzy,” Maggie Angst, Fiona Kelliher
First place, Marin Independent Journal, “Marin's homeless face tough challenges in housing quest,” Natalie Hanson
Fifth place, Marin Independent Journal, “Marin County bias testing: Good policy or `bad science'?,” Richard Halstead
Coverage of Newsom recall election
Second place, Mercury News/East Bay Times, BANG coverage of Newsom recall, Emily DeRuy, Julia Sulek, Jeff Durham
Coverage of pandemic
Third place, Mercury
News/East Bay Times, “COVID in California: From a deadly winter to summer `reopening' to breakthrough cases and supercontagious variants,” staff
First place, Marin Independent Journal, “San Quentin newspaper carries on through pandemic,” Natalie Hanson
Columns
First place, Marin Independent Journal, “Jeff Burkhart: Barfly,” Jeff Burkhart
Third place, Marin Independent Journal, “Dick Spotswood, political columnist,” Dick Spotswood
Editorial comment
Third place, Mercury News/East Bay Times, “Editorial: Alameda Police's fatal pinning of Mario Gonzalez was senseless,” Daniel Borenstein
Fifth place, Mercury News/East Bay Times, “SJSU president must come clean about sexual abuse scandal,” Ed Clendaniel
General excellence
First place, Marin Independent Journal, staff
Fifth place, The Mercury News/East Bay Times, staff
Feature story
Fifth place, Marin Independent Journal, “Marin drought brings echoes of 1976-77 water crisis,” Will Houston
Illustration
Second place, Mercury News/East Bay Times, “Elizabeth Holmes Case,” Pai
Third place, Mercury News/East Bay Times, “Pandemic Stress,” Jeff Durham
Fifth place, Mercury News/East Bay Times, “Immunity certificates,” Jeff Durham
In-depth reporting
Fourth place, Mercury News/East Bay Times, “The Hunt For America's First COVID Deaths,” Harriet Blair Rowan, Emily DeRuy
Informational graphic
Fourth place, Mercury News/East Bay Times, “Will Economy Hit Old Highs?,” Pai
Inside page layout & design
Third place, Mercury News/East Bay Times, “Eat Drink Play” for Jan. 10, Jan. 31 and Aug. 8, 2021, Jackie Burrell, Judy Sanfield
Investigative reporting
Fourth place, Santa Cruz Sentinel, “Coronavirus worsens gaps in nursing home care,” Melissa Hartman
Fifth place, Santa Cruz Sentinel, “Frustrations mount over drinking water reliability in Boulder Creek: `We're at the breaking point,' ” Hannah Hagemann
Open columns
Fifth place, Marin Independent Journal, “Jeff Burkhart-Barfly,” Jeff Burkhart
Photojournalism
Second place, Mercury News/East Bay Times, “Best photography from staff of Mercury News/East Bay Times
Public service journalism
Fourth place, Mercury News/East Bay Times, “Sex abuse at San Jose State University,” Julia Sulek, Elliott Almond
Special sections cover
Second place, Mercury News/East Bay Times, “Splash,” “Bookish” and “Kickoff” magazines, Jackie Burrell, Chris Gotsill, Jui Ishida, Davide Barco
Wildfire news coverage
Third place, Mercury News/East Bay Times, “Wildfire stories from Big Basin to Tahoe to the Giant Sequoias,” Paul Rogers
Wildfire photo
Second place, Mercury News/East Bay Times, “Blaze Inches Closer To South Lake Tahoe,” Karl Mondon
Feature photo
Second place, Marin Independent Journal, “Seniors take exotic journey with reptile visit,” Alan Dep
Fourth place, Marin Independent Journal, “Mask restrictions return,” Alan Dep
Fifth place, Marin Independent Journal, “Rain returns,” Alan Dep
Digital awards Breaking news
Second place, Mercury News/East Bay Times, “Mass Shooting at San Jose VTA Rail Yard,” staff
Feature photo
First place, Mercury News/East Bay Times, “St. Francis celebrates,” Nhat Meyer
Second place, Mercury News/East Bay Times, “Freedom High vs. Pittsburg High Football,” Doug Duran
News photo
Second place, Mercury News/East Bay Times, “Family grieves at VTA San Jose shooting,” Dai Sugano
Second place, Marin Independent Journal, “Service Support Area opens,” Sherry LaVars
Third place, Marin Independent Journal, “Homeless camp eviction,” Sherry LaVars
Open-feature photo
First place, Mercury News/East Bay Times, “St. Francis celebrates,” Nhat Meyer
Story presentation page layout & design
Fifth place, The Mercury News/East Bay Times, “How the Bay Area's COVID response failed Latinos,” Paiching Wei, Sarah Dussault, Harriet Blair Rowan, Randy Vazquez
Writing
First place, Mercury News/East Bay Times, “9/11: Flight 93 hero Mark Bingham's mother leaves behind surprising gift,” Julia Prodis Sulek
Fourth place, Marin Independent Journal, “Breakthrough infections strike fear, worry in Marin's music scene,” Paul Liberatore
Profile story
Third place, Marin Independent Journal, “Playwright's latest work captures life and work of her husband, the pandemic expert,” Vicki Larson