Open Vallejo has won the 2023 Excellence in Journalism Award for Investigative Reporting from the Northern California Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
SPJ NorCal recognized Open Vallejo for revealing how senior officials in the Vallejo Police Department and City Attorney’s Office illegally destroyed evidence in multiple police shootings. The reporting prompted a third-party investigation and garnered scrutiny from California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who last month sued Vallejo to impose a consent decree on the city.
Open Vallejo previously won the Excellence in Journalism Award for Community Journalism in 2021. Since 2020, the nonprofit newsroom has earned 11 national and regional journalism awards, including the University of Southern California’s Selden Ring Special Citation for Investigative Reporting, the First Amendment Coalition Free Speech and Open Government Award, the California Attorneys for Criminal Justice Journalistic Integrity Award, and two Institute for Nonprofit News Community Champion Awards.
Open Vallejo is currently participating in NewsMatch, an annual gift-matching campaign for nonprofit newsrooms. To donate — and to double your tax-deductible donation — click here.
