Abridged by PBS KVIE wins 16 California Journalism Awards, six first-place recognitions

The Abridged version:

• The California Journalism Awards, operated by the California News Publishers Association, honors the best journalism in the state.
• Abridged received six first-place awards, the most of any professional news organization in the Sacramento region.
• The honors included coverage of the arts, food, transportation, homlessness and the people who define the Sacramento region.

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Abridged by PBS KVIE has been honored with 16 awards in the California News Publishers Association’s 2025 California Journalism Awards, including the most first-place recognitions of any professional news organization in the Sacramento region.

Abridged received six first-place awards across a variety of categories, along with one second-place award and two third-place recognitions.

“These awards recognize the kind of journalism we’re committed to producing every day,” said Ryan Lillis, Associate General Manager of News at PBS KVIE. “It’s work that is deeply reported, thoughtfully told and focused on helping people better understand this community we call home. Winning six first-place awards and 16 awards overall is an incredible honor, but more importantly, it’s a reflection of the talent, curiosity and integrity of our journalists. It shows that Abridged is building something special that people can trust: ambitious local journalism that informs, connects and serves our community.”

The prestigious California Journalism Awards recognize the best journalism produced by print and digital news organizations across the state. More than 500 news organizations are members of the California News Publishers Association.

Abridged launched on Sept. 16, 2025, meaning the organization was judged on journalism it produced in less than four months. Other news organizations Abridged competed against in the awards have published for decades.

“We created Abridged because a community is stronger when the people in it have access to reliable local information and a shared set of facts about the place they live,” said PBS KVIE President and General Manager David Lowe. “That belief has been at the heart of KVIE’s mission for more than 65 years, and Abridged carries that public service commitment into the way people follow the news today. These awards affirm the decision to invest in it, but what matters most is the role this journalism is playing in the civic life of the Sacramento region. We are proud of this team, and proud that public media can step forward to serve its community in new ways.”

Abridged was awarded first place in the following categories:

• Arts & Entertainment Coverage: For a story by Digital Audience Producer Jordan Mata on the evolving world of local bookstores.
• Food Writing/Reporting: A story by Senior Food Editor Benjy Egel highlighting fears felt by visitors from Latin America to the Terra Madre Americas food festival.
• Homelessness Reporting: A story by Numbers Matter contributor Phillip Reese revealing that 19,000 school-age students in the Sacramento region are homeless.
• Profile Story: For a touching profile of West Sacramento Councilmember Quirina Orozco and her battle with a terminal cancer diagnosis, written by Senior Correspondent Rob Stewart.
• Transportation Reporting: For Reporter Felicia Alvarez’s investigation into reasons behind the costly delays on the Highway 50 construction.
• Video Journalism: A video in our Fame to Fork series taking viewers behind the scenes at the favorite lunch spot of well-known attorney Anh Phoong. The video was produced and edited by Senior Food Editor Benjy Egel, Director of Production Alice Yu, Visual Journalists Cameron Clark and Shelley Ho, Chief Visual Journalist Martin Christian, Editor Virginia Michel and Director of News Visuals Christina Salerno.