LA Press Club Issues Call for Entries for the Best Journalism in 2010 With New Categories, Cash Prize

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Jan. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Los Angeles Press Club has issued a call for entries for one of the oldest and largest news competitions in the Southland-the 53rd Annual Southern California Journalism Awards.

The contest will judge the year's best work by journalists in all media platforms--radio and television news, newspapers and magazines, news bureaus, foreign journalists and online reporting, bloggers and student media. Sister press clubs across the nation will do the judging. Entry forms are available at http://lapressclub.org.

New this year best tweet or tweets, best Facebook presence and expanded opportunities to compete in student media. For the first time, the Awards will honor advocacy journalism. Best of Show Journalist of the Year winner will receive a $1,000 cash prize.

The Joseph M. Quinn Award for journalistic excellence and distinction goes to  John Schwada, a political-government and investigative reporter for KTTV Fox 11 News in Los Angeles. He has won two LA area Emmy awards and a Golden Mike for three separate investigative reports. He is also a frequent contributor to blogs on the station's website.

"From newspapers to TV reporting to blogging," said Will Lewis, LA Press Club president, "he has quickly adapted to new platforms while excelling in the coverage of local politics."

Prior to joining KTTV in 1996, Schwada worked as a political and City Hall reporter for the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner. In the 1980s he won LA Press Club awards for his series investigating Councilman Richard Alatorre's illegal use of campaign money in his 1985 council race and for his investigation of Mayor Tom Bradley's questionable ties to Far East National Bank. After the Herald-Examiner folded in Nov. 1989, Schwada was immediately hired by the Los Angeles Times where he helped develop a weekly political column for the paper's Valley edition, covered politics and City Hall.

The Club's first Public Service Award will be handed to the Los Angeles Times writing duo, reporters Jeff Gottlieb and Ruben Vives for breaking the City of Bell salary scandal.

Winners in 10 categories will be announced by celebrity and media notables at the Awards Gala, Sunday, June 26 in the Crystal Room of the historic Biltmore Hotel.

SOURCE Los Angeles Press Club