Category Archives: News

Orange County Press Club Seeking Journalists Across Mediums, Backgrounds to Step Up to Serve on Board

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The Orange County Press Club is looking for journalists to apply for open seats on its board of directors.
In addition to planning the Press Club’s annual awards gala and contest, the board of directors also hosts networking and informational events throughout the year for members. The volunteer board works alongside groups throughout California to advocate for press freedom and other issues important to journalists in Orange County.
The Press Club is looking for journalists from across a variety of mediums, publications and backgrounds to help fulfill this mission. Applicants for the board should send a short candidate statement by Oct. 15 to [email protected].
One of the goals of the current administration has been to expand the diversity of the board of directors to ensure that every journalist has a voice in Orange County.
“The Press Club is striving to better represent the broad diversity of Orange County both in demographics and across journalism mediums,” says Press Club President and LA Times Reporter Hannah Fry. “We’re not just looking for full-time reporters. We want our board to include freelancers, photographers, designers, audience engagement professionals and everyone in between. I’m optimistic this election will attract candidates who show how much Orange County journalism has to offer.”
Press Club members will vote to elect board members this fall.

2021 Orange County Press Club Awards: Video Announcement, In Memoriam and Winners List

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The Orange County Press Club welcomes members to view a virtual presentation of the 2021 Excellence in Journalism award recipients. An in-person awards gala is scheduled to return in 2022.

Announcement Video

In Memoriam Video

Full Winners List

TRADITIONAL

Best News Story

First place: Scott Schwebke

¨Even in the #MeToo age, this woman got nowhere trying to fight back against harassment,¨ Daily Breeze

 

Second place: Meghann Cuniff

¨Amid an increasing homeless population, Santa Ana fights with Orange County over jail releases,¨ Daily Pilot

 

Third place: Erika Ritchie

¨Two investigations underway to find cause of Marine Corps’ deadliest AAV training accident,¨ OC Register

 

Best News Feature Story

First place: Brandon Pho

“In South OC’s Wealthy, Mostly White School District, Students of Color Tell Stories of Racism, Harassment and Inaction,” Voice of OC

 

Second place: Erika Ritchie

“A year after Marine disappears on High Sierra hike, family still unsure of what happened,” OC Register

 

Third place: Scott Schwebke

“After 36 years and a troubled life, transgender veteran finally wins honorable discharge,” LA Daily News

 

Honorable Mention: Roxana Kopetman

“Vietnamese refugee convicted of murder is free after 23 years, faces possible deportation,” OC Register

 

Best Breaking News Story

First place: Noah Beisiada, Nick Gerda

¨Silverado Canyon Burns Again As Bond Fire Erupts Under High Winds,¨ Voice of OC

 

Second place: Andrew Turner

¨Baseball community mourns the death of Orange Coast College coach John Altobelli,¨ Daily Pilot 

 

Third place: Nick Gerda

¨OC to Ban all Public and Private Gatherings Under Emergency Health Order,¨ Voice of OC

 

Best Investigative Story

First place: Joe Nelson and Scott Schwebke

“Embattled Rialto Water District awards contracts to friends of new president,” San Bernardino Sun

 

Second place: Noah Biesiada

“The Great Park Tax: How Irvine Homeowners are Paying for the City’s Big Dream,” Voice of OC

 

Third place: Hannah Fry

“Kobe Bryant’s pilot had been disciplined by FAA,” LA Times

 

Best Series 

First place: Keith Sharon

“Loud in the Silence” series, OC Register

 

Second place: Joe Nelson and Scott Schwebke 

Series on the Rialto Water District, San Bernardino Sun

 

Third place: Norberto Santana Jr.

Series on the unemployed during the pandemic, Voice of OC

 

Best Beat Reporting 

First place: Jeff Collins

Housing and real estate, OC Register

 

Second place: Spencer Custodio

Angel Stadium sale, Voice of OC

 

Third place: Scott Schwebke

Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, LA Daily News

 

Honorable Mention: Deepa Bharath

Religion, OC Register

 

Best Public Affairs Story

First place: Beau Yarbrough

“Is a minimum 664 training hours enough to become a California police officer?” OC Register

 

Second place: Daniel Langhorne

“After swimmer deaths, OC Parks studies new gate for Table Rock Beach Access,” Laguna Beach Independent

 

Third place: Tony Saavedra

“Spate of deputy misconduct cases casts harsh spotlight on OC Sheriff’s Department,” OC Register

Judges’ Comments: “A very good explanation of an important concern.”

 

Best Feature Story

First place: Jonah Valdez and Ruby Gonzales

“First robbed of freedom by enslavement, then robbed of life by coronavirus,” OC Register

 

Second place: Sara Cardine

“Goat herd helps clear up a hillside headache at OC fairgrounds amphitheater,” Daily Pilot

 

Third place: Shawn Price

“Dialogue on Diversity and Racism with Multiracial Families,” Parenting OC

 

Honorable Mention: Gabriel San Román

“He was one of the first black cops in O.C. His memoir reveals struggles with racism and why he was forced out,” Daily Pilot

 

Best COVID-19 Feature Story

TIE: First place: Peter Lefevre

“What Do Local Performing Artists Do While They Wait to Get Back Onstage?” Voice of OC

 

TIE: First place: Norberto Santana Jr.

“Santana: Latinos in Santa Ana and Anaheim Confront a Day of The Dead Unlike Any Other,” Voice of OC

 

Second place: Deepa Bharath

“Hospital chaplains fill role of surrogate family members during times of isolation, depression, death,” OC Register

 

Best COVID-19 Fallout Story

First place: Jessica Peralta

“Can Pets Get COVID-19?” Parenting OC

 

Second place: Christopher Trela

Executive Dining, OC Business Journal

 

Third place: Shawn Price

“Mom Power— Giving Birth to Premature Twins During the Pandemic,” Parenting OC

 

Honorable Mention: Susan Christian Goulding

“Voiceless victims of coronavirus: Quarantined nursing homes plagued by stress and loneliness,” OC Register

 

Best COVID-19 Investigative Story or Series 

First place: Spencer Custodio, Nick Gerda and Noah Biesiada

“The Downplaying of Orange County’s Coronavirus Numbers”

 

Second place: Spencer Custodio and Brandon Pho

“Hospital Workers Ring Alarm Bells, Say Fountain Valley Hospital Could be Coronavirus Hotspot”

 

Third place: Ian Wheeler

“Lapses in state coronavirus data cause false plunge in Orange County case rates”

 

Best Election Coverage 

First place: Collin Breaux and Lillian Boyd

The Capistrano Dispatch/Dana Point Times 

 

Best Public Demonstration Story

First place: Brandon Pho and Julie Leopo

“Orange County Coastal Enclave Becomes Ground Zero of Police Violence Controversy and Protests,” Voice of OC

 

Best Round-Up or Best Of

First place: Brad A. Johnson

“Where to eat in Orange County in 2020: A map of the best places,” OC Register

 

Second place: Edwin Goei

“How an O.C. food critic navigates takeout and drive-throughs during the pandemic,” Daily Pilot

 

Third place: Anne Valdespino

“Perfect gift for the pandemic holidays? California’s fanciest chocolates,” OC Register

 

Best Business Story

First place: Jeff Collins

“Untethered from the office, urban tenants are flocking to the Inland Empire,” OC Register

 

Best Sports Story

First place: Kyle Goon

“For Lakers support staff, the bubble has been a frantic, collaborative effort,” OC Register

 

Second place: Andrew Turner

“Tony Ciarelli left his mark on high school track and field,” Daily Pilot

 

Third place: Richard Dunn

“Neither COVID-19 nor brain cancer can stop Jay Hewitt from completing an Ironman Triathlon,” OC Register 

 

Best Arts/Culture Story

First place: Joel Beers

“Stages Theatre, a Mainstay for 28 Years on the Local Theater Scene, Closes Its Doors,” Voice of OC

 

Second place: Roxana Kopetman

“When a Christmas tip leads to a story about family, work and music,” OC Register

 

Third place: Kristina Garcia

“Black Student Union Members from Garden Grove High Find Their Voice and Purpose,” Voice of OC

 

Best Arts/Culture Review

First place: Paul Hodgins

“Hodgins: ‘She Loves Me’ Serves as a Fine Directorial Debut,” Voice of OC

 

Second place: Liz Goldner

“New Exhibit Dirty Elements Subverts Classic Art Tropes,” Irvine Weekly

 

Third place: Laura Bleiberg

“American Ballet Theatre Takes Us to Ancient Greece in ‘Of Love and Rage’,” Voice of OC

 

Best Music/Entertainment Story

First place: Peter Larsen

“Jimmy Angel’s an 85-year-old teen idol with tales to tell of Pat Boone, a lucky teddy bear and the mob,” OC Register

 

Second place: Kelli Skye Fadroski

“No Doubt talks ‘Tragic Kingdom’ at 25: The tears, tours and triumphs behind the classic album,” OC Register

 

Third place: Kelli Skye Fadroski

“Tom Morello talks Chris Cornell, Rage Against the Machine’s first gig ahead of new release,” OC Register

 

Best Music/Entertainment Review

First place: Peter Larsen

“Patti Smith brings passion and poetry to the LA Phil’s Power To The People! festival,” OC Register

 

Second place: Kelli Skye Fadroski

“What it was like to see Andrew McMahon perform a concert to socially distanced fans at Drive-In OC,” OC Register

 

Third place: Simone Goldstone

“Soundcheck: Queen Tribute Band Reigns Supreme at OC Fairgrounds,” Newport Beach Independent

 

Best Health/Wellness Story

First place: Susan Christian Goulding

“COVID survivors already fight stigma and worry Trump’s diagnosis will make it worse,” OC Register

 

Second place: Deepa Bharath

“Have coronavirus shutdowns, restrictions spawned a mental health crisis?” OC Register

 

Best Environmental News Story

First place: Brandon Pho

“Annual High Tide Spurs Concerns About Future Safety of San Onofre Nuclear Waste Stock Near South OC,” Voice of OC

 

Second place: Sara Cardine

“Costa Mesa’s Fairview Park Wetlands, once seen as a boon, bogged down by deficiencies,” Daily Pilot

 

Third place: Brandon Pho

“Conservationists Split Over Poseidon Desal Project’s Potential to Help Bolsa Chica Wetlands,” Voice of OC

 

Best Education Story

First place: Sara Cardine

“Push for reopening Orange County schools without masks has pro-charter school links,” Daily Pilot

 

Second place: Andrew Turner

“‘You can’t see through the masks the smiles’: Students return to class in Laguna Beach,” Daily Pilot

 

Best Food/Restaurant Story

First place: Bradley Zint

“Any way you slice it, a cheesemonger’s profession is serious business,” Daily Pilot

 

Second place: Roy Rivenburg

“Will the pandemic hurt the candy-industrial complex?” LA Times

 

Third place: Anne Valdespino

“Local chefs are turning to Instagram to sell directly to consumers,” OC Register

 

Best Food/Restaurant Review

First place: Brad A. Johnson

“OC’s Best Places to Eat 2020: And the Restaurant of the Year is…” OC Register

 

Second place: Edwin Goei

“Review: As restaurants pivot to delivery, this food reviewer tests out local delivery-only ‘ghost kitchens,’” Daily Pilot

 

Third place: Edwin Goei

“Review: La Farola Empanadas moves from the back of a Tustin liquor store to its own restaurant in Costa Mesa,” Daily Pilot

 

Best Travel Story

First place: Jessica Kwong

“Travel: Downtown Miami comes alive for Super Bowl LIV,” OC Register

 

Second place: Erika Ritchie

“Travel: Mammoth Mountain opens up after coronavirus shutdown,” OC Register

 

Best Profile

First place: Deepa Bharath 

“Pastor builds huge TikTok following by sharing passion for chai and spiritual conversation,” OC Register

 

Second place: Peter Larsen

“Nearly 98, this man shook President Truman’s hand, befriended Dr. Seuss and Stan Lee and hasn’t stopped dancing,” OC Register

 

Third place: Susan Christian Goulding 

“Los Alamitos councilman slammed for racist email in 2009 faces Black colleague in reelection bid,” OC Register

 

David McQuay Award for Best Columnist 

First place: Patrice Apodaca

Daily Pilot

 

Second place: Norberto Santana Jr.

Voice of OC

 

Third place: Brad A. Johnson

OC Register

 

Marjorie Freeman Award for Best Humorous Story

First place: Susan Christian Goulding

“Chad and JT’s excellent adventure: Comics make viral video about Surf City’s ‘mask shortage,’” OC Register

 

Second place: Gabriel San Román

“‘You can’t laugh and be afraid at the same time:’ ‘Combating Coronavirus’ comedy provides much-needed levity,” Daily Pilot

 

Third place: Mark Crantz

“Applesauced,” Laguna Beach Independent

 

NON-TRADITIONAL or SPECIALTY PUBLICATION 

 

Best News Story

First place: Greg Mellen

“Tustin’s police recruits remain dedicated to agency’s community policing, public safety mission,” Behind the Badge

 

Best Feature Story

First place: Greg Mellen

“CUSD student was finalist for Boys and Girls Clubs national award,” CUSD Insider

 

Second place: Elysse James

“Capo Valley High counselor recognized as High School Counselor of the Year,” CUSD Insider

 

Third place: Greg Mellen

“Aviation student set to soar at Tesoro High,” CUSD Insider 

 

Best COVID-19 Coverage 

First place: Elysse James

CUSD Insider

 

Second place: Cindy Arora

Behind the Badge

 

Best Music/Entertainment Story or Review

First place: Jessica Peralta

“Candle House Collective Creates Connections, One Creepy Call at a Time,” Halloween Every Night

 

Second place: Richard Chang

“UCI Music Professor Uses Technology to Build Bridges,” UC Irvine

 

Third place: Daniella Litvak

“Fireflies @ South Coast Repertory – Review,” the Orange Curtain Review 

 

Best Arts/Culture Story or Review

First place: Brad A. Johnson

“Hotel Review: Cara, Los Angeles,” Brad A. Johnson, Food & Travel

 

Second place: Gabriel San Román

“Santa Ana Artist Reflects on Día de los Muertos with ‘And Still I Rise’ Installation,” Libromobile 

 

Third place: Patty Marsters

“ICT streams performance of ‘Daisy,’ starting Oct. 24,” LW Weekly 

 

Best Food/Restaurant Story or Review

First place: Brad A. Johnson

“The Disappearing Art & Rhythm of Chinese Tea in Hong Kong,” Brad A. Johnson, Food & Travel

 

MULTIMEDIA

 

Best Video

First place: Jose Hernandez

“May 30, 2020, Orange County Protests,” Voice of OC

 

Second place: Jose Hernandez
“Annual High Tide Spurs Concerns About Future Safety of San Onofre Nuclear Waste Stock Near South OC,” Voice of OC

 

Third place: Shawn Price

“Summoning the Ghost of Jacob Marley,” Halloween Every Night

 

Best Use of Multimedia

First place: Jessica Peralta

“Maverick Theater’s ‘Night of the Living Dead’: These Zombies Really Can’t Be Killed,” Halloween Every Night

 

Best Use of Data

First place: Brooke Staggs, Ian Wheeler and Alicia Robinson

“How Did Your Neighbor Vote?” OC Register

at illustrated the data were clear, colorful and useful. The graphics told the story of the data.”  

 

Best Audience Engagement/Use of Social Media

First place: Norberto Santana Jr., Spencer Custodio and Sonya Quick

Voice of OC

 

Second place: Brad A. Johnson 

 

Third place: Jessica Peralta

Halloween Every Night 

 

DESIGN/GRAPHICS

  

Best Graphic

First place: Sonya Quick

Hate Crimes, Voice of OC

 

Second place: Nicole Lavanier

Escape the Overlook, Halloween Every Night

 

Third place: Sonya Quick (with James Gordon and Jacob LaGesse)

Live Election Results, Voice of OC

 

Best COVID-19 Graphics

First place: Jeff Goertzen, Kurt Snibbe and Nikie Johnson

Evolution of a Pandemic, OC Register

 

Second place: Sonya Quick, Caitlin Bartusick and Nick Gerda

Orange County CA Coronavirus Tracker (among several submitted), Voice of OC

 

Third place: Kaz Fantone

“This Is a Public Service Announcement—With Ghouls,” Halloween Every Night

 

Best Illustration

First place: Justin Pakneshan

Thriller, Halloween Every Night

 

Second place: Justin Pakneshan

Millicent Patrick, Halloween Every Night

 

Third place: Jenna Red

Edward Scissorhands, Halloween Every Night

 

Honorable Mention: Ashley Oliman

The Brain That Wouldn’t Die, Halloween Every Night

 

PHOTOGRAPHY

 

Best News Photo

First place: Julie Leopo

Photo of Elsa Hernandez, Voice of OC

 

Second place: Lillian Boyd

Photo from BLM protest, Dana Point Times

 

Third place: Richard Koehler

Photo of pedestrian killed in hit and run, OC Register

 

Best Feature Photo

First place: John Fredricks

Photo of the Bond Fire, Epoch Times 

 

Second place: Brad A. Johnson

Photo of tom yum with fresh water lobster, OC Register

 

Third place: John Fredricks

Photo of Kwami Adzitso, Epoch Times

 

Best COVID-19 Coverage

First place: Steven Georges

Behind the Badge

 

Best Portrait

First place: Omar Sanchez

Photo of Reyna and Nina Gonzalas, Voice of OC

 

Second place: Julie Leopo

Photo of Joyce Perry, Voice of OC

 

Third place: Brad A. Johnson

Photo of Chef Susumu li at Sushi li, OC Register

 

Best Photo Essay or Slideshow

First place: Steven Georges

First Responder Gratitude Tour, Behind the Badge

 

Second place: Julie Leopo

Photos of a grocery truck, Voice of OC

 

Third place: Brad A. Johnson

Photos of best donuts, OC Register

 

SPECIAL

The Real O.C. Award is given to the story, review, feature, column, photo or broadcast/video that best captures something special, surprising, telling or essential about Orange County. 

 

First place: Gabriel San Román

“The Fantasies of Ole Hanson, San Clemente’s Founding Father,” Gustavo Arellano’s Weekly

 

Second place: Brad A. Johnson

“Critic’s Notebook: Why I’m rating restaurants for their COVID-19 response,” OC Register

 

Third place: Brandon Pho, Julie Leopo

“In Wake of Raucous Protests, Santa Ana Residents Rally Around Clean Up,” Voice of OC

OC Press Club joins California journalism coalition to oppose SB 98

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The Orange County Press Club Board of Directors agreed to join the following open letter distributed June 1. 

 

We, the undersigned organizations, which collectively represent thousands of California journalists, strongly oppose a recent amendment made to SB 98, a bill originally intended to protect journalists covering protests, demonstrations and civil unrest. This amendment may actually restrict existing press freedoms rather than expand them, turning this bill on its head and into something that hurts the very people it was written to help.

 

Many of our organizations — an unprecedented coalition of press associations, labor unions, and journalism advocacy groups — had endorsed SB 98 prior to this amendment, and others were actively considering doing so. But as now amended, we must withhold any endorsement and are prepared to actively oppose SB 98 until its intent to protect journalists is restored. 

 

We do not enter this political debate lightly. During the past two years, working conditions for California journalists have steadily deteriorated as many of our newspaper, television, radio, digital, freelance and student media colleagues covering protests have been arrested, detained or assaulted by law enforcement while on the job, including while covering the March 25 protest at Echo Park Lake in Los Angeles. Throughout California in the past 12 months alone, we have documented at least 36 incidents where police have injured, detained, arrested and violated the constitutional rights of clearly identifiable journalists.

 

SB 98, as originally introduced by Sen. Mike McGuire, would have modestly extended existing state protections for journalists working in disaster areas to also apply to journalists covering civil disturbances. But an amendment added by the Senate Appropriations Committee on May 20, 2021, would require journalists to seek permission of a police commander to enter closed areas around protests — a hurdle that doesn’t currently exist under state law. This is a clear attempt to hobble this bill. Journalists should not need permission from a police commander to cover protests, just as law enforcement-issued press credentials should not be required in order for journalists to exercise their First Amendment rights in a public forum. 

 

We are aware that law enforcement agencies, including the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, have been lobbying on SB 98 in recent months. We would point out that the Sheriff’s mishandling of press freedoms — the department’s deputies tackled and arrested KPCC’s Josie Huang last fall and have injured others — is one of the reasons our coalition formed in the first place.

 

We urge all First Amendment supporters in the California legislature to remove the amended language or strengthen SB 98 in a way that protects the vital activities of the press and the people’s right to receive information regarding matters of public concern. We encourage Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign a genuinely strengthened version into law.

 

Sincerely,

Asian American Journalists Association, Los Angeles chapter

Californians Aware

CCNMA: Latino Journalists of California

IBEW Local 45

Journalism and Women Symposium, Southern California (JAWS SoCal)

Los Angeles Press Club

Media Alliance

Media Guild of the West, NewsGuild-CWA Local 39213

National Association of Black Journalists of Los Angeles

National Association of Hispanic Journalists

National Press Photographers Association

National Writers Union

Online News Association Local Los Angeles

Orange County Press Club

Pacific Media Workers Guild, The NewsGuild-CWA Local 39521

Radio Television Digital News Association

Society of Professional Journalists, Greater Los Angeles chapter

Society of Professional Journalists, Northern California Chapter

We Make KCRW – SAG-AFTRA

OC Press Club Opens Award Submissions for 2020’s Record Year

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The OC Press Club is opening this year’s award submissions and looks forward to recognizing the county’s best journalism produced in extremely uncertain times.

The year of 2020 was filled with huge obstacles for local media: a pandemic, economic strife, wildfires and a national election. Orange County journalists faced all these reporting challenges while staffing continues to decline in the media landscape and while trying to maintain safe distancing protocols.

This year’s awards will be a bright spot in the media world as we gather together (later in 2021 in person or virtually) to celebrate how strong journalism informs, empowers and enlightens the community.

This year’s awards include new categories devoted to recognizing important work on topics such as COVID-19, natural disasters, demonstrations and the election.

> View the full list of award categories and how to enter submissions HERE.

> Work must be received by end of day Sunday, April 18.

Please reach out to [email protected] with any questions.

An Open Letter to Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do

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We are writing to express our deep disappointment with Supervisor Andrew Do’s recent comments on the number of public records requests submitted to the county in recent months. The documents requested by news organizations, including Voice of OC, are owned by the public. County officials are obliged by hard-won state laws to produce these records for public inspection.

Journalists use public records to uncover facts that taxpayers deserve to know even when it’s uncomfortable for public officials to address. Supervisor Do’s belittling of these requests as an annoyance erodes public trust in journalists and the work we do at a time when our profession is under attack.

Supervisor Do’s comments were a disservice, not only to the journalists who cover the county, but also to the public he was elected to serve. 

We were also disturbed by the supervisor referring to the award-winning, nonprofit Voice of OC as “noise.” In the midst of a pandemic, the need for accurate and timely information has never been more critical. The men and women of Voice of OC deserve to be treated with professionalism by Orange County’s top elected officials. We expect more from our elected representatives and urge Supervisor Do to apologize.

 

Respectfully,

The Orange County Press Club Board of Directors

Lillian Boyd

Ben Brazil

Hannah Fry

Alma Fausto

Kathy Hobstetter

Daniel Langhorne

Patrice Marsters

David N. Young

Bradley Zint

Note: Board Member Sonya Quick abstained from the discussion and vote on this letter as she is digital editor at Voice of OC.

 

[View this letter as a PDF.]

OC Press Club Opens Election for 2020-21 Board of Directors

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The Orange County Press Club has opened the election for the 2020-21 Board of Directors. Read on to learn more about this year’s candidates. Click the link to vote for your preferred candidates via SurveyMonkey.

 

Lillian Boyd

Lillian Boyd is the senior editor for Picket Fence Media and city editor for Dana Point Times. She grew up in Aliso Viejo, graduating from Aliso Niguel High School before earning a degree in journalism from Humboldt State University, where she reported and edited for her campus publication The Lumberjack. Early on in her career, she secured an internship at the Pentagon covering U.S. Army news. She also interned for the American Civil Liberty Union (ACLU) chapter in Los Angeles, interviewing incarcerated individuals in the LA County jails and drafting legal declarations. In Roanoke, Virginia, Lillian reported and anchored for WFIR, a local news radio station. She made her way back to Orange County in the fall of 2018 and has since been with Picket Fence Media.

Ben Brazil

As an experienced journalist for Los Angeles Times OC, I’ve covered everything Orange County—social issues, culture, technology, business, public safety and courts. I’ve covered council meetings that go long after midnight. I’ve covered the county’s struggle against homelessness and corruption in the district attorney’s office. I know Orange County. I grew up here and care deeply about the health of O.C. journalism.

As a board member for the Orange County Press Club, I would seek to continue advocating for the local journalism industry. At a time when journalists face ridicule and even violence for just doing their jobs, it’s vitally important that the OC Press Club continues to advocate for local journalists and provide a network for media professionals. The club’s voice has never been more important.

Alma Fausto

I have served as a board member for five years and am asking for a vote to continue to serve. During my time I have helped organize various events namely the annual Journalism Awards Gala and have helped award scholarships to high school and college students. I’ve been a reporter for the Orange County Register for the last seven years. Most of that time I’ve covered crime and public safety.

I’d like to continue being a part of the board because I believe young journalists and students are still very passionate about our mission despite the obstacles produced by the ever-changing industry. I would like to keep trying to motivate young journalists to join the club so they can connect and learn from industry professionals who have been through many more ups and downs. As a member of the Orange County Press Club I have been connected to reporters, editors, communications professionals, professors and others who I may not have otherwise known; I’d like to help more people do the same.

 

Hannah Fry

I have served as an Orange County Press Club board member for four years, most recently as president, and would love to continue to serve. During my years on the board I have helped our team organize events like the annual Journalism Awards Gala, facilitated the redesign of our website and have selected deserving high school and college students for scholarships. I’d like to continue to serve as a board member because I believe the future of journalism and those who are passionate about it remains strong despite the industry’s challenges.

I grew up in Orange County and started my journalism career at the Orange County Register as an intern before I was hired at the Daily Pilot in 2013. In 2018, I was promoted to the Los Angeles Times to cover breaking news across California. In January, I will begin covering Orange County for the Times. I approach my reporting with a focus on accountability and a passion for shedding light on issues that make Orange County such a unique place in California.

 

Kathy Hobstetter

I am an international journalist and have been a Board member for five years on the OC Press Club. I have really have enjoyed being a part of it.
I have a publication, The iJump Sports Business Journal, that has always been based here in the OC and covers the international show jumping horse business, which has a financial impact of millions on the economy and the people and businesses who “play” in that sport. I have lived in Orange County since 1965.

I truly love promoting or writing about just about anything and did extensive freelance writing before I opened my own magazine. I believe I bring to the OC Press Club an energy and enthusiasm for journalism that will be fun and exciting.

PS…Violette Murphy was my mother and I lived through her being one of the first journalists in the world who went to jail in 1961 for refusing to reveal a news source, groundbreaking at the time.

 

Patty Marsters

Patty Marsters has served on the board of the Orange County Press Club since 1998, acting in many roles, including president and secretary. For the past few years, she has focused her organizational skills on putting together the annual Excellence In Journalism contest. She previously was associate editor of OC Weekly, a publication she joined as an intern in 1995. Ms. Marsters also mentors aspiring writers and editors at Newport Harbor High School and co-leads a multilevel Girl Scout troop. In her spare time, Ms. Marsters reads for fun, creates baked goods, and rants at inanimate objects (such as her computer) about her grammatical and writing pet peeves. She prefers writing in the first person, but uses third person for these sorts of biographies. Ms. Marsters lives in Orange with her two daughters, two cats, and a very old goldfish named George.

 

Daniel Langhorne

I moved to Orange County from my hometown of Santa Barbara in 2008 to attend Chapman University. I wrote for the college newspaper, The Panther, for nearly four years before obtaining my B.A. in Political Science and English with an emphasis in Journalism. While attending Chapman, I started interning for the Orange County Register as a community blogger in Orange. In October 2012, I was hired as a staff writer covering Orange and Villa Park. I went on to cover the Nixon Presidential Library & Museum as well as housing, development, education, water and local politics in other Orange County cities.

Since leaving the Register in 2015, I have written for Law360, the Foothills Sentry, the Newport Beach Independent, the Laguna Beach Independent, Los Angeles Times Community News, and the California Business Journal. I’m currently managing editor for the Laguna Beach Independent and engagement editor for the nonprofit newsroom, The War Horse.

As an Orange County Press Club scholarship winner, I believe the press club plays an important role in fostering the next generation of journalists. The world needs journalists more than ever and I’d like the opportunity to help keep the press club strong.

 

Sonya Quick

I believe in the power of journalism. I see power in the act of impartial observers who seek the truth and report it. I see the critical value of an independent press that acts as the fourth estate. I see the difference in communities where reporting illuminates underserved populations. I see hope in opportunities for divided people to come together and engage in civil discourse.

I would like the opportunity to serve on the Orange County Press Club board in a time when journalism needs passionate defenders more than ever. I have seen firsthand the value journalism organizations, such as the Society of Professional Journalists and Online News Association, to serve and protect journalists. I have been an OC Press Club member for much of my time as a professional journalist and I recently redesigned the club’s website.

I have more than a decade of experience in leading efforts to create more connected journalism across devices, social platforms and communities. I am digital editor at Voice of OC where I manage online fundraising, marketing, engagement, digital storytelling and user experience. I am also an adjunct professor of digital journalism at Chapman University. Previously I was an editor, digital journalist and reporter at the Orange County Register for nearly a decade and I have freelanced for multiple platforms including OC Family magazine. My personal career goal is to continue finding ways to build sustainable news organizations that enable communities to be informed and engaged around local issues.

 

David Young

David N. Young is a working journalist and internationally recognized public affairs strategist who has worked in a variety of public capacities throughout his career. Currently, he is an editor with Community Media Corporation and has formerly served as editor of the Catalina Islander,
the Seal Beach Sun and other publications. Based for many years in Washington, D.C., he now lives and works in Southern California.

As a strategist, David has counseled local, state, and federal agencies, Fortune 500 companies, public officials and non-profit organizations. He was awarded the journalism award in high school, the telecasting innovation award in college and was first named to Who’s Who in America in 1994. He attended the LSU School of Journalism and studied broadcasting at the University of Southwestern Louisiana. His work has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Information Agency and others.

Bradley Zint

My name is Bradley Zint and I am a freelance journalist based in Orange County. Most of my full-time newspaper career was spent writing and editing at the Daily Pilot, part of the Los Angeles Times Community News division, here in O.C. But I also worked at newspapers based in Long Beach, Massachusetts and Alaska, covering every topic possible (even fishing) that wasn’t sports. Now I keep a busy freelance schedule while pursuing other opportunities. If elected to the Orange County Press Club board, I would work to make the annual awards dinner affordable and organize events that working journalists would find interesting. Thank you for your consideration.

 

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OC Press Club Accepting Entries for 2020 Awards Contest

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The Orange County Press Club is now accepting awards contest entries for work published during the 2019 calendar year.

The annual awards contest is a great opportunity for professional journalists in Orange County to submit work for evaluation against other journalists in the region.

The awards gala where the award finalists are announced is also a unique moment each year for Orange County journalists to gather, network, relax and recognize the important role media plays in the community.

CLICK HERE for the awards contest categories and rules on submitting work for consideration.

Press Club Gathers for AB 5 Discussion

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The Orange County Press Club hosted a panel discussion last night, Feb. 6, around AB 5.

The group of editors discussed so-far known and potential future impacts on media, newspapers and freelance journalists. Click here to see video recorded live at the event.

Thank you to the panelists: John Canalis, assistant managing editor at Los Angeles Times; Todd Harmonson, senior editor at Orange County Register & Southern California News Group; and Peter Brennan, executive editor at Orange County Business Journal. The Press Club appreciates their insight into how the new state regulation of independent contractors is impacting Orange County newspapers.