Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1175948
"Good education reporting will always matter. The work of these media professionals is crucial to helping the public understand the pressures facing public education." —Former CTA President Eric Heins From hard-hitting news stories on school funding issues to touching pieces about heroic efforts by educators, CTA's 60th annual John Swett Awards for Media Excellence spotlight the best education stories of 2018 and the journalists who tell them. O M I N A T E D B Y CTA locals and selected by an independent panel of working and retired journalists and media professionals, 19 entries were honored for outstanding media coverage of education. e awards honor individuals, pub- lications, websites, and television and radio stations for their compelling and informative coverage of public education. "Journalists are all educators. We depend on their coverage to educate the public about the promise of California's public schools," said former CTA President Eric Heins, presenting the awards. "Like teachers, reporters are being asked to do more and more with less and less. But good education reporting will always matter. e work of these media professionals is crucial to help- ing the public understand the pressures facing public education." The winners were honored during a reception at the CTA State Council meeting in June in Los Angeles. These journal- ists were proud to share the inspiring stories that happen ever y day in our schools and the dedicated educators who help make them happen. "Keep on fighting and we' ll keep telling your stories," said KTVU television reporter and award winner Azenith Smith. e John Swett Award is named in honor of CTA's founder, who was California's fourth superintendent of public instruction and a champion for public education. At right, former CTA President Eric Heins, NBC Nightly News' Carol Eggers and Alicia Hastey, then-CTA Secretary-Treasurer David B. Goldberg, and CTA's Mona Davidson. Below, Heins, Davidson, Goldberg and Red Bluff Daily News' Julie Zeeb. n Honoring Outstanding Journalism 60th annual John Swett Awards for Media Excellence Story and photos by Julian Peeples 62 cta.org CTA & You