Winner: Kevin Fitzgerald has been writing for the Coachella Valley Independent since June 2013. He is a talented longform writer willing to do the research and interviews needed to produce in-depth, compelling, local stories that would not otherwise be told. He has reported on the effects of federal budget cuts on Coachella Valley residents; the success of lawsuits against powerful local organizations; and the fight of some residents to get answers regarding a shuttered power plant in Mecca. His career has included stints as a magazine journalist and photographer, and as a TV-network marketing executive, working in publicity and advertising photography for HBO, FOX, and NBC. With the Independent, Kevin covers a variety of news, cultural, entertainment, and sports stories as both a reporter and a photographer. In 2018, he was honored by the Association of Alternative Newsmedia with an award in the Beat Reporting category for his coverage of end-of-life laws and issues.

Winner: Olivia Sandusky of NBC Palm Springs. Olivia, who holds a master’s degree in journalism from USC, joined the station in 2020 and quickly became a cornerstone of its evening newscasts. In June, she earned her first Emmy award for her coverage of Tropical Storm Hilary. Olivia’s creativity and commitment to in-depth reporting were evident in the three long-form specials she produced in 2024. Her first two specials, Restoring the Salton Sea and its follow-up, addressed critical issues surrounding the Salton Sea and earned recognition from the American Planning Association. Her third special, Tribes of the Coachella Valley, aired during Native American Heritage Month and provided an unprecedented 45-minute exploration of the history and significance of local Native American tribes. These projects, alongside her daily reporting, have solidified Olivia’s role as a leader in local journalism. 

Honorable Mention: Taya Gray of The Desert Sun was honored for her work as photojournalist.Taya’s ability to tell compelling visual stories has made her an integral part of the community. Known for her professionalism and care, Taya’s work captures the essence of the Coachella Valley—whether at a ribbon-cutting ceremony or the scene of a dramatic event. Her nomination, which included a letter from a rival news organization, highlighted her passion for engaging with the community and her expertise in capturing stories through photography. Taya’s dedication to documenting impactful moments underscores the importance of visual storytelling in journalism.

Winner: Rich Tarpening of Gulf California Broadcasting. When we think of journalism, we often think about reporters or photographers, in-the-field correspondents or news anchors. But behind the scenes are many dedicated editors and managers whose work every day makes the news happen. Tarpening is the Assignment Manager for Gulf California Broadcasting. He manages the daily newsroom operations and helps plan for short- and long-term news stories for KESQ, KDFX, CBS Local 2 and Telemundo 15. Rich oversees the News Channel 3’s I-Team, helping to plan and organize investigative reports. In 2023, those reports included probes into fentanyl deaths, malware attacks on College of the Desert that cost the school over $1 million, the dismissal of more than 1,700 cases in Riverside County courts, and school safety issues.

Honorable Mention: Christopher Damien of The Desert Sun. Damien is recognized for reporting on a particularly difficult subject — deaths in our county jails. In 2022, Damien uncovered a record number of jail deaths in the county and the sheriff’s department’s illegal failure to report some of them in a timely way. In 2023, that work’s impact spread, as the California attorney general launched a civil-rights probe of the sheriff’s department. Damien chronicled the human toll by speaking to the victims’ families. In some cases, they had never been told their relatives were hospitalized until it was too late. He also reported on the drug problems fueling some of the deaths, including fentanyl being smuggled into jail.