Society of Professional Journalists

ECM WINS TRIO OF JOURNALISM AWARDS

By Miriam Raftery

Photo: Miriam Raftery and Henri Migala (Elijah McKee, also a winner, was not present)

July 26, 2022 (San Diego’s East County) -- East County Magazine continues to be recognized for its high quality reporting on news in the public interest in San Diego’s inland region.

On July 21st, the Society of Professional Journalists held its annual journalism awards presentation.  East County Magazine received three awards, bringing our total number of professional journalism awards to 140 since our inception in 2008. The winning journalists are Elijah McKee, Henri Migala, and Miriam Raftery.


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SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS SPEAKS OUT ON THREATS AGAINST ECM REPORTER

 

By Miriam Raftery

 

Photo: Councilman Ben Kalasho during testimony by Paul Kruze regarding Kalasho’s alleged threat to maul the reporter with a trained attack dog

 

July 13, 2018 (El Cajon) – After our reporter Paul Kruze filed a police report alleging that El Cajon City Councilman Ben Kalasho threatened him with an attack dog, the San Diego chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists issued the following statement:


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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

HEAR OUR INTERVIEW: MORGAN COOK, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALIST, ON HER INVESTIGATION INTO REP. HUNTER

 

By Miriam Raftery

Hear our interview by clicking the audio link and scroll down to read highlights.

June 25, 2017 (San Diego) – East County Magazine sat down for an interview with Morgan,  the San Diego Union-Tribune reporter who has been named “Journalist of the Year” by the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) in San Diego. 

In our exclusive interview, aired earlier this month on KNSJ radio, we asked what led her to investigate Congressman Duncan D. Hunter’s campaign finances, how his office responded, and what challenges she faced in her investigation.  Cook’s findings helped lead to an ongoing U.S. Justice Department criminal probe of allegations that Hunter spent lavish sums on personal expenditures and charged them to his campaign, including a family vacation to Italy , expensive jewelry, resort visits, money paid to his children’s school, first-class airfare for his son’s pet rabbit, and more. 

Audio: 

Interview with Morgan Cook, SPJ Journalist of the Year

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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISM ORGANIZATIONS URGE OFFICIALS TO ALLOW REPORTERS TO COVER STANDING ROCK WITHOUT HARASSMENT OR ARREST

 

By Miriam Raftery

February 21, 2017 (Indianapolis) -- The Society of Professional Journalists and other journalism groups are urging officials in Cannon Ball, North Dakota, to allow journalists to do their jobs at Standing Rock.  SPJ and the Committee to Protect Journalists, Native American Journalists Association, National Press Photographers Association and Online News Association sent a letter today as the planned enforcement of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ evacuation order to protesters at the Dakota Access Pipeline camp in is underway. 


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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

60 FALL ILL AFTER JOURNALISM BANQUET AT BALI HAI

Update August 4, 2015: County health officials have confirmed at least four norovirus cases among the stricken diners. 

East County News Service

August 3, 2015 (San Diego) – More than 60 people have fallen ill after dining at the Bali Hai restaurant on Shelter Island during the Society of Professional Journalists annual awards banquet on Thursday, July 30th, according to Matt Hall, president of SPJ’s San Diego chapter. Several individuals were hospitalized with food poisoning symptoms, though most have recovered.


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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS TO HONOR FIRST AMENDMENT FIGHTER TERRY FRANCKE OF CALAWARE ON MARCH 27 IN SAN DIEGO

Terry Francke

March 20, 2013 (San Diego) – The Society of Professional Journalists will honor Terry Francke of Californians Aware (CalAware) with SPJ’s Sunshine Award for his efforts over many years. The  award will be presented on March 27 at 6:30 at the 501 West Broadway office of Sheppard Mullin on the buildings 19th floor.

Francke, currently general counsel for Californians Aware, has a 31-year history of helping journalists, citizens and public officials understand and use their First Amendment and open government rights.


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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING AWARD PRESENTED TO EAST COUNTY MAGAZINE BY SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS

July 9, 2010 (San Diego) – East County Magazine added another award to its growing list of honors last night at the Society of Professional Journalists awards banquet at the Bali Hai restaurant in San Diego. SPJ-San Diego presented ECM with a first-place award for investigative reporting in the daily news reporting category.


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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting -- not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine's local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.