The Munro Review won three Gruner Awards. For a scrappy little website like ours, we think that’s a pretty big deal.

First, a word about the Gruners: The George F. Gruner Journalism Awards honor journalism excellence in the central San Joaquin Valley and are administered by Fresno State’s Department of Media, Communications, and Journalism. The Munro Review competes in the “large dailies and digital-only” category, the most competitive field of the program. The awards are named for the late George Gruner, longtime editor of the Fresno Bee. Nominated works are submitted each year and are adjudicated by professional journalists from outside the region.

Now, on to that boasting. There are several reasons I’m doing it:

One is that I’ve got to make a big deal out of it because no one else does. Media organizations can be downright parochial in their coverage of the awards. The Daily-Newspaper-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named offered a story that highlighted its own awards but acted like the other categories did not exist. A usually scrupulous news website did word gymnastics to avoid mentioning any other winners, even in a category in which it received an award. (Note: Thanks to the Fresno Business Journal and the Sun Gazette for offering more comprehensive coverage.) What happened to recognizing your colleagues and celebrating good journalism in general? I like to think that journalists can compete but also support each other. I’d love to see more conversations about how we can do just that.

Second, these honors acknowledge TMR’s outsized impact, competing with significantly larger outlets in its coverage. Its reporting and commentary cover the arts across the central San Joaquin Valley with a focus on journalistic rigor and integrity. By giving arts reviews equal consideration, the Gruner Awards highlight the importance of criticism within the broader journalistic landscape. And we do it in addition to our day jobs and as a retiree of a 40-year journalism career. Small can be mighty.

The third reason is specific and selfish. Fresno’s city government needs to know about the reputation of The Munro Review. Mayor Jerry Dyer needs to know. Elected Council members need to know. The appointed members of the Parks, Recreation and Arts Committee need to know. And Sontaya Rose Schmidt, the mayor’s spokesperson and designated media contact for Measure P – well, she really needs to know. In our latest Measure P story, Doug pointed out that Rose Schmidt ghosted us the last seven times he sent her text messages with important questions about Measure P. She hasn’t talked to The Munro Review in two years. And yet, Doug took away the highest news honors in the central San Joaquin Valley for his reporting on the issue. Something is out of whack here when government doesn’t talk to us. The arts community deserves better.

So, to you, my readers, please spread the word. And, if the idea of supporting a tiny local non-profit media operation whose publisher (me) donates much of his time and whose writers (Doug and Heather) are most certainly not getting rich – well, if that appeals to you, consider making a gift.

In the meantime, I’m going to include all the Gruner Award winners, from the biggest dailies to the smallest weeklies. Congratulations to all.

PUBLIC SERVICE

Larger dailies and digital-only (tie): Erik Galicia, Melissa Montalvo, Maria G. Ortiz-Briones and Marina Pena of the Fresno Bee. They share the award with Gregory Weaver of Fresnoland.

Smaller dailies and weeklies: Greg Little, Nicole Little and Tom Lyden of the Mariposa Gazette, Honorable mention in the category went to Serena Bettis of the Mid Valley Times and Karis Caddell of the Sun Gazette.

BEST WRITING

Larger dailies and digital-only: Donald Munro of The Munro Review. Honorable mention went to Julianna Morano of Fresnoland.

Smaller dailies and weeklies: Karis Caddell of the Sun Gazette. Honorable mention went to Ben Hensley of Fresno’s Business Journal.

BEST COMMENTARY

Larger dailies and digital-only: Juan Esparza Loera of the Fresno Bee. Honorable mention went to Heather Parish of the Munro Review.

Smaller dailies and weeklies: Michael Braa of the Los Banos Enterprise. Honorable mention went to Greg and Nicole Little of the Mariposa Gazette.

BEST NEWS STORY

Larger dailies and digital-only: Doug Hoagland of the Munro Review. Honorable mention went to Lois Henry of SJV Water and Tim Sheehan of Intersection/The Central Valley Journalism Collaborative.
Smaller dailies and weeklies: Jon Acevedo of the Mid Valley Times. Honorable mention went to Parker Bowman of the Hanford Sentinel.

FEATURE WRITING

Larger dailies and digital-only: Rachel Livinal of the Merced Focus. Honorable mention in the same category went to Esther Quintanilla of the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative.

Smaller dailies and weeklies: Ben Hensley of the Fresno Business Journal. Honorable mention went to Karissa Hernandez of the Los Banos Enterprise.

BEST NEWS PHOTO

Larger dailies and digital-only: Craig Kohlruss of the Fresno Bee. Honorable mention went to Peter Segall of the Bakersfield Californian.

Smaller dailies and weeklies: Nick Smirnoff of the Tehachapi News. Honorable mention went to Ben Hensley of the Fresno Business Journal.

BEST SPORTS PHOTO

Larger dailies and digital-only: Eric Zamora of the Fresno Bee. Honorable mention went to Rodney Thornburg of the Bakersfield Californian.

Smaller dailies and weeklies: Amanda White of the Mariposa Gazette. Honorable mention went to Nick Smirnoff of the Tehachapi News

BEST SPORTS STORY

Larger dailies and digital only (tie): Ryan T. Blystone of the Bakersfield Californian and David Taub of GV Wire.

Smaller dailies and weeklies: Jon Hammond of the Tehachapi News. Honorable mention went to Kason Clark of the Sun Gazette.

The Munro Review has no paywall but is financially supported by readers who believe in its non-profit mission of bringing professional arts journalism to the central San Joaquin Valley. You can help by signing up for a monthly recurring paid membership or make a one-time donation of as little as $3. All memberships and donations are tax-deductible.