Fresnoland team takes top honors in San Joaquin Valley’s Gruner Journalism Awards

Fresnoland captured multiple honors at the 36th Annual George F. Gruner Awards competition on Tuesday, with a tie for the top prize for public service journalism among the top prizes.

This was the first year that Fresnoland was eligible to compete in the Gruner Awards as a digital-only outlet.

Among the award-winning entries:

• First place (tie) in the public service category, for Omar Shaikh Rashad’s investigation into the Fresno City Council’s secret budget committee, where legal experts laid out potential violations in California’s transparency laws. His reporting ultimately led to a lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Northern California and the First Amendment Coalition against the City of Fresno, and has continued to raise questions about the transparency of City Hall. Fresnoland tied with Lois Henry of SJV Water for her outstanding coverage of the Tulare Lake floods.
• First place in the best news story category for Gregory Weaver’s investigation into Caltrans’ approval of a massive expansion of Freeway 99 in south central Fresno. 
• First place in the best writing category for Weaver’s story chronicling the bitter battle between the Resnick and Assemi pistachio empires that has dragged through the legal system. “The story has so many elements–pistachio farming techniques and contrasting family histories, for instance–it could easily have become a muddle. Instead, Weaver keeps the tale moving and clearly outlines why each side thinks they’re the righteous ones who have been wronged,” one judge wrote.
• Honorable mention in the feature writing category for Julianna Morano’s reporting highlighting the voices of local artists sharing their cautious optimism about Fresno’s Measure P bringing public funding for the arts–and a new energy to Fresno’s arts scene.

These awards highlight why Fresnoland was founded–to revitalize investigative and community-centered journalism in the public interest for residents of the central San Joaquin Valley. 

We’re excited at Fresnoland to keep bringing our community the stories they deserve and continue to hold power to account. Readers, thank you for your support.