The Bay Area Reporter took home the top prize for overall excellence at the San Francisco Press Club’s Greater Bay Area Journalism Awards. The LGBTQ newspaper received awards in various categories, including first place for sports feature and news story, as well as an editorial category win.
Assistant editor Matthew S. Bajko was awarded first place in sports feature for his article “Gay Olympian Kenworthy promotes mental health at SF event,” which featured an exclusive interview with Olympic athlete Nicky Kasyanov. Bajko also took second place for his weekly “Political Notebook column” in news/political columns.
Assistant editor John Ferrannini received first place in the news story category for his article “Long-term HIV survivors fighting for their lives all over again.” The piece was made possible by a grant from AARP to the News Is Out collaboration, of which the B.A.R. is a part.
The paper’s editorial board, consisting of news editor Cynthia Laird and publisher Michael Yamashita, won first place in the editorial category for “Oakland NAACP should cut ties with Scott.” The editorial argued that former Oakland mayoral candidate Seneca Scott’s history of anti-LGBTQ statements made him unfit to lead a civil rights organization.
Yamashita expressed pride in his team’s awards, stating, “I’m proud of Matthew and John for their double first and second place awards for their reporting. It’s great to be recognized and appreciated for these journalism awards by the SF Press Club.”
Meanwhile, Sonoma County Pride is hosting its third annual Drag on Ice event on December 13 at the Old Courthouse Square in Santa Rosa. The event will feature performances by MILK from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and other talented artists.
The San Francisco Leather & LGBTQ Cultural District is also hosting a holiday market on December 14, featuring vendors, entertainment, and a gear swap. The event is free to attend but donations are welcome.
Finally, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has released designs for a new transit plaza at the intersection of Church and Market streets in the Castro neighborhood. The project aims to improve the transit experience and create a lively gathering space.
These awards showcase the Bay Area Reporter’s commitment to excellent journalism and its dedication to covering LGBTQ issues and community news.
Source: https://www.ebar.com/story.php?ch=news&sc=news&id=336904&title=news_briefs:_bar_wins_overall_excellence_from_sf_press_club