Photo collage by Maria Ratinova

By Eric Johnson

“The Sacramento News & Review has a total sense of place, with relevant news stories that look at the big picture. This is a gritty, no-holds barred publication when it sets its mind to it, with edgy and smart writing and art. The cover design is excellent.”—Judge’s statement, Better Newspaper Contest, California Newspaper Publishers Association



For the third year in a row, SN&R has received the General Excellence Award—the top honor from our colleagues in California’s preeminent journalism organization, the California Newspaper Publishers Association. It’s as though Lady Bird won Best Picture.



We love Sacramento (it’s tough love, at times) and we feel honored to have the responsibility and privilege of serving you by finding and telling stories that matter.

To help support our efforts, visit our Independent Journalism Fund.

And now, here are the winners:





First Place:



General Excellence: Staff

Agricultural Reporting: Scott Thomas Anderson for “Out of the dark: Can California’s legal marijuana industry help stop black market growers from decimating public lands?”

Editorial Cartoon: Serene Lusano for “Women’s March Fold-In Comic.”  

Enterprise News Story or Series: Raheem Hosseini for “Killing Mom: A terminal cancer patient wants to die. Will California’s end-of-life bureaucracy let her?”

Feature Story: Scott Thomas Anderson for “Why save the Delta? Unknown river towns fear untold devastation from Jerry Brown’s twin tunnels project.”

In-Depth Reporting: Raheem Hosseini for “Coverage of the Joseph Mann shooting,” including the stories:

“A clean kill: District attorney omits troubling video evidence in clearing Sacramento cops who shot Joseph Mann“

“Confessions of a killer cop: John Tennis breaks his silence after being fired for fatal encounter with Joseph Mann“

“‘Justice for Joe': Can the former cops who killed Joseph Mann still be prosecuted?“

Sports Feature Story: James Raia for “Rock Star: Alex Honnold scales epic rock walls with nothing but his hands, feet & heart.”

Writing: Raheem Hossein for “Killing Mom: A terminal cancer patient wants to die. Will California’s end-of-life bureaucracy let her?”

Second Place:

Breaking News: Scott Thomas Anderson for “Bidding in secret: Officials quietly solicit contracts on ‘twin tunnels’ project despite lawsuits, lack of permits.”

Editorial Cartoon: Devon McMindes for “The progress of a weed fiend.”

Third Place:

Arts & Entertainment Coverage: Staff

Editorial Cartoon: Serene Lusano for “High expectations”

Profile Story: Scott Thomas Anderson for “A death in Syria: Michael Israel’s quest for peace”

Special Section: Rebecca Huval for “Sac eats the world.”



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