Voice of OC won the highest recognition from the nation’s top press clubs earlier this month at the annual OC Press Club Awards at Anaheim Hills Country Club.
The newsroom’s swift response last year to the collapse of the Anaheim Angel Stadium sale in the wake of scathing FBI affidavits about dealings with the city earned first-place recognition in four major categories along with the region’s biggest media outlets, including the David McQuay Award for Best Columnist. Best news and best political news.
The newsroom’s Hosam Elattar won the county’s Best Religion Story award for his engaging look at the first Ramadan after the pandemic.
The judges noted his “beautiful writing”, commenting that Elattar, “weaves a moment in time while telling a centuries-old tradition”.
Last year’s investigation into the role of the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce in city hall, compared by the judges to the Robert Moses classic Power Brokers, followed award-winning breaking news coverage of the ‘FBI corruption scandal in Anaheim and won second place for Best Investigative News and Honorable Mention for Best News.
“A breathtaking dive into the power that corrupts Anaheim. The opening line had me hooked and I knew I had to finish this story.” wrote the judge. “My thoughts drifted to a long-ago college reading of ‘The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York.’ Pho and Elattar are doing their job: checking the power of powerful organizations that, without much resistance, they have taken too much power.”
Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Norberto Santana Jr took home the David McQuay Award for Best Columnist.
“The columns are well-documented and researched, and written with heart. The issues he wrote about might have been ignored or downplayed by other outlets, but they were interesting, important and had an impact on the community.” the judges wrote looking at Santana’s work.
Civic editor Spencer Custodio and reporter Hosam Elattar’s story, the FBI reveals what many Anaheim residents have felt for years, the City Council is run by the Chamber of Commerce, also won a distinction.
“Wow! Impressive saga of corruption in local government and its impacts on residents. Comprehensive and well-documented story,” the judges wrote of the newsroom’s reporting and writing.
Custodio and Elattar were also recognized for Best Political Story for Disney’s PAC Continues Spending Big To Sway Voters in Anaheim.
“This entry stood out for its clear and informative coverage of a local issue and local actors in an election where engaged voters can make a real difference without being overshadowed by the national political divide that dominates political coverage today,” they write the judges.
Noah Biesiada’s work covering the OC Power Authority was also recognized with a second place Best Beat Reporting.
The judges noted his “dogged coverage of a bureaucratic scandal that had a widespread impact”.
Biesiada and Tracy Wood Fellow, Angelina Hick took second place for best breaking news story for its story, Mission Viejo appoints city manager to lead city after judge puts Council majority.
“An engaging and easy-to-read story about a complicated subject.” said the judges.
Each year, all entries are judged by members of press clubs from other news markets. This year’s entries were judged by members of the Milwaukee Press Club, the Press Club of Cleveland, the Idaho Press Club and the Florida Press Club.
For the full list of winners, you can visit the OC Press Club.
