The Southern California News Group’s sportswriters were recognized for excellence with four major national awards last week in the industry’s highest circulation category for 2024 by the Associated Press Sports Editors.
Olympics and investigations reporter Scott M. Reid was recognized in three reporting and writing categories. Reid’s body of work covering the Olympics was among top 10 in the country for National Beat Writing. Reid’s story on sexual assault at Santa Margarita High was recognized in the Breaking News category.
Reid’s reporting on synchronized swimming coach Hiea-Yoon Kang of La Mirada, who has been suspended by SafeSport, was named a top 10 in the Investigative category for all circulation levels.
The biggest and best sports moment of the year in Los Angeles was at Game 1 of the World Series, when Freddie Freeman hit a grand slam to beat the Yankees in the bottom of the 10th inning. The SCNG coverage of Game 1 was recognized in the Event Coverage category as top 10 in the country in the highest circulation category. Dodgers beat writer Bill Plunkett had the lead story. Columnists Jim Alexander and Mirjam Swanson, Angels beat writer Jeff Fletcher, and Orange County Register Senior Editor Todd Harmonson all contributed to the coverage, along with photographer Keith Birmingham.
“The entire city celebrated that once-in-a-lifetime sports moment,” SCNG Sports Editor Tom Moore said. “It was also one of the busiest nights of the year. In addition to coverage of the World Series, we had writers at a Lakers game, a USC football game, high school football games across Southern California, and everyone on our staff contributed to fantastic sports journalism that night. Of all the events covered by all the sports departments across the country, it’s gratifying and well-deserved that our coverage was recognized as the best in the country that night.”
The Southern California News Group sports department serves 11 newspapers in Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties, with the largest circulation coming from the Orange County Register. In addition to covering major pro and college teams in Southern California, the department covers more than 600 high schools in the circulation area.
