Sofía Mejías-Pascoe of inewsource, San Diego’s newest and youngest Journalist of the Year, says immigrants and asylum-seekers she once followed closely are no longer reachable.
Ever since Donald Trump took office, she said Thursday night, “I’ve stopped hearing from many of them. The numbers I used to reach them at are no longer in service.”
Texts messages aren’t going through, she said, and “the people I do talk to are really afraid.”
At 26, Mejías-Pascoe isn’t much older than the seven college scholarship recipients honored at the San Diego Society of Professional Journalists annual awards dinner.
Complete list of San Diego SPJ award winners“These are tough times,” she said at the dinner, noting how masked federal agents arrest immigrants at restaurants, stores, gas stations and outside courtrooms with an asylum system shut down for “people who are here and trying to follow the rules.”
“And yet it seems like even the government isn’t following their own rules, and of course that’s not new. But what we’re seeing now is different,” she said. “And on top of that, our industry is under threat.”
The bilingual reporter was hailed by Jamie Self, her online outlet’s managing editor, as “laser-focused” on investigating the Border Patrol’s enforcement strategy and telling stories of people affected by the government’s deportation agenda. Self detailed some of the stories.
Resourceful and having an “exceptional” range as a reporter, Mejías-Pascoe is also “just an awesome human and colleague,” Self told a hundred people dining outdoors at Novo Brazil Brewery in Mission Valley Center.
“She’ll take any story, which I love as an editor,” Self said of the native San Diegan and UC Santa Barbara graduate hired full-time (after an internship) at age 22. (When applause erupted, Self reacted: “No, you cannot hire her.”)
Dinner emcee and SPJ president Adam Racusin of KGTV-Channel 10 made several pitches for people to join the local professional chapter, with about 50 members.
In remarks lasting six minutes, Mejías-Pascoe saluted her colleagues and other local journalists. She also expressed thanks to the “people who have not only given me hope but let me into their quiet lives over the years and have allowed me to share their story with the world.”
Watched by her parents, sister and brother-in-law, Mejías-Pascoe told of how the mother in one family facing deportation after living here 10 years told her she had to keep being strong.
“And I always take lessons from the people I talked to” at work, she said. “Journalists are often cynical people,” but sometimes her story subjects are the ones “who have more hope than any of us.”
Also honored with a special award was Greg Moran, a former longtime San Diego Union-Tribune courts reporter and now at inewsource as well — which is a frequent collaborator with Times of San Diego and shares office space downtown.
He won the Gloria Penner Award for Political Affairs Reporting for “A San Diego judge got paid when he didn’t work. He hasn’t been told to pay it back” and other stories.
Meanwhile, Times of San Diego journalists and contributors took home a dozen awards, including six first-place plaques.
“It’s always an honor when our staff’s hard work is recognized by the SPJ. I’m proud of the six first-place awards and other recognition,” said Chris Jennewein, editor and general manager of Times of San Diego. “And were happy to see Sofía and our other colleagues at inewsource honored with so many awards.”
First-place awards
Chris Stone: Design Elements – Breaking News Photo: “Victim of San Diego flood”
SPJ award winner by Chris Stone/Times of San DiegoSPJ award winner by Chris Stone/Times of San DiegoSPJ award winner by Chris Stone/Times of San DiegoSPJ award winner by Chris Stone/Times of San DiegoChris Stone: Design Elements – Feature Photo: “Artillery salute for USS Canley”
Chris Stone: Design Elements – Photo Essay: “Up-close at the U.S. Olympic Trials: Noah Lyles, Sha’Carri Richardson, Snoop Dogg”
Chris Stone: Design Elements – Sports Photo: “Anna Hall after heptathlon 800”
Ken Stone and Chris Stone: Video – Photography: “Vietnam-era Navy SEALs homecoming in San Diego”
Thomas Melville: Non-daily Reporting and Writing – Sports Story: “City is richer for having the San Diego Open”
Second-place awards
Chris Stone: Design Elements – Feature Photo: “December Nights in Balboa Park”
Lisa Ross: Daily Reporting and Writing- Opinion/Editorial: “The looming war on federal environmental protections will hurt San Diegans”
Ken Stone: Daily Reporting and Writing – Breaking News Story: “Flood of lawsuits? 42nd St. residents say city ignored culvert cleanup pleas”
Ken Stone: Daily Reporting and Writing – News Story: “Animated San Diego GOP crowd hoots, hollers as Trump, Harris tangle in debate”
Ken Stone: Design Elements – Headlines: “San Diego’s Journalist of the Year can’t smell, but sniffs out news quite well” and other headlines
Third-place award
Thomas Melville: Design Elements – Feature Photo: “Taste the freedom”
Other top awards
Andrew Bowen (KPBS), Distinguished Coverage Award, “Floods, freeways and the path to ‘net zero’ emissions” Steve Breen, lran Martinez, Giovanni Moujaes and Jamie Self (inewsource), SPJ Excellence in Journalism Award, “Fentanyl: A decade of death” Inewsource staff: Diversity Award, “San Diego’s remote border region is now a destination for US-bound migrants from around the world” and other stories Arturo Castanares (La Prensa San Diego), First Amendment Award: “New legal precedent & SDSU documents” Mateo Hoke (San Diego Magazine), Herbert Lockwood “Woody” Award for Humor Writing: “Subway hates us” Crystal Niebla and the San Diego Documenters (inewsource), James Julian Memorial Award for Community Service Story: “After outcry, city council punts on plan to end virtual public comment” Jan Goldsmith (The San Diego Union-Tribune), Neil Morgan Community Impact Award: “Someone San Diego Should Know” seriesIn addition to the journalism awards, a $1,500 Merit scholarships went to Sydney Brammer (Point Loma Nazarene University), Lindsey Brintwood (San Diego State University), Lesley Garcia (San Diego State), Carla Gutierrez (Southwestern College) and Yanelli Zavina Robles (Southwestern College)
The Agnes Diggs Road to College $1,450 scholarship went to Diego Higuera (Southwestern College).
And the Bradley J. Fikes $1,000 scholarship went to Alexa Lima (Southwestern College).
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