The following candidates have applied for a position on the 2027 Orange County Press Club Board of Directors. Candidates were asked to provide a short biography and a candidate statement. The OC Press Club is publishing their responses unedited.

Click here to vote for the 2027 slate of candidates. Ballot responses will be collected until September 28, 2026.

Noah Biesiada, Voice of OC

Noah Biesiada serves as Voice of OC’s county reporter, covering the county board of supervisors and the $10 billion government they oversee.

Biesiada started as an intern in July 2019, helping launch Voice of OC’s disaster news coverage and report on the cities of south Orange County such as Irvine, Mission Viejo, Laguna Niguel, and other coastal cities like Huntington Beach and San Clemente.

Currently, Biesiada’s reporting is focused on county agencies such as the sheriff’s department, the courts, and other departments along with the cities of Irvine, Newport Beach and Huntington Beach.

His reporting has led to a host of reforms across Orange County governments including the Orange County Power Authority, the OC Fire Authority and Irvine’s Great Park.

He’s won several awards from state and local press organizations for his reporting on the county’s disaster preparedness, breaking news and other investigations and won 2023 Online Journalist of the Year from the LA Press Club.

I think the press club board needs a dedicated group of professional journalists looking to defend the First Amendment and the public’s right to know. Every day in this county we see cities and government agencies denying public records request, circumventing the Brown Act and looking to short circuit transparency laws. This board needs to be in a position to call that out, operating in a transparent manner and serving as the voice of our local press corps message to power.

Ben Camacho, Inadvertent, The Southlander

Ben Camacho is a multi-award winning investigative journalist and documentary photographer. His work focuses on state-sanctioned violence and the communities impacted by it.

His work has exposed a police gang, paved the way to a police oversight commission, forced a city to cancel its contract with ICE, and helped create the first ever database to use police headshot photographs for identification. He was sued twice by the City of Los Angeles in a failed effort to censor public records.

He founded Inadvertent, an independent investigative outlet. He co-founded and is a producer with the West Side Storytellers, a documentary production team whose flagship project received the Charles M. Rappleye Investigative Journalism Award from the Los Angeles Press Club. He co-founded The Southlander, LA’s first investigative news cooperative, and serves as the outlet’s Managing Editor. He chaired the legal committee at IWW Freelance Journalists Union from 2021 until 2025, where they organized to create better working conditions for freelancers across the country.

He has spoken at Yale, CUNY, USC, Cal State Northridge, Santa Ana College and the University of La Verne and numerous conferences about his work. He is featured in a documentary titled “Flashpoint: Protests, Policing and The Press” produced by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University.

In 2023, he was named a “Distinguished Journalist” by the Society of Professional Journalists-LA.

I’ve spent close to a decade reporting on state-sponsored violence and the people impacted by it. My journalism has pushed a city out of its contract with ICE and led to a police oversight commission, and helped create a first-of-its-kind transparency database. That same work got me sued twice by the City of Los Angeles for publishing public records the city handed over and then wanted back. Both times I stood up for press freedom and the First Amendment. Both times, I won.

I’m running because I know what it’s like to do this work without an institution standing behind you. Most of my career has been freelance. When the lawsuits came, it was other journalists who stood in solidarity with me, including this press club who joined the call to drop the cases against me. From 2021 to 2025 I chaired the legal committee at the IWW Freelance Journalists Union, organizing for better pay, contracts, and legal footing for freelancers around the country. I co-founded The Southlander, the region’s first investigative news cooperative, because I wanted to build something journalists actually own. I am also the publisher of Inadvertent, an independent muckraking outlet.

The OC press club could be a cornerstone for local journalists, offering resources, support and an inclusive community. It should be the thing a reporter can call when a city attorney sends a letter, when an agency stonewalls a records request, or when layoffs happen and a dozen people are suddenly freelancers. I want to push the OC Press Club toward that: real support for independent, freelance journalists, and staffers, shared legal knowledge.

I would be honored to serve on the OC Press Club.

Mona Darwish, Orange County Register / SCNG

As a bilingual journalist, I cover immigration and local government across five Orange County cities for the Orange County Register, including Santa Ana, Fullerton, and Tustin.

Prior to that, I spent three years as a crime and breaking-news reporter on the night-cop beat, covering four counties for multiple newspapers under the Southern California News Group. There, I reported on stories ranging from murders, wildfires, and mass shootings to fatal crashes, robberies, and airplane accidents, all through a trauma-informed lens.

At a time when so many local journalists are facing the same pressures, I want to help foster community and build support systems for one another.

If given the opportunity, I’d help coordinate events that tackle burnout, trauma, and safety. I would also work to expand access to trainings and resources for navigating public-records delays, and create chances to connect with one another.

Hosam Elattar, Voice of OC

I am an Orange County reporter with six years of experience. I have covered education during the pandemic, Anaheim’s corruption scandal, Little Arabia, North OC cities, homelessness & housing, food insecurity, religion and the Arab American community. I’ve also taught journalism students at Chapman University for the past two years.

The most important role the press club has is to stand up and speak out for the rights and freedoms of local reporters in OC. The board’s role should be to support our members and their rights especially when they are challenged. It is vital that local journalists band together to protect our institution and the public’s right to information. I would like to see the press club host workshops, panels and trainings in person and on Zoom to help make our members better reporters. I would like to see the press club fund more scholarships. I think it’s time to reimagine the annual press club awards & judging — I would like to see awards for university students at the event. This past year, I successfully led a push to revamp the bylaws for the club to ensure the board upheld democratic values.

Carrie Freitas, KTM Agency

Though I’m not currently an active journalist, I was trained as a journalist, with internships at Orange Coast Magazine, KABC-TV News, KNBC-TV News and CNN’s LA Bureau. I have written for Riviera Magazine and served as the Editor-in-Chief of Coast Kids Magazine for four years (owned by Freedom Communications — the OC Register’s former parent company). I also am a sometime contributor to Fox 11 KTTV News as a guest on-air talent for food and gift guide segments. I have been working as a PR pro since 1992, and own and operate my own marketing + PR firm, KTM Agency, based in Newport Beach.

I am a staunch advocate for a free press and for a healthy and thriving local press ecosystem, in particular. I firmly believe that our democracy can’t survive without a free and healthy local press and that our communities will cease to thrive without it. As such, I will do whatever I can to champion and support journalists in Orange County. I believe I have a strong reputation for standing behind these statements and genuinely value and appreciate every media professional in this community. In my second year (this past year) as an OC Press Club Board Member, I worked with a committee to continue to improve the OC Press Club Awards Gala, making it run more smoothly than ever before — and ensuring our members were celebrated and honored in a special way. I’ve brought strong energy and leadership to the board, often taking charge of projects and ensuring they are completed in a timely and strategic manner. This year, that included getting the Press Club bookkeeping, taxes, and nonprofit status filings/legal documents updated and streamlined. I financed this process as well as directed it to ensure the Press Club was in compliance in all areas. I would love the opportunity to be a board member again in order to bring some additional concepts to life, including additional events that provide an opportunity for journalists to connect and build community outside of their respective newsrooms. I also have continued to donate to the OC Press Club scholarship fund, showing my investment in supporting the next generation of journalists. Thank you for considering me for your vote.

Breeana Greenberg, Times Media Group

I graduated from Chapman University in 2021 with a Bachelor of Arts in English with an emphasis in journalism. I recently completed my Master’s of Science in Journalism at USC and freelancing for Times Media Group. I grew up in Newport Beach and attended high school in Santa Ana.

I’m passionate about telling individuals’ stories and keeping communities informed about their local governments, which is why I especially enjoy writing for hyper-local newspapers. As an undergraduate, I covered Newport Beach City Council meetings for Voice of OC through its collegiate news service and wrote for the Laguna Beach Independent as a contributing writer. I also served as the Dana Point City Reporter for Picket Fence Media, covering South Orange County.

I briefly taught at Chapman University as a part-time lecturer for the journalism department and discovered a deep passion for education. That experience inspired me to return to graduate school, with the goal of reentering higher education and continuing to share the importance of local journalism with the next generation of reporters. I graduated from USC Annenberg in May 2026 and am now seeking work as a freelance reporter or public relations professional.

If reelected, my goal is to make the Orange County Press Club an even more connected and member-driven community for local journalists. At a time when our industry is facing enormous challenges, I believe it is more important than ever for journalists to have opportunities to connect with, learn from and support one another.

I want to create more opportunities for members to be actively involved in shaping the Press Club, even if they aren’t serving on the board. This could include inviting members to help plan events and educational programs, contribute ideas for outreach, volunteer at Press Club events and connect the organization with journalists and newsrooms in their communities. I want members to feel that they have a voice in what the Press Club does and that they can contribute to its growth without having to hold a board position.

I’m also interested in continuing to advocate for young journalists entering the field by encouraging local news organizations to provide information about scholarships, grants, fellowships and other opportunities when recruiting interns and early-career journalists.

Michelle King, Voice of OC

Currently, I serve as a reporting fellow for the Voice of OC, where I primarily cover local government across the county, with focuses on transportation, housing and health. I recently graduated from Cal State Fullerton with a B.A. in English and a minor in journalism. While there, I worked at the Daily Titan, serving as news editor, podcast producer and associate managing editor, as well as news broadcast intern for Titan Radio, over the course of two and a half years.

I believe that all people deserve not only to know, but also to understand the impact and scope of decisions being made by their city leaders. In the news desert that is OC, it is more important than ever that journalists of all experience levels form a bond through the need to cultivate accurate, thorough and accessible news.

To further this mission of keeping news available and understandable for all, I believe it is vital to involve and support the next generation of journalists. As part of the OC Press Club board, I would like to help expand outreach to university and high school papers to provide support and mentorship to our next generation of journalists, while strengthening connections between current members and advocating for a free press.

Victoria Le, The Orange County Register

Victoria Le is a reporter for the Orange County Register, covering the cities of Anaheim, Irvine, Orange and the communities that make up Little Saigon. Le graduated Phi Beta Kappa from UC Irvine with degrees in English and Literary Journalism. She’s written for several publications, including those under the Southern California News Group, The Nation and The Verge.

So many newsrooms are smaller these days and with that in mind, I believe the OC Press Club’s role in connecting journalists becomes increasingly important. As a member of the OC Press Club Board, I’d like to organize more gatherings and networking opportunities — trivia nights, Angels’ games, picnics, etc. — to help connect area journalists to their peers.

I’d also like to give opportunities for up and coming journalists, including high school and college students, to help with board activities, for example, perhaps with organizing events, to help them get acquainted with Orange County’s journalism scene.

Paul Roberts, OC Talk Radio

Created Orange County’s only online radio station and community podcast platform 15 years ago here at UCI’s Beall Applied Innovation Center. Giving businesses and community groups a voice on the Internet including The City of Hope, the OC Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and UCI Law School. With our weekly public affairs program OC SPOTLIGHT showcasing the most amazing people doing the most incredible things here in our community like recent guest Leigh Steinberg, super agent to NFL Quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes and author of the book COMEBACK chronically his rise to fame, fall from grace and amazing comeback to the top of his field (a field he singlehandedly helped create).

Orange County is the fifth biggest county in America and yet has no real radio stations or televesion stations it can call its own. Which is why I created OC TALK RADIO 15 years ago as an online radio station and live podcasting platform to give local businesses and community groups a “voice on the Internet”. A place to showcase community leaders and hold community conversations. And serve as a community voice.

In my mind, it’s the reimagination of traditional radio connecting it back to the community it serves, projecting its voice thru the ethernet (instead of the “ether”). And showcasing local talent and topics, all of which show why “orange” rhymes with nothing else.

Streaming (not screaming) talk radio.

Jenn Tanaka, Southern California News Group

Jenn Tanaka is a food and travel writer. She is also an editorial consultant who works on developing platforms with companies such as the Irvine Co.

Jenn’s stories appear in publications including EATER, Orange County Register, MSN, Southern California News Group newspapers, COAST magazine, Parenting OC, and more.
She has worked on the marketing and merchandising teams at Food & Wine and The New Yorker. She uses those skills to host in-person activations spotlighting local journalism and southern California life.

Jenn was a member of the first graduating literary journalism class from the University of California, Irvine (UCI). She double majored in Literary Journalism and English.

Later, she pursued a passion for cooking at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York.
Jenn staged at restaurants such as Eleven Madison Park, Le Bernardin, Marea, and Anita Lo’s now shuttered restaurant, Annisa. She cooked in a Michelin star kitchen under the tutelage of chef John Fraser. When Jenn moved back to California, she developed recipes for an innovative female chocolatier in Beverly Hills, which led to multi-million dollars in sales.
In 2026, Jenn launched a college student writers program to help develop young voices in Orange County.

I’m passionate about local journalism and storytelling. Organizations like the OC Press Club aim to protect our American rights while continuing to inform and educate the public about what’s happening on a local level. I understand that limited budgets have compromised our newsrooms in recent years, but this is why I feel the need to be an advocate for the freedom of the press.

My experience in New York publishing also gave me insight on how to build partnerships and activate events to engage readers. My newsroom experience at the Orange County Register and EATER L.A. gave me a breadth of writing styles that allows me to engage with different audiences.

Destiny Torres, LAist

My name is Destiny Torres, and I am a multimedia journalist. Today, I am a full-time reporter at LAist, covering all things Southern California, including Orange County, as well as digital equity. I’ve covered stories on how local government decisions impact youth, police oversight and other accountability reporting.

Before the LAist, I covered county government and the city of Santa Ana for the Orange County Register.

My vision is for the OC Press Club to continue being a pillar for our journalist community. I’d like to organize more panels, more free training and more opportunities for us to see one another and lift each other up as we navigate this ever-evolving industry.

The Orange County Press Club board would like to thank the organizations and individuals who donated in support of our student journalist scholarships.

– Carrie Freitas of KTM Agency
– Norberto Santana of Voice of OC
– Scott Rogers of Parenting OC, Fountain Valley Living, and Huntington Beach Living
– Rossmoor Women’s Club
– Christopher Trela
– Andrew Turner
– Carol Cormaci

Every year, the club is honored to help supplement the education of our young journalists. We couldn’t do it without the generosity of our community members.

The Orange County Press Club is thrilled to announce the return of its highly anticipated Annual Awards Gala on Wednesday, June 17, at 6 p.m. at the beautiful Anaheim Hills Golf Club.

Tickets are officially on sale now for the celebratory evening honoring outstanding journalism, media professionals, storytellers, and scholarship recipients from across Orange County and Southern California.

The annual gala serves as one of the region’s signature gatherings for journalists, editors, broadcasters, photographers, public relations professionals, students, and community leaders. Guests can expect an evening filled with meaningful recognition, networking, memorable moments, and celebration of the stories and storytellers shaping Orange County.

“This year’s gala is about coming together to celebrate the incredible talent, passion, and resilience within our media community,” said Destiny Torres, President of the Orange County Press Club. “As many in our industry continue navigating evolving challenges and financial pressures, the Board made the intentional decision to keep ticket prices unchanged this year to help ensure the event remains accessible and welcoming to our members and colleagues.”

The evening will include presentation of the Orange County Press Club Excellence in Journalism Awards, scholarship recognitions supporting the next generation of journalists, a three-course dinner, and networking opportunities with professionals from across the media and communications industries. Award-winning journalist Gustavo Arellano is confirmed to serve as one of the evening’s emcees.

Gala attendees will enjoy a seated dinner at Anaheim Hills Golf Club with entrée selections and complimentary red and white wine at each table. Additional beverages will be available for purchase at the venue’s cash bar. Additional program details, scholarship recognitions, and event announcements will be shared in the coming weeks.

Tickets are available now at $75 per person and must be purchased by June 3. You can purchase your tickets here.

Calling all aspiring journalists! The OC Press Club is excited to announce that scholarship applications are open for students passionate about pursuing a career in journalism.

To apply, send a cover letter explaining why journalism matters to you and why you want to be a journalist, along with your resume, and 3 to 5 samples of your work to ocpressclub@gmail.com. Please be sure to write “SCHOLARSHIP” in the subject line.

The deadline to apply is May 17. We look forward to supporting students on their journalism journeys!