Every year, the San Diego Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists honors a local reporter whose work has had a major impact on our San Diego community. We’re now accepting nominations for the 2026 Journalist of the Year.

To nominate someone, please email spjsandiego@gmail.com by noon on May 4. 

Please include the following in your nomination: the person’s name, their outlet, and their contact info, as well as a description of why they deserve the award. 

When nominating someone, please also include links to at least three of their most powerful stories published in 2025. Please include at least four sentences about why this person should be considered for the award. Be sure to make your case. Persuade us why this reporter deserves this year’s award. 

Recent awardees include inewsource’s Sofía Mejías Pascoe, who covers immigration, and Voice of San Diego’s Lisa Halverstadt, who was awarded the honor in large part due to her coverage of homelessness. 

Here’s a complete list of our Journalist of the Year winners, dating back to 2013:  

• 2025 – Sofía Mejías-Pascoe (inewsource)
• 2024 – Lisa Halverstadt (Voice of San Diego)
• 2023 – Kelly Davis (freelancer for The San Diego Union-Tribune)
• 2022 – Vicente Calderón
• 2021 – Paul Sisson (The San Diego Union-Tribune)
• 2020 – Claire Trageser (KPBS)
• 2019 – Jean Guerrero (KPBS)
• 2018 – Andrew Keatts (Voice of San Diego)
• 2017 – Morgan Cook (The San Diego Union-Tribune)
• 2016 – Mario Koran (Voice of San Diego)
• 2015 – Jeff McDonald (The San Diego Union-Tribune)
• 2014 – Mark Sauer (KPBS)
• 2013 – Loren Nancarrow (CBS 8)

The winner will be announced along with our other awards in May and celebrated at our awards reception in June. More details on the ceremony to come!

THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING NOMINATIONS IS NOON ON MAY 4!!