Please indulge me this month while I use this space to tout some big awards this little newspaper has earned.
First, on a national level: Matt King won first place in the Music Writing category of the annual AAN Awards. There’s no breakdown into categories; all publications, no matter the size, compete against one another. In other words, Matt and the Independent were honored as having the best music writing among all alternative newspapers (that entered the contest, at least), period—which is pretty significant.
On the state level: The Independent took home a whopping 15 California Journalism Awards, from the California News Publishers Association, for work done in 2023. The CNPA does break down entries into categories, and the Independent falls into Category 5, for “weeklies” with a print circulation between 11,000 to 25,000; publications with an average of 300,000 to 399,000 unique online visitors per month; or a staff of six to 10 full-time-equivalent employees. (We have nowhere near that many unique visitors or employees, but our monthly print circulation is around 16,000, so that’s our category.) For some awards, the CNPA combines categories.
Most significantly: We finished third in our category for General Excellence—even though the vast majority of our competitors are MUCH larger.
Other awards:
• First place (all divisions) in the Online Story Presentation Page Layout and Design category. In other words: We have the best website in the state, as far as the judges are concerned.
• Second place (Division 5) in the Coverage of Business and the Economy category, for “Open During Construction: Backstreet Art District Business Owners Bemoan the Lack of Communication Regarding a Storm Water-Drainage Project,” by Kevin Fitzgerald.
• Second place (Divisions 4-7) in the Print Front Page Layout and Design category, for Dennis Wodzisz’s cover designs.
• Second place (Divisions 4 and 5) in the Print Inside Page Layout and Design, for Dennis Wodzisz’s design of The Music Issue (April 2023).
• Second place (Divisions 4-7) in the Tourism/Travel Writing/Reporting category, for “Vine Social: A Trip to Mexican Wine Bootcamp in Baja Was Eye-Opening—and Beyond Impressive,” by Katie Finn.
• Third place (Divisions 4-7) in the Best Newsletter category, for the Indy Digest, by Jimmy Boegle.
• Third place (Divisions 4-7) in the Immigration Reporting category, for “Unpredictable Arrivals: A Look at How Riverside County Deals With the Tens of Thousands of Asylum-Seekers Who Pass Through Each Year,” by Kevin Fitzgerald.
• Third place (Divisions 4-7) in the Religion and Faith Writing category, for “Helping the Poorest: The Galilee Center Plans to Double in Size to Meet the Ever-Growing Need for Services in the Eastern Coachella Valley,” by Cat Makino.
• Third place (Divisions 4 and 5) in the Music Writing/Reporting category for “Emotional Enjoyment: Pappy & Harriet’s and the McCallum Theatre Unite to Present Emo Orchestra,” by Matt King.
• Fourth place (Divisions 4 and 5) for “Desert Rock Pilgrimage: Kyuss Fans From Around the World Make an Annual Journey to the ‘Welcome to Sky Valley’ Sign,” by Matt King.
• Fourth place (Division 5) in the Environment Reporting category for “Colorado River Water: Local Effects,” by Kevin Fitzgerald.
• Fourth place (Division 5) in the Homelessness Reporting category, for “Civic Solutions: Local Food Banks and Service Agencies Are Working to Decrease the Stigma Around Food Insecurity—While Helping Those in Need,” by Maria Sestito.
• Fifth place (Divisions 4 and 5) in the Editorial Comment category, for “Please Prepare for Hilary, and Take the Storm Seriously (Indy Digest Special),” by Jimmy Boegle.
• Fifth place (Divisions 4-7) in Print Special Section category, for the Best of Coachella Valley (December 2023).
Congrats to all the winners! Our talented staffers and contributors make me very, very proud.
Note: This is a slightly edited version of the editor’s note that appeared in the August 2024 print edition. This was originally published online in the July 18 Indy Digest.
Thank you for the exceptional reporting !