A News Cafe raked in a dozen California Journalism Awards via the California News Publishers Association for journalism excellence published by ANC in 2024. We are blown away, and honored to tell you more about the winning submissions in a moment.
For comparison with previous years, last year A News Cafe earned five CNPA California Journalism Awards. In 2023 ANC won seven CNPA awards, and in 2022 ANC received six. This year, we have received 12 awards, won by the combined efforts of five ANC team members: I won three awards, R.V. Scheide won two, Shawn Schwaller won one, Phil Fountain won two, and the top winner is Mike Chapman, who garnered four awards.
I am so proud of our tenacious, talented, hardworking team, whose work is consistently recognized by our peers affiliated with not only the California News Publishers Association, but other journalism organizations and media outlets from around the world.
Below are the winners and links to our respective submissions. Enjoy!
ANC CNPA recipients
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- Publisher/Journalist Doni Chamberlain
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- Journalist Mike Chapman
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- Cartoonist Phil Fountain
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- Journalist R.V. Scheide
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- Reporter/Professor Shawn Schwaller
Agricultural Reporting
Mike Chapman – First place: It’s ugly’: Grasshoppers annihilate backyard gardens, ranchers’ rangeland in massive insect invasion.
Western Drought-Voracious Grasshoppers
Editorial Cartoon
Phil Fountain – First Place: ‘No qualified candidates need apply’
Phil Fountain – Second Place: ‘Gosh, what’s the problem? We’ll put in a window, sheesh’
Environment Reporting
R.V. Scheide – Second Place: New Study Suggests California Should Start Counting Timber Industry’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Shawn Schwaller – First Place: Northern California Tribes Fight to Protect Maidu Ancestral Land in Plumas National Forest from Destructive Rainbow Gathering
Photographs of a Rainbow gathering held in 1977. Source: Facebook
Health Reporting
Mike Chapman – Third Place: Faces of fentanyl: Grieving local parents band together to confront lethal drug that killed their sons
Redding couple Tom and Nancy show a photo of their son Timothy, who died Dec. 2, 2021, from a fentanyl overdose in an Orange County motel room. The couple, who provide outreach to the homeless, asked that their last name not be used for this story. Photo by Mike Chapman for A News Cafe.
Profile Story
Mike Chapman – First place: ‘A tough kid’: Redding teen triumphs over rare medical condition
Can you guess that pink is Anakalia’s favorite color? Her hot pink brace matches her outfit. Photo by Mike Chapman
Investigative Reporting
R.V. Scheide – Second Place: The Redemption of Eric Magrini Part 1 & Part 2
Eric Magrini was Shasta County Sheriff from 2019 to 2021.
Doni Chamberlain – Fourth Place: After Months, Years, Rumors Lead to Facts Revealed About Candidate Corkey Harmon’s Tragic Family Ties
District 3 Supervisor Corkey Harmon.
Doni Chamberlain – Fifth Place: Victims, Classmates, Parents, County Staff Reveal Supervisor Kevin Crye’s Dark, Devious, Demented Side
District 1 Supervisor Kevin Crye.
Public Service Journalism
Mike Chapman – Third Place: Faces of fentanyl: Grieving local parents band together to confront lethal drug that killed their sons
Nick and Becca Bauder of Redding hold a photo of their son, Blake, who died of a fentanyl overdose in their home.
Food Writing/Reporting
Doni Chamberlain – Second Place: Unusual Turkey Roasting Technique Leads to Memories of Julia Child Encounter Bygone Newspaper Career
A News Cafe thanks YOU!
Although today we’re recognizing the 2024 CNPA award-winners, everyone on team ANC is a winner. And you’re a winner, too.
I only make this following pitch twice a year: when I announce our awards, and each November as we celebrate another birthday. (ANC turns 18 this year!) Without our paid subscribers and tech-savvy advertisers, A News Cafe wouldn’t/couldn’t exist.
At A News Cafe, we believe a free press should be free; and to us, that means free of paywalls, free of promotional popups and free of annoying cookie hoops.
A News Cafe is supported by a minority of our readers, a group of awesome, conscientious individuals who voluntarily contribute to A News Cafe at whatever level you can afford — starting at between $1.35 to $5 a month, working on up to greater monthly amounts to fit your budgets. We are profoundly grateful for every single dollar we receive as the combined contributions enable ANC to continue providing independent local news content, day in and day out.
Two of the most difficult things for me to do as the publisher of ANC are self-promotion and asking for financial help. But sometimes difficult conversations are necessary. It takes approximately five $5-monthly annual subscriptions for A News Cafe to pay for just one story written by a journalist or reporter. Let this sink in: One $60 annual subscription funds one-fifth of one story.
If you appreciate the local independent journalism A News Cafe provides, and if you are not already a subscriber, please consider contributing to this award-winning digital media company so we can continue our work. Thank you!
