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KCET Original Productions and Content Nominated for 54 Southern California Journalism Awards

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KCET received a total of 54 nominations for the 62nd annual Southern California Journalism Awards presented by the Los Angeles Press Club. The tally ranked KCET as earning more nominations than any other local broadcast organization. The organization’s nominations include 23 nods for the 10th season of the acclaimed news documentary series "SoCal Connected" in categories that include “Talk/Public Affairs Program” (with two nominations), “Activism Journalism in a Broadcast Program” and “Crime Reporting.” Presenting a mix of investigative reporting and richly textured narratives, the program has developed from what was originally a newsmagazine format into a “docu-series” that has built a reputation for its change-making journalism.

Three original KCET series received five nominations apiece, including KCET’s new series "Broken Bread," co-produced by Tastemade and hosted by James Beard Award winning Chef Roy Choi (nominated in the Anchor/Host category), which explores complex social justice issues through organizations and individuals who use food as a platform for activism. Also nominated for five awards was KCET’s historical series "Lost LA," a co-production with the University of Southern California Libraries where host Nathan Masters (also nominated in the Anchor/Host category) explores the region’s hidden past through documents, photos and other rare artifacts from California libraries and archives. The third series to be honored with five nominations was environmental series "Earth Focus" produced in partnership with the Thomson Reuters Foundation featuring investigative reports and in-depth stories about the changing environment and how it affects people around the world.

Additional recognition went to KCET’s multi-media arts and culture series "Artbound,"  the Southern California aerospace miniseries "Blue Sky Metropolis" from filmmaker Peter Jones and the original documentary "Nightshift" co-produced by Artifact Nonfiction, with each garnering four nominations.

The 2020 Southern California Journalism Awards will be presented on Saturday, August 29 via a virtual ceremony.

The full list of the 62nd Annual Southern California Journalism Awards nominations for KCET are listed as follows.

ANCHOR / HOST

TALK / PUBLIC AFFAIRS: Single program on news, talk or public affairs

FEATURE DOCUMENTARY – Over 25 Minutes 

  • Artifact Nonfiction and Juan Devis, Justin Cram, Nightshift
  • Peter Jones, Brian Tessier, Juan Devis, Michael Riley and Matthew Crotty, Blue Sky Metropolis
  • Raphael Sbarge, Thomas Cassetta, Rick Pratt, Matthew Crotty and Angela Boisvert, LA Foodways

ACTIVISM JOURNALISM – Broadcast 

Community members celebrate "Hood Day" eating turkey tacos at Locol. | Still from "Broken Bread"
Community members celebrate "Hood Day" eating turkey tacos at Locol. | Still from "Broken Bread: Watts"

PUBLIC SERVICE NEWS OR FEATURE 

CONSUMER NEWS OR FEATURE 

  • KCET, Tastemade and Roy Choi, Broken Bread – "Access"

SOLUTIONS JOURNALISM – Broadcast

  • KCET, Tastemade and Roy Choi, Broken Bread – "Waste"
  • KCET, Thomson Reuters Foundation and Artifact Nonfiction, Earth Focus – “Dairy Alternatives

GENDER / LGBTQ REPORTING

  • Peter Jones, Brian Tessier, Juan Devis, Michael Riley and Matthew Crotty, Blue Sky Metropolis – "Women in Aerospace"

CRIME REPORTING

  • Ben Bergman, Karen Foshay, Andy Viner and Denise Chan, SoCal Connected – "Cannabis Country"
  • Karen Foshay, Vince Beiser, Andy Viner and Dennis Nishi, SoCal Connected – "Who Killed Josiah?"

INVESTIGATIVE: Reports showing enterprise, initiative, research. Single report or a series

  • Ben Bergman, Michael Bloecher and Tori Edgar, SoCal Connected – "Access Denied"

NEWS FEATURE – Over 5 Minutes

  • Karen Foshay, Michael Bloecher, Dennis Nishi and Tori Edgar, SoCal Connected – "The New Normal"
  • Gina Pollack, Andy Viner, Denise Chan and Tori Edgar, SoCal Connected – "Life in Plastic"

NEWS FEATURE – Under 5 Minutes 

Two people hugging at memorial with photo of deceased next to them | Still from SoCal Connected, "Who Killed Josiah?", Courtesy Mark McKenna
Two people hugging at memorial with photo of deceased next to them | Still from SoCal Connected, "Who Killed Josiah?", Courtesy Mark McKenna

MINORITY / IMMIGRATION REPORTING, TV

NON-ENTERTAINMENT PERSONALITY PROFILE / INTERVIEW 

  • Matt Bass, Juan Devis, Matthew Crotty, Nathan Masters and Angela Boisvert, Lost LA – "Paul Revere Williams"

SPORTS

  • Karen Foshay, Michael Ray and Helki Frantzen, SoCal Connected – "Born to Run"

DOCUMENTARY SHORT – Under 25 Minutes 

HUMAN INTEREST FEATURE – Over 5 Minutes 

  • Artifact Nonfiction and Justin Cram, Nightshift
  • Karen Foshay, Vince Beiser, Andy Viner and Dennis Nishi, SoCal Connected – "Who Killed Josiah?"
  • Karen Foshay, Michael Ray and Helki Frantzen, SoCal Connected – "Born to Run"
  • Gina Pollack, Tori Edgar and Michael Bloecher, SoCal Connected – "Under Pressure"

HUMAN INTEREST FEATURE – Under 5 Minutes

LIFESTYLE FEATURE 

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS OR FEATURE

ENTERTAINMENT PERSONALITY PROFILE / INTERVIEW

Woman in calavera face paint during Día de los Muertos | Photo from "Día de los Muertos/Day of the Dead" ABs10
Woman in calavera face paint during Día de los Muertos. | Photo from "Artbound: Día de los Muertos/Day of the Dead"

SCIENCE REPORTING 

TECHNOLOGY REPORTING

  • Peter Jones, Brian Tessier, Juan Devis, Michael Riley and Matthew Crotty, Blue Sky Metropolis – "Space Technology Innovation"

LOCAL POLITICAL / GOVERNMENT REPORTING 

ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTING, Broadcasting

  • Ben Bergman, Michael Bloecher and Tori Edgar, SoCal Connected – "Access Denied"

PHOTOJOURNALIST / VIDEOGRAPHER

  • Osceola Refetoff, KCET

VIDEOGRAPHER

FEATURE PHOTO

  • Osceola Refetoff, Earth Focus – "Jim, Windle and Maddie standing behind Elks Lodge – Trona, California"

PHOTO ESSAY (Single Topic) – Culture / Entertainment

PHOTO ESSAY (Single Topic) – News / News Feature

ILLUSTRATION 

OBITUARY / IN APPRECIATION – Politics / Business / Arts Personalities 

BEST USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA TO ENHANCE and/or COVER A STORY

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