Pacific Sun, Bohemian Win Five California Journalism Awards

The Pacific Sun and North Bay Bohemian won five awards in the 2020 California Journalism Awards, the California News Publishers Association announced Tuesday, May 18.

All told, the two papers claimed two first-place awards, one second-place award, and two fourth place finishes. In addition, weeklies owned by the San Jose-based Weeklys group won 42 additional awards, for a group total of 47. (Links to winning entries appear below.)

Pacific Sun columnist Nikki Silverstein won first place for her weekly column. “Compelling writing along with top-notch reporting make this submission the clear winner in the category,” the judges commented.

Bohemian reporters Chelsea Kurnick and Will Carruthers won a first place award for their coverage of last year’s racial justice protests in Sonoma County.

Kurnick won a second place award for her enterprise news story “Sonoma County DACA Recipient Battles with DA’s Office Over DUI Charge.” The article showcased Kurnick’s ability to select “a very complicated subject and present it in a way where the reader can understand the entire issue, in-depth,” according to the judges.

Arts editor Charlie Swanson won a fourth place award for his Pacific Sun profile of several successful North Bay teenagers.

Carruthers won fourth place for his enterprise article examining the two storylines which emerged after a bystander filmed a Sonoma County Sheriff’s dog biting a Graton man’s leg for over a minute last year.