Cal State LA journalism community honored at the 68th Annual Southern California Journalism Awards

Cal State LA students, alumni, and faculty earned top honors at the Los Angeles Press Club's 68th Annual Southern California Journalism Awards, held on June 28 at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles.

The annual awards recognize outstanding journalism produced by professional and student news organizations throughout Southern California.

Among the top student honors, University Times Community News received first place in the Investigative, Government Related category for the article, "Tiny homes are a flawed solution to LA's homelessness crisis, investigation finds."

The judges praised the investigation as "a detailed look at the issues facing the tiny homes for the homeless in LA," noting that the "interviews and data painted a vivid picture of the failings of the ventures and what should be done to turn this into a more positive initiative."

The investigative piece was produced through Cal State LA's JOUR 4920 Advanced Reporting & Investigating course taught by Professor Julie Patel Liss for the Journalism Program's community news outlet and published collaboratively with the Los Angeles Public Press. Student reporters included Bryan Antunez, Quinae Austin, Jonathan Chung, Marcos Franco, Tristan Longwell, Brenda James Mwingira, Sydney Wanguhu, and Emmanuel Villarruel.

The investigation also was named a finalist in the Local Politics/Government Reporting - Homelessness/Housing category. Liss' follow-up story for the LA Public Press was named by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists' awards as one of three finalists in the Data & Innovation Journalism category.

The LA Press Club also honored Cal State LA journalism instructor Andrew J. Campa, a reporter for the Los Angeles Times, with first place in the Travel Reporting category for "Primm was once an affordable casino mecca for L.A. Now it has become a ghost town."

The judges described Campa's article as "a great read that takes you to a place you'd never go, and that's just part of the story."

Cal State LA student reporter Steven Lopez was named a finalist in the Best Sports Writing - Print or Online category of the Student Media division for his article, "From setbacks to MVP: Ayjah Landers on her comeback story." it was published in the University Times, Cal State LA's student newspaper and website. Lopez previously served as a Report for America intern at the LA Public Press and is now an intern with The Inland Sports Show. 

In addition to the award winners, Cal State LA journalism graduate Tupac Zapata was selected for the prestigious Meet the Foot in the Door Fellows Class of 2026. Zapata currently serves as a news assistant at ABC7, under the mentorship of news anchor David Ono, who won TV journalist of the year and best anchor/host at this year's awards. 

"The success of our students, alumni, and faculty at this year's Southern California Journalism Awards reflects Cal State LA's commitment to preparing journalists who produce impactful, public-service reporting," said Michael Clarke, chair of the Journalism Program at Cal State LA. "Their work demonstrates the power of news reporting, collaboration, and community engagement."

Also recognized at the Southern California Journalism Awards was Cal State LA's honorary doctoral degree recipient Christine Devine. Together with Sam Dubin, Morgan Martini, and Steve Thorp of KTTV FOX11, Devine earned third place in the Education Reporting category of the Broadcasting division for "Prison Bachelor's Degree," a report highlighting Cal State LA's Prison Graduation Initiative (PGI).

The story follows Freddie Hernandez, who graduated from PGI and served as the student speaker during the graduation ceremony while serving a life-without-parole sentence in a California state prison. Founded in 2016, PGI was California's first in-person bachelor's degree completion program for incarcerated students.

Devine was also named a finalist in the Activism Journalism category of the Broadcasting division with FOX11 colleagues Sam Dubin and Tony Ruiz for "Prison: Allen's Story." The segment profiled Allen Burnett, co-founder of The Prism Way and a Cal State LA PGI alumnus, and featured fellow alumnus Edwin Cruz for their work supporting formerly incarcerated individuals as they rebuild their lives.

California State University, Los Angeles is the premier comprehensive public university in the heart of Los Angeles. Cal State LA is ranked number one in the United States for the upward mobility of its students. Cal State LA is dedicated to engagement, service, and the public good, offering nationally recognized programs in science, the arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education, and the humanities. Founded in 1947, the University serves more than 22,000 students and has more than 260,000 distinguished alumni.