inewsource reporters were recognized with 11 awards Tuesday night from the San Diego Press Club, including for the America’s Wall border project and campaign finance coverage.
Reporter Brad Racino’s investigation into the HiCaliber Horse Rescue also won first place for investigative reporting in the online and daily newspaper category. With contributions from inewsource intern Nicole Tyau, Racino’s series of more than 15 stories exposed allegations of fraud, animal abuse and improper veterinary care at the organization.
Here’s a full list of inewsource’s awards with links to each story:
Brandon Quester, Leonardo Castañeda and Jim Tinsky, and KPBS’s Jean Guerrero and Kris Arciaga
- First place, political/government, “America’s Wall: Decades-long struggle to secure U.S.-Mexico border.”
Brad Racino and Nicole Tyau
- First place, investigative reporting, series on HiCaliber Horse Rescue.
Brad Racino, Brandon Quester and the Hechinger Report’s Meredith Kolodner
- First place, education, “Remedial classes: A community college segregation machine.”
Leonardo Castañeda
- First place, election coverage, “Competing Mission Valley stadium measures gear up for expensive campaign fight.”
Cheryl Clark
- First place, Health and Medicine, “Diabetes-related amputations up significantly in California and San Diego.”
Megan Wood and the Investigative Reporting Workshop’s Mandy McLaren
- Second place, multicultural, “Trauma and transitions: How San Diego schools grapple with educating refugees.”
Jill Castellano
- Second place, election coverage, “Unprecedented outside spending for county supervisor’s seat and more to come.”
Brandon Quester
- Second place, Still — photo essay, “America’s Wall: A visual journey.”
Cheryl Clark, Megan Wood and Brandon Quester
- Third place, investigative reporting — Single Report television/online video, “Hustling Hope: Doctors debunk diabetes treatment as fraud charges hit clinic executive.”
Megan Wood and Joanne Faryon
- Third place, news feature pre-produced, “Music helps people in nursing home once considered unreachable.”
Megan Wood
- Third place, education, “Christian college can’t explain $20 million in expenses; agency cites very sketchy budget.”
Click here for a full list of San Diego Press club winners.

We’ll let you know when big things happen.