The Press Democrat wins seven awards in CNPA Better Newspapers Contest

The Press Democrat won seven first- and second-place awards last weekend in the California Newspaper Publishers Association annual Better Newspapers Contest, including a top award for its breaking news coverage of the Valley fire that destroyed nearly 1,300 homes in Lake County last year and killed four people.

Competing in the category of newspapers with circulation between 35,000 and 150,000, the paper won a first-place award for front-page design presenting three significant stories: the historic Dawn Wall ascent in Yosemite National Park by Santa Rosa’s Kevin Jorgeson and climbing partner Tommy Caldwell; the Golden State Warriors’ 2015 NBA championship; and the devastation evident in Lake County as the smoke cleared on the second day of the Valley fire.

The massive 76,000-acre wildfire resulted in continuous online reporting and sustained front-page coverage over more than a week by Press Democrat photographers, reporters, designers and editors. The work earned the newspaper a first-place award for breaking news coverage.

Staff Writer Meg McConahey earned a first-place award in the category of non-profile feature writing for her story chronicling the lives of local families with relatives who reside at the Sonoma Developmental Center, the Sonoma Valley treatment facility for the disabled that is slated to be closed by the state at the end of 2018. McConahey’s story, “A World Apart,” also was published in Sonoma magazine.

The newspaper received four second-place awards in the following categories:

­Lifestyle coverage, for two consecutive Sonoma Living sections.

Column writing, for a selection of columns by Staff Writers Lowell Cohn and Kerry Benefield and Editorial Director Paul Gullixson.

Profile feature story, for a profile by former Staff Writer Jeremy Hay of retired CHP Officer Kevin Briggs, who spent 18 years averting suicides on the Golden Gate Bridge.

Sports game story, for coverage of the Dawn Wall climb in Yosemite by Staff Writer Phil Barber and former Staff Writer Matt Brown.

The awards recognized work published between Nov. 1, 2014 and Dec. 31, 2015.

The Press Democrat is owned by Sonoma Media Investments, which also owns the Petaluma Argus-Courier and The Sonoma Index-Tribune.

The Argus-Courier won the top award for general excellence in the category of weekly newspapers with circulation between 4,300 and 11,000.

Sports Editor John Jackson took first place for a sports story. Second-place honors went to News Editor Eric Gneckow for environmental reporting and to Photographer Scott Manchester for feature photo.

The Index-Tribune, competing in the category of weekly newspapers with circulation between 4,300 and 11,000, took first place for writing by Editor-in-Chief Jason Walsh and a sports action photo by Robbi Pengelly.

The paper took four second-place honors for investigative reporting by Staff Reporter Christian Kallen, education coverage by Education Editor Lorna Sheridan and for editorial commentary and columns by Walsh.