San Francisco Chronicle wins top honors at Best of the West awards

San Francisco Chronicle​

30-04-2025

The San Francisco Chronicle won some of the top awards at this year's Best of the West journalism awards, with judges recognizing the newsroom's visual storytelling and sharp commentary across several categories.
The Best of the West competition draws hundreds of entries each year from newsrooms across the western U.S., and is judged by veteran journalists and editors from around the country. This year's field was especially competitive, with more than 800 entries across dozens of categories.
The Chronicle earned top honors for ' Mass incarceration devastated S.F. Japantown. For the first time, we know how much,' which traced the consequences of the U.S. government's internment of Japanese Americans during World War II and showed, through data, visuals and interviews, how the forced removal still echoes through Japantown's modern housing patterns, economic disparities and community life.
The piece — by culture critic Peter Hartlaub, data visualization developer Nami Sumida, photographer Lea Suzuki, illustrator John Blanchard and digital designer and developer Stephanie Zhu — won first place in both Social Justice Reporting and Online Presentation, with judges praising the immersive project as 'digital storytelling at its finest.' The judges lauded the Chronicle staff for its 'spectacular' use of historical census data and Japanese-language records, as well the digital presentation — which included archive and contemporary photography, animations, and a closing visual of a paper crane — calling it 'poetry, showing every little detail considered.'
The Chronicle was also honored in commentary and business reporting. Editorial Page Editor Matthew Fleischer won first place for Editorial Writing for 'Endorsement: Breed is the safe choice for mayor. But if you think S.F. needs change, only one candidate fits. ' Judges called the piece thoughtful, persuasive and rich in reporting. They noted the editorial 'treats its readers as adults and makes a persuasive argument with context to spare.'
Columnist Emily Hoeven took second place in General Interest Column Writing for a portfolio that dug into San Francisco's regulatory dysfunction, a dog attack on a public beach and an international custody dispute — stories that judges said were defined by their mix of investigative rigor and emotional clarity. And former Chronicle columnist Soleil Ho, known for blending cultural criticism with reporting, earned second place in Special Topic Column Writing for work exploring the challenges faced by San Francisco's restaurant industry, including the economics of tipping, and the unexpected environmental threat of invasive bullfrogs.
The Chronicle's newsroom was also recognized for standout work in business journalism. Reporter Susie Neilson won third place in Business and Financial Reporting for her investigation into Stanford University's relationship with self-help mogul Tony Robbins, a story that pulled back the curtain on how academic prestige and personal branding can intersect in uncomfortable ways.
Chronicle Editor-in-Chief Emilio Garcia-Ruiz said the awards highlight the power of local journalism done with ambition and care.
'These stories show the full range of what this newsroom can do — from dogged historical research to cutting-edge design to deeply personal, emotionally resonant storytelling,' he said. 'They're not just good journalism. They're journalism that serves the public and challenges the powerful.'
The San Francisco Chronicle (www.sfchronicle.com) is the largest newspaper in Northern California and the second-largest on the West Coast. Acquired by Hearst in 2000, the San Francisco Chronicle was founded in 1865 by Charles and Michael de Young and has been awarded six Pulitzer Prizes for journalistic excellence. Follow us on Twitter at @SFChronicle.