East County News Service

February 22, 2025 (San Diego) --  East County Magazine has been selected by FeedSpot as the fifth best local magazine among the Top 15 San Diego Magazines on the web.

The site ranks  the best San Diego magazines from thousands on the web ranked by relevancy, authority, social media followers & freshness.

East County Magazine was established in 2008 and now averages 10 million hits and a quarter million visits each month. The site has won 147 major journalism awards.  Its mission is to provide in-depth news, views, and events coverage daily for the inland areas in San Diego County, reflecting the broad diversity of people and issues in our region, particularly those under-represented in other media.

By Miriam Raftery

October 27, 2024 (San Diego)—Four members of East County Magazine’s journalism team won awards at the San Diego Press Club’s Excellence in Journalism Awards presented on October 22. Their coverage encompassed  public safety issues in La Mesa, the future of the Water Conservation Garden, international migrants in Jacumba, and La Mesa's ban on public comments after anti-Semitic rants.

June 22, 2024 (El Cajon) -- East County Dining Club invites you to a Mideast Feast at Tarbosh restaurant (1142 East Main St., El Cajon) featuring Iraqi cuisine on Thursday, July 18 at 6:30 p.m. to benefit East County Magazine and East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts. Savor a delicious buffet for just $22, support local journalism,and win prizes in our raffle.

RSVP to 619 698 7617 or editor@eastcountymagazine.org

Savor a delicious buffet dinner for just $22! (excludes tax and tip).

Includes kebobs, schwarma, falafel, mini pastry, koba, and salad, with chicken, beef and vegetarian options.

Win prizes! Raffle items include: Gift certificates to local restaurants and shops, massage/spa gift certificates, wine rack, wine lovers baskets, art, beach gear, jewelry, purses, coffee, gift baskets, books, Spookeasy event tickets/basket, and more!

Thanks to our sponsors:  Tarbosh Restaurant, Lemon Grove Bistro, Alvarado Institute of Skincare, Brody’s Burgers, Beach Hut Deli, Massage Envy, St. Madeline Sophie’s Gift Shop and Gallery, Surji Coffee, Maxwell’s House of Books, San Pasqual Winery, Jessyka Heredia, and more soon!

May 28, 2024 (Santee) -- This week,  John Olsen interviews Miriam Raftery, editor of the East County Magazine. She shares the range of information that our online news source provides (both existing and upcoming), how you can subscribe, and how you can support our community journalism and wildfire alerts.

Listen to the podcast at these links:

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1508560/15109333-miriam-raftery-and-how-the-east-county-magazine-serves-our-communities

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0cxFKYwg6b0b1eSwcPHelR

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/miriam-raftery-and-how-the-east-county-magazine/id1541783400?i=1000656693561

By Miriam Raftery

Photo, left:  ECM Editor MIriam Raftery with Santee Favorites award

March 17, 2024 (Santee) – East County Magazine received a “Santee’s Favorites” award for best business resources at the Santee Chamber of Commerce’s annual Business Awards Night on March 7 at Sycuan Casino Resort’s Heritage Event Center.

East County Magazine offers affordable sponsorship opportunities on our news site, which averages 5-10 million hits and a quarter million visits each month.  Our news coverage includes highlighting East County businesses, business news and events.. Next up,  ECM is planning to add a business directory, to help our readers easily locate business services in San Diego’s inland region.

“It’s an honor to be recognized by the Santee Chamber as the favorite for Business Resources, an award chosen by popular vote,” says East County Magazine editor and founder Miriam Raftery.  “We are constantly striving to find more ways to help local businesses. We welcome tips and story ideas, which can be sent to editor@eastcountymagazine.org.”  For sponsorship information, businesses owners and nonprofits can call (619)698-7617.

Sycuan was the  title sponsor of the event. Santee Chamber President/CEO, Kristen Dare, alongside past Board Chair, Eddie Vandiver, co-hosted onstage as the organization welcomed over 250 guests.

Dear Readers,

We are the only regional publication dedicated to reporting news that matters here in East County.  Please support our mid-year fundraising drive to help us keep you safe and informed. With several major wildfires already this season, the need for a real-time, online news source in East County is clear. Funds are also needed to sustain our community news reporting, which has won 142 journalism awards.  Give now.

In just the past few weeks, community donations have enabled us to report on many important stories, including:

• Brush fires in Campo, Jamul, Lakeside,  El Cajon and more
• A livestock virus prompting quarantines across East County
• A parole center proposed in La Mesa
• Supreme Court decisions impacting student loans, affirmative action, tribal adoptions, the LGBTQ community and businesses
• A fugitive murder suspect holding elected office in Campo
• Efforts to reopen Loveland Reservoir
• New laws impacting the homeless
• Candidates running for supervisor
• City Council meetings in Lemon Grove, El Cajon, La Mesa and Santee
• Budget priorities in  East County cities and the County
• Tribal members’ cross-country run for clean water
• The MTS bus strike
• Festivals and events, theater and restaurant reviews in East County
• Lamar Odom opening treatment centers in Lemon Grove and El Cajon
• Good works of local service clubs and nonprofits

Many of those were stories that we broke, as well as stories we covered in depth while other media focused on coastal and downtown issues.

We’re your community media – dedicated to telling the stories that matter here in East County! We reflect your interests—the public interests—not special interests.

Our radio shows from January through May 2022 are now online.  For links to listen plus an index with full list of topics and interviews in each show, click here or click the "read more" link and scroll down for audio links below the index. (Audio files may take a few moments to load.)  

Highlights included interviews with candidates for Sheriff, opponents fighting to stop the Cottonwood Sand Mine, Joseph Rocha, who is running against Congressman Issa, and an SDSU professor on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. We also covered actions by local city councils and supervisors, opening of a new park in Spring Valley, a visit to the Water Conservation Garden, protests over abortion rights and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, top festivals and events, and much more.

The East County Magazine Show airs Mondays and Fridays from 5 to 6 p.m. on KNSJ, 89.1 FM.  Note: The station is currently off air due to transmitter damage, but you can use the TuneIn app to listen to KNSJ online until the damage is repaired. Our shows rerun on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. Pacific Standard Time. Note: Some shows are reruns; original run dates are listed below. Shows also include station IDs and public service announcements.

By Miriam Raftery

October 25, 2021 (San Diego) –  East County Magazine tonight received 11 awards in San Diego Press Club’s 48^th annual Excellence In Journalism competition. The honors include three first place awards, recognitions for both our online news site and radio show coverage during the past year’s turbulent times.  ECM’s awards span a broad range of categories, including three of the four awards presented for breaking news. Since its inception in 2008, ECM has won 137 major journalism prizes.

Congratulations to ECM’s award-winning reporting team:  Miriam Raftery, Henri Migala, Helen Horvath, and the late Briana Gomez as well as columnists David Shorey and Paul Levikow.

“I’m proud of our team for once again going all out to report news that matters, even amid a global pandemic and civil unrest, at times risking their own safety to get the stories,” says ECM editor Miriam Raftery. " It's especially poignant to see two posthumous awards honoring works by Briana Gomez, who was such a talented and devoted young journalist."

She adds, “We also thank the Facebook Journalism Project for their generous support through a grant which helped enable our reporting during the pandemic, including several Zoom special reports and interviews as well as our coverage of COVID-19 issues and breaking news."

 Below are ECM's winning stories, radio broadcasts and podcasts:

September 2, 2021 (San Diego’s East County) – East County Magazine today announced finalists in its Community Champions Awards. Winners will be presented with awards on September 25, 2021 during the nonprofit media outlet’s “Party in Paradise” at the new rooftop venue at Jamul Casino. For tickets, visit  https://www.eastcountymagazine.org/tickets-now-sale-our-party-paradise-a....

“We are pleased to recognize these community champions who have done so much to benefit people in our communities, particularly during the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic,” says ECM Editor and Founder Miriam Raftery. "Thanks to the many readers who sent in nominations -- the judges had many outstanding entries to choose from in selecting finalists."

The awards categories are healthcare, public safety, environmental and wildlife protection, racial and social justice, and humanitarian, as well as a special community benefactor award. Awards will be presented Sept. 25 at ECM's "Party in Paradise' atop the Jamul Casino. Below are the finalists, as well as information on the event and tickets:

June 19, 2021 (San Diego's East County) -- Father's Day is June 20th. If you shop on Amazon for Father's Day or anytime year-round, you can also choose to support our nonprofit news reporting and the East County Wildfire & Emergency Alerts that we support!

Just click this link to choose East County Media as your charity of choice (which supports East County Magazine) at  https://smile.amazon.com/ch/83-1108634.  Then in the future, eveytime you shop Amazon log in through Smile.Amazon.com and our nonprofit will receive a percentage of all your purchases!  If you are also an Amazon Prime member, you will still receive all of your benefits such as free shipping, too!

East County News Service

October 4, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) – San Diego Press Club has released its list of winners in the 47th annual Excellence in Journalism Awards. Seven of East County Magazine’s journalists and photographers made the list for the 2020 awards:  Editor Miriam Raftery and photojournalists Rebecca Jefferis Williamson, Paul Kruze, Henri Migala, Emmet Pierce, Jake Rose and Kendra Sitton.

By Miriam Raftery

August 17, 2020 (San Diego’s East County) – East County Magazine has won first and second place awards in the Society of Professional Journalism San Diego Pro Chapter’s 2020 Journalism Awards.  A list of awards was released today, except for special awards, which will be announced on August 24.

Reflecting the diverse voices in our communities

East County Magazine has significantly expanded our reporting and production team in 2020, thanks to our Facebook Journalism Grant. 

Here is our lineup of talent for our award-winning online news coverage, radio show, and new in 2020, virtual productions on issues that matter in San Diego’s East County during the pandemic--when timely and accurate news is more important than ever.

Our radio shows from July, August and September 2019 are now online.  For links to listen plus an index with full list of topics and interviews in each show, click here or click the "read more" link and scroll down for audio links below the index. (Audio files may take a few moments to load.)  

Our recent interviews include Jack Shu and Janet Castanos, advocates for police oversight in La Mesa, Krista Powers with the Mt. Helix Foundation, Waran Arsan with Youth Build, Ammar Campa Najjar, Democratic candidate for the 50^th Congressional district, Cory Briggs, candidate for San Diego City Attorney, and La Mesa Councilman Bill Baber on the city’s community choice energy and cannabis legalization actions.

The East County Magazine Show airs Mondays and Fridays from 5 to 6 p.m. on KNSJ, 89.1 FM.  Our shows rerun on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. Pacific Standard Time.

By Miriam Raftery

December 3, 2019 (San Diego’s East County) -- This week’s Destination East County features two Christmas plays at Lamplighters Theatre in La Mesa, upcoming concerts at the Magnolia in El Cajon, North Pole Limited holiday train rides in Campo, a Holiday Gift Shoppe at the Water Conservation Garden, Alpine's Parade of Lights and Snow Festival, a Brotherhood of Man dance program in La Mesa, and Lakeside’s Spirit of Christmas on Maine.

Plus we’ll have a preview of events later on this month including East County Magazine’s Feasting & Merrymaking Holiday Party, Ramona’s Christmas tree lighting, a European Christmas market and caroling atop Mt. Helix, Santa at Santee Lakes, Julian Victorian Christmas teas,  La Mesa’s Holiday in the Village, Carols by Candlelight in Escondido, and a Paris Holiday Tea in El Cajon, a Boogie Woogie New Year’s Party at the Courtyard Marriott in El Cajon, and a Roaring 20s New Year’s Eve bash at Viejas.

So scroll down for all of these events and many more!