For the sixth consecutive year, the San Diego County Water Authority’s Water News Network website was recognized as the Best Public Service/Consumer Advocacy Website. The Water News Network was awarded for its public outreach and education at the San Diego Press Club’s 50th annual Excellence in Journalism Awards.
The Water News Network was awarded first place as the Best Public Service or Consumer Advocacy Website in the 49th annual San Diego Press Club Excellence in Journalism Awards. It’s the fifth consecutive year the WNN website has won first place in that category. The award for best public service website is one of seven awards the WNN received during a ceremony October 25 at Balboa Park.
San Diego County Water Authority Public Affairs Department staffers Ed Joyce and Kimberlyn Velasquez, and Water Resources Specialist Joni German, also were recognized with awards for their work on the Water News Network.
Joyce received two second place awards in two categories for original reporting: Online and Daily newspapers: Environment, for “California Drought Now in Third Year” and Online and Daily newspapers: General News, for “Pure Water Oceanside Provides New Local Supply of Drinking Water.”
Elected officials and water leaders throughout Southern California, including San Diego County Water Authority General Manager Sandra Kerl, celebrated the dedication of Pure Water Oceanside on March 22 in Oceanside. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority
German took second place in the Online and Daily newspapers: Series – Light Subject, for “WaterSmart Living Series,” which was created to showcase the steps needed to create water-efficient landscapes.
Velasquez was awarded honorable mention for Photography/Video in the Feature-Light Subject category for her video, “Hauck Mesa Storage Reservoir Moving to Completion,” which included in a WNN story on the project.
The WNN took home a second-place award in the Online and Daily newspapers category: Public Service/Consumer Advocacy, for “Spring Valley HOA and Watershed Benefit from Landscape Optimization Service.”
Former Public Affairs Dept. intern Noah Harrell won third place in the Online and Daily Newspapers: Military category for “Skillbridge Interns Explore Career Opportunities After Military Service.”
The Vallecitos Water District also won a first place for Television/Online Video editing for “Imagine a Day Without Water,” a video featuring San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones, which was featured in a WNN story.
In only its fifth year of operation, the Water News Network is viewed as a reliable source of factual information upholding the standards of journalism to benefit the Water Authority, its 24 member agencies, its stakeholders, and the residents of San Diego County.
The San Diego Press Club honors the region’s best communicators in media each year at the Excellence in Journalism Awards.
Update: On November 16, the San Diego County Water Authority outreach program, “Drought Safe San Diego,” won a Silver Award of Excellence at the annual Public Relations Society of America, San Diego-Imperial Counties chapter 2022 Edward L. Bernays Awards.
(Editor’s note: The Vallecitos Water District and the City of Oceanside are two of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the metropolitan San Diego region.)
The Water News Network was awarded first place as the Best Public Service or Consumer Advocacy Website in the 48th annual San Diego Press Club Excellence in Journalism Awards. It’s the fourth consecutive year the WNN website has won first place in that category. The award was announced during a virtual ceremony on October 25. Last year the California Public Information Officers Organization, or CAPIO, named the WNN the “Best Website” among California public agencies.
The Water News Network was awarded first place as the Best Public Service or Consumer Advocacy Website in the 48th annual San Diego Press Club Excellence in Journalism Awards. It’s the fourth consecutive year the WNN website has won first place in that category. The award was announced during a virtual ceremony on October 25. Last year the California Public Information Officers Organization, or CAPIO, named the WNN the “Best Website” among California public agencies.
San Diego County Water Authority public affairs staffers Ed Joyce and Kimberlyn Velasquez also were recognized with awards for their work on the Water News Network. Velasquez was awarded second place for Photography/Video in the Feature-Light Subject category for her video, “Hydroelectric and Pressure Control Facility Upgrades.” Joyce received a second place in the Series-Light Subject category for the WNN series, “Water Utility Hero of the Week” and a third place in the Environment category for his WNN original story, “La Niña and California’s New Water Year.”
In only its fourth year of operation, the Water News Network is viewed as a reliable source of factual information upholding the standards of journalism to benefit the Water Authority, its 24 member agencies, its stakeholders, and the residents of San Diego County.
The San Diego Press Club honors the region’s best communicators in media each year at the Excellence in Journalism Awards. The presentation of awards was held virtually at the San Diego Automotive Museum on October 25. More than 500 awards in 130 categories and 10 divisions were awarded to San Diego’s reporters, writers, artists, photographers, videographers and public relations professionals. College media were also honored.
The award entries were judged by members of 15 journalism professional organizations from around the country, including press clubs in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Rochester, Florida, Cleveland, Orange County, Milwaukee, Tulsa and Alaska, according to the San Diego Press Club.
