The Distinguished Journalists Awards Ceremony

The Greater Los Angeles chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists honored five local journalists and a First Amendment activist at its 44th annual Distinguished Journalists Awards Ceremony on Dec. 2, 2020.

The 2019 Distinguished Journalist honorees, which included longtime regional journalists practicing in print, television, radio and digital media, were: Southern California News Group senior editor Tom Bray; Maria L. La Ganga, Metro reporter for the Los Angeles Times; retired KNX1070 reporter and anchor Diane Thompson; KTLA assignment manager Vance Scott; and Lynell George, journalist and essayist.

The Freedom of Information Award went to David Snyder, executive director of the First Amendment Coalition.

The ceremony originally had been scheduled for March as an in-person banquet. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, that event was canceled and honorees were celebrated in a video ceremony emceed by KNX 1070’s Frank Mottek, an SPJ/LA board member and a past Distinguished Journalist honoree.