In summary

CalMatters journalists are lauded for their work — from hard-charging investigations to broad projects like Digital Democracy.

CalMatters is being honored with nine Northern California journalism awards, including for best investigative, explanatory, health and environmental reporting. The organization also garnered three photojournalism awards and its first-ever honors for commentary.
Additionally, Senior Director of Product Sapna Satagopan was named an “unsung hero” — a distinction that celebrates someone “whose contribution to journalism usually happens behind the scenes and is often overlooked.”

The awards, announced Wednesday, were given by the Society of Professional Journalists’ Northern California chapter. They’ll be given out, and judges’ comments released, at the chapter’s Nov. 15 awards banquet.

Satagopan was cited as a “visionary leader” behind CalMatters’ Digital Democracy tool, Recall Voter Guide, newsletters and explainers. She also founded Xyza: News for Kids, a subscription news platform for young readers.

“I am so grateful to be honored for my work that connects critical news and information with the people of California,” Satagopan said. “I love the opportunity we are provided in journalism product design to make a difference in the world, to empower people, to hold leaders accountable, and to ultimately improve the community.”

The commentary award goes to CalMatters’ California Voices Editor Yousef Baig for his piece “From ‘train to nowhere’ to Fresno’s dream: What high-speed rail means for the Central Valley.”

“My main goal with this piece was to flip the conversation on high-speed rail so readers could hear from people who live and work in the Central Valley. This kind of approach is at the heart of the Voices mission. For that to be recognized, its incredibly gratifying” Baig said.

Here are CalMatters other award wins, in the print/online large division:

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING: Nigel Duara and Jeremia Kimelman for the three-part series “Locked up and Dying” about jail deaths in California.
EXPLANATORY JOURNALISM: Lauren Hepler for “California’s Unemployment Crash” — part 1, part 2 and part 3.
ENVIRONMENT REPORTING: Rachel Becker for “The world’s largest dam demolition has begun. Can the dammed Klamath River finally find salvation?”
HEALTH REPORTING: Kristen Hwang, Ana B. Ibarra and Erica Yee for “No Deliveries,” a series on maternity ward closures around California.
PHOTOJOURNALISM (breaking news): Jules Hotz for a photo of a pro-Palestinian protester being arrested after being surrounded by police officers at the University of Southern California.
PHOTOJOURNALISM (photo essay): Larry Valenzuela, who is also a Catchlight fellow, for “‘Go to the people’: Street medicine teams bring health care to the unhoused.”
PHOTOJOURNALISM (single image): Jules Hotz for a photo of Screen Actors Guild members and Writers Guild of America members picketing at the Amazon Culver Studios in Culver City.

And, CalMatters contributor Alastair Bland won science reporting honors for his Bay Nature piece on Californias bull kelp forests.

Here’s the full list of NorCal SPJ’s 2024 winners from newspapers, online news sites, radio and television stations across Northern California.