“Every piece was thoroughly crafted, to the point and a good read,” Press Club judges wrote about Kelley’s columns.
Kelley received an award from the Press Club in 2007 for the best “Online Commentary.”
The Press Club made the announcement June 21 at the 50th Annual Southern California Journalism Awards.
Also honored were ABC’s Bob Woodruff, who received the Daniel Pearl Award for courage; KNBC’s Ana Garcia, who received the Quinn Award for lifetime achievement; and Los Angeles Times’ columnist Steve Lopez, who received the President’s Award. The ceremony was dedicated to longtime broadcaster Hal Fishman, who died in August at the age of 75. “I have three basic reactions to winning, besides ‘Oh my God, I won,’” Kelly said. “The first is that it is very gratifying to be recognized by your peers, especially ones as distinguished as the L.A. Press Club.
“The second is that it is truly an honor to have been singled out from such an outstanding group of nominees …,” Kelly added. “The third is that, to an extent, the award validates your work and indicates that you are making a difference. That’s what the ‘Soap Box’ is all about. I am a citizen journalist shouting out on issues that need to be heard. I do it because I believe we all have a duty to take a stand and to be recognized for it makes it all the more worthwhile.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 1, 2008. Read the original PDF.