L.A. Times Wins Two Journalism Awards from Covering Climate Now
Times Energy Reporter Sammy Roth was recognized for the Boiling Point newsletter, and Columnists Erika D. Smith and Anita Chabria were recognized for their series ‘Rebuild, Reburn’
The Los Angeles Times has earned two honors in the 2023 Covering Climate Now journalism awards, which recognize the best in climate journalism worldwide. The awards, which were announced on Sept. 18, recognized winners in 15 media categories.
The Times’ Boiling Point written by Energy Reporter Sammy Roth won in the Writing - Newsletter category. In praising the newsletter that focuses on climate change and the environment in California and the American West, the competition judges wrote, “Roth is telling the climate story from every angle with verve and rigor. Writing in the first person, Roth gives readers a window into his reporting process and makes complex subjects accessible.
“For readers with climate anxiety, Boiling Point never misses the solutions angle,” the judges continued. “Roth imbues his stories with empathy, especially stories about the people on the frontlines of the climate emergency.”
In addition, Times Columnists Erika D. Smith and Anita Chabria won in the Writing - Special Recognition category for the four-part series Rebuild, Reburn, in which they ask the crucial question: Should California rebuild every vulnerable town burned by wildfire? The duo spent months talking to climate scientists, fire officials, elected officials, residents and more, concluding that the state needs a comprehensive land-use plan evaluating where and how to rebuild through the lens of science, not sentiment.
The competition judges commended the columnists’ commentaries as a “sweeping, deeply human, unflinching series that our judges said pushed forward their own perception of what news commentary can be and achieve.”
The judges continued, “the report takes stock of the California fires story so far and advances it by miles, combining reporting, exhaustive research and rigorous data analysis. They arrive at conclusions that are as challenging as they are compelling.”
For more on the awards, visit coveringclimatenow.org.
