Voice of OC Reporter Nick Gerda is one of the top five online journalists of the year in Southern California in the award finalists announced by the Los Angeles Press Club.
Gerda’s nomination is one of 10 finalists Voice of OC has earned in the Southern California awards contest — ahead of last year’s eight finalists. And as VOC expanded last year with an Arts & Culture section and has added infographics, the agency is now a finalist in those categories as well.
Because of the support of loyal individuals across Orange County, Voice of OC continues to be free to access, independent and routinely turning out detailed stories that dissect quality of life and arts issues for the community.
“It’s a great honor for all of us to see Nick Gerda recognized by the LA Press Club. We are all incredibly proud of Nick and his work on the county beat and in the City of Santa Ana,” said Voice of OC Publisher Norberto Santana, Jr., who earned first place as online journalist of the year last year.
“His accountability-focused coverage on the county beat has made a huge difference in the lives of Orange County’s most vulnerable, the homeless, and ultimately helped officials craft the basics of a continuum of care system for our county. He’s also been there for Santa Ana neighborhoods, helping craft precise and meaningful city hall coverage that has really given community members a voice at the table. As a journalist, I very much value and respect his commitment to accuracy, fairness and engagement as well as his ability to present readers with hard data in ways that are meaningful and accessible.”
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This year’s LA Press Club finalist entries:
- Nick Gerda is one of the five best online journalists of the year.
- Arts & Culture Senior Editor Paul Hodgins is a finalist for entertainment commentary for his column “Is It Time for Local Arts Leadership to Reflect a Changing World?“
- Norberto Santana, Jr. is a finalist in the columnist category for his columns on homelessness and accountability (columns 1, 2 and 3).
- Santana is also a finalist in the local political commentary category for his columns on protecting public safety (columns 1, 2 and 3).
- Gerda is a finalist in local political and government reporting for his story “Policeman Confronts Reporter For Taking Photos of Him Detaining Homeless Man.”
- Reporter Spencer Custodio is a finalist in the hard news category for his story “Armory Homeless Shelters Close, Many Unsure What’s Next.”
- Digital Editor Sonya Quick is a finalist for best news website design.
- Gerda and Sonya Quick are a finalist for the “Millions in ‘Dark Money’ Flowing to OC Congressional Races” infographic and Quick is a finalist for the “OC 2018 Congressional Races – Election Counts Over Time” infographic.