L.A. Times and Times Community News Earn Multiple O.C. Press Club Awards

The Los Angeles Times and Times Community News were honored last Thursday, June 15 at the 2023 Orange County Press Club awards gala in Anaheim.

The annual awards contest recognizes outstanding Orange County journalism. In all, The Times was recognized in eight awards categories and the Daily Pilot in nine.

Among the highlights, The Times won first place for best breaking news story for an article on how victims fought back during the deadly shooting at a Taiwanese church in Laguna Woods. The article was penned by Reporters Hannah Fry, Richard Winton, Laura Newberry, Jeong Park, Andrew J. Campa and Community Engagement Editor Anh Do.

Fry, whose work was part of several winning entries in the competition, said covering the shooting in Laguna Woods was particularly challenging. “Reporters who cover gun violence understand the toll it takes and the immense pressure that comes with telling a story that honors the people who were killed and injured and tries to make sense of tragedy for our readers,” she said. “But it was also the coverage I was most proud of because of how every piece of our newsroom worked together.”

She called the article “a collaborative effort” that involved many reporters and editors in the hours and days after the shooting. “I’m thankful every day that I get to work alongside such talented journalists,” she said.

See the list of Times and TCN winners by category:

Best Breaking News Story
First place: Staff of the Los Angeles Times, Churchgoers tackled, hogtied gunman after deadly Laguna Woods church shooting

Best News Feature Story
Third place: Hannah Fry, After a Black student faced racist slurs, some wonder: Will O.C. ever change?

Best Investigative Story or Series
Honorable Mention: Connor Sheets, Hannah Fry and Laura J. Nelson, Mater Dei football players allegedly sexually assaulted teammate, police record says

Best Public Affairs Story
First place: Hannah Fry, Amid housing crunch, officials want Orange County to stay the way it is

Best Long-Form Feature Story or Series
Second place: Priscella Vega, Inside one O.C. Mexican Catholic family, abortion still divides generations

Best Feature Story
Honorable Mention: Andrew Turner, Orange Coast College honors late coach, renames facility John Altobelli Park

Best Political Story
Second place: Andrew Turner, Ongoing rancor on Laguna Beach City Council turns uglier this election season

Best Round-Up or Best Of
Second place: Edwin Goei, Chopstick-lickin’ good: Where to find Asian takes on fried chicken in Orange County

Best Music/Entertainment Story
First place: Andrew Turner, Carnival carnage: Demolition derbies are a shattering spectacle at the O.C. Fair
Second place: Sarah Mosqueda, Wine labels to record labels

Best Food/Restaurant Story
First place: Gabriel San Román, In Anaheim, taco vendors and officials play a game of cat-and-mouse
Third place: Sarah Mosqueda, Orange County’s diverse vegan Mexican food movement gains momentum

Best Food/Restaurant Review
Third place: Edwin Goei, At the Disneyland Resort, it’s a small world of food after all

Best Travel Story
Second place: Anh Do, Taiwanese, Koreans and Hong Kongers can finally travel home. But others are out of luck

Best Profile
Third place: Sara Cardine, Newport Beach retiree Stan Ross, aka the Metal Detector Man, finds O.C.’s lost riches

Best Religion Story
Second place: Lilly Nguyen, Faith leaders gather in Newport Beach to pray for Ukraine, world on National Day of Prayer

David McQuay Award for Best Columnist
Second place: Patrice Apodaca, Daily Pilot

The full list of winners can be found at orangecountypressclub.com.