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Staff Report
Hews Media Group-Community Newspapers captured three top honors at the 56th Annual Southern California Media Awards Ceremony sponsored by the prestigious Los Angeles Press Club on Sunday night at the historical Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel.
Brian Hews took home First Place in the category of Best News Feature for their article “Undercover FBI Agent Rocky Patel Used Dal Rae in Pico Rivera to Stage Calderon Sting Operation.”
The judges of the category praised Hewswinning entry by stating that the work was “A colorfully written examination of an FBI sting operation that reads like a capsule version of the hit film, American Hustle.”
HMG-CN also took second place in the News category for their riveting expose on former California State Assembly Speaker John Perez Implicated in the Central Basin Water District Investigation.
The LA Press Club also honored Hews with a second place certificate in the category of Best Investigative Series for “Dirty Water: Corruption Inside the Central Basin Municipal Water District.”
Last year, at the 55th Annual Southern California Media Awards, Hews won First Place for Best Investigative News Series for their hard hitting work that led to the arrest of Los Angeles County Assessor John Noguez and three other individuals in what former District Attorney called the biggest “political corruption scandal in the history of LA County.”
The LA Press Club also honored NBC’s Ann Curry who was introduced by her former CBS2 colleague and current NBC News Anchor Colleen Williams who won the Joseph M. Quinn Award For Journalistic Excellence and Distinction.
Former California First Lady Maria Shriver, introduced by Lisa Ling, won the Public Service Award For Journalistic Contributions to Civic Life.
Michael Bloomberg and Matthew Winkler of Bloomberg News, introduced by billionaire businessman Eli Broad, won the President’s Award For Impact on Media.
Khaled Abu Toameh of the Jerusalem Post, presented by Judea Pearl for the Daniel Pearl Foundation, for Courage and Integrity in Journalism.
The current President of the Los Angeles Press Club is Robert Kovacik who serves as Anchor and Reporter for NBC LA.
HMG-CN also earned a Finalist nomination in the category of Best Personality Profile for an article on former Los Angeles County Sheriff Commander Bob Olmstead.
What are the chances your own city council in Cerritos will publicly recognize you guys for a job well done? How about the county supervisors?
Seriously, your “Watch Dogging” has save the public untold millions of dollars. It is just shameful there is not one honest politician around here who is willing to rally the public around investigative journalism.
Thanks for your comments. Not really sure what the Cerritos City Council is going to do, if anything, to recognize our efforts. Remember, a Free and Open Media is the cornerstone of our Democracy!
Let Freedom Ring!
Thanks for the note….
Randy Economy