Fresno Bee journalists win honors, including for best editorial and photos, in Gruner Awards
The Fresno Bee and several of its sister publications won honors in the 36th annual George F. Gruner Awards for news outlets in the central San Joaquin Valley.
The Bee won first place awards and honorable mentions for its journalism, including for an editorial about then-Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, (R-Bakersfield), news coverage of the fall of Bitwise Industries, and for photos in several categories.
This was the first year the competition was open to digital-only publications.
Best editorial, large digital/print: Tad Weber, Fresno Bee opinion editor, won first place for his editorial, “Kevin McCarthy, it’s time to dump Trump and restore the Republican party’s values.”
Weber wrote the editorial in the wake of McCarthy’s criticism of a Georgia criminal indictment brought against Trump alleging election interference. McCarthy tweeted that with the indictment President Biden had “weaponized” the justice system against his political rival.
Weber took McCarthy to task, pointing out that Biden and his Department of Justice would not be involved in bringing a state-level indictment. Weber also offered his opinion that it was time for McCarthy and the GOP to move away from Trump.
“The GOP has lost its historical role as a voice of conservative values and has defaulted to one of authoritarianism in favor of one man. The sooner McCarthy stops defending Trump, the better for his party, and the country,” Weber wrote.
Best news story, large digital/print: Tim Sheehan, Fresno Bee, was awarded an honorable mention for his breaking news coverage of the fall of Fresno-based Bitwise Industries, a once-high-flying tech giant that was exposed as a $100 million Ponzi scheme.
Sheehan was first to break the story that Bitwise was furloughing 900 workers nationwide over last Memorial Day weekend. He provided deep coverage of the complex issues, publishing 13 stories in the first month. Sheehan is still covering the saga today as the Bitwise co-founders face trial.
Best news photo, large dailies/digital: Craig Kohlruss, Fresno Bee, won first place for his drone photo of a lone structure “marooned in Tulare Lake amid 2023’s historic flooding. One judge said it ‘capitalizes on its starkness to the fullest extent,’” said a news release announcing the awards.
Best news photo, small dailies/weeklies: María G. Ortiz-Briones, Vida en el Valle, honorable mention “for a vibrant image illustrating her story on a Fresno family that raises marigolds for Day of the Dead celebrations,” the release said.
Best sports photo, large dailies: Craig Kohlruss, Fresno Bee, won first place for a photo of a high school football receiver being tackled by two defenders. “‘You can almost hear the crunching as bodies hit, said a judge,’” the release said.
Best sports photo, small dailies/weeklies: Juan Esparza Loera, Vida en el Valle, honorable mention “for his image from a cross country meet. ‘You can feel the runners moving,’ said a judge,’” the release said.
Two organizations shared the public service award in the large newspapers/digital only category: Fresnoland’s Omar Shaikh Rashad for his coverage of the secrecy surrounding the Fresno City Council’s budget committee, and SJV Water, for coverage of giant J.G. Boswell Farming Co. of Corcoran’s “handling of the extensive flooding in the spring of 2023,” said a news release announcing the awards said.
Gregory Weaver, Fresnoland, won first place in the best news story category “for uncovering severe flaws in the state’s environmental review of a major industrial park project proposed in Fresno,” the release said.
About the awards: The Gruner Awards honor George F. Gruner, who retired as executive editor in 1988 after 33 years at The Fresno Bee. The McClatchy Co., publisher of The Bee, established the awards in 1989. The Department of Media, Communications and Journalism at Fresno State independently administers the awards. Entries are judged by professional journalists from outside the contest area.
