The SPJ San Diego Pro Chapter is pleased to announce the winners of the annual SPJ San Diego Area Journalism Awards Contest and the 2012 San Diego Journalist of the Year.

SPJ will honor border journalist Adela Navarro Bello as 2012 San Diego Journalist of the Year, along with all contest winners at the SPJ Annual Awards Banquet, set for Thursday, June 28 at the beautiful Bali Hai – and tickets are on sale now!

Navarro Bello is editor of the Tijuana weekly newspaper, Zeta, one of the few publications that frequently reports on organized crime, drug trafficking, and corruption in Mexico’s border cities. Since Zeta’s founding in 1980, two of its journalists have been murdered, and its founding editor survived a 1997 assassination attempt by the Arellano Felix drug cartel. Navarro Bello, who joined Zeta in 1990 and became the first woman on its editing staff in 1994, has been repeatedly warned that she and other top editors are the targets of drug cartel assassination plans. Despite the very real threats, Navarro Bello continues Zeta’s focus on corruption, the cartels, and the Mexican government’s handling of the drug war.

In 2007, Navarro Bello won an International Press Freedom Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists for her courage in defending press freedom in the face of attacks, threats or imprisonment, and in 2011, she won the International Women’s Media Foundation Courage in Journalism Award. She has won numerous journalism awards from other international organizations as well.

SPJ is proud to honor Adela Navarro Bello as the 2012 San Diego Journalist of the Year for her career achievements; consistent adherence to high standards of journalism, ethics and professionalism; service to the journalism profession; and advancement of First Amendment rights.

More than 150 of San Diego’s finest journalists will take home awards in 126 different categories at the SPJ annual awards banquet. Check out the list of winners of first place, second place and honorable mention awards – but you’ll have to wait until the awards banquet to find out who won what!

The banquet, which is held outside on the Bali Hai’s Hawaiian Village bayside patio, features a terrific Polynesian buffet and a no-host bar. The bay breezes can be cool, so bring a sweater or jacket.

Banquet tickets are $40 per person. Reserved tables are $320 for a table of eight. Tables can be reserved only by purchasing a table in advance. To buy your tickets, mail your check by June 22 to SPJ San Diego, P.O. Box 880482, San Diego, CA 92168, or buy your tickets online. To buy tickets at the door, RSVP by June 22 to spjsandiego@gmail.com and bring cash or check only. Last year’s banquet sold out, so don’t delay in getting your tickets!

Congratulations to all the winners of the annual SPJ San Diego Area Journalism Awards Contest! We look forward to seeing you at the awards banquet!

When: Thursday, June 28, 6 p.m. cocktails; 7 p.m. dinner and program
Where: Bali Hai, 2230 Shelter Island Drive. .
Tickets: $40 per person; $320 for a table of 8. (Tables must be purchased in advance.) To buy your tickets, mail your check by June 22 to SPJ San Diego, P.O. Box 880482, San Diego, CA 92168, or buy your tickets online. To pay at the door, RSVP by June 22 and bring cash or check only.
Questions? Contact us at spjsandiego@gmail.com or visit http://www.spjsandiego.org