The Business Journal won several first- and second-place awards as part of the California Journalism Awards.

The Business Journal won several first- and second-place honors as part of the California Journalism Awards hosted by the California News Publishers Association.

The Business Journal competes statewide amongst weeklies with circulation of 4,301-11,000.

The Business Journal dominated in the “Breaking News” category, winning first and second place. The first-place award went to Frank Lopez for his story about the first Starbucks in Fresno to file for union representation. Former reporter Edward Smith won second place for his story about Pacific Gas & Electric Co. delays in connecting new development to the power grid.

The Business Journal’s production department, led by graphic designer Cynthia Padilla, won first place in the category of “Special Section Cover” for the covers of our 2022 Made in the Central Valley, Legal Directory and San Joaquin Valley Ag supplemental publications.

Smith won a first-place award in the “Coverage of the Environment” category for his story about an experiment in agave production in the Central Valley. 

Smith also won first in the “Agricultural Reporting” category for his stories about a grower revolt and legal challenges to regulations under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. 

Lopez took a second-place award in the “Feature Story” category for his piece about the worldwide appeal of the Fresno Nightcrawler.

In the category of “In-Depth Reporting,” Smith won third-place for his series about balancing industrial development with community wishes.