The Public Media Journalists Association (PMJA) has honored two KCBX news stories and a KCBX news series in its 2025 PMJA Awards, recognizing the station for its outstanding public media journalism completed in 2024. The three-part series about domestic abuse in SLO County, “Behind Closed Doors,” won first place for a series in Division A. KCBX reporter Melanie Senn spoke with local advocates, survivors and law enforcement about ways individuals can find help and break the cycle of domestic abuse. “My desire was to learn more about domestic violence in our county — about the survivors and the people working to offer support for them,” Senn said, noting that undocumented women faced the most barriers to protection, including Lulu, a woman she interviewed for the story. “She is a true survivor, and I have been forever moved by her harrowing experiences, her resilience and her strength. I was grateful to everyone I interviewed for sharing information and stories with me.” Read more of Senn’s work here.
KCBX also won two second place distinctions by reporter Alyssa Toledo: one for the sports feature “Rugby Roots: SLO Women’s Rugby celebrates 20 years of breaking barriers,” which reflects on the SLO Women’s Rugby Club’s 20‑year journey of inclusion and growth on the Central Coast; and one for the arts feature “Baile folklórico classes and performances provide connection to Mexican culture for families in Salinas,” which profiles youth learning traditional Mexican dance in Monterey County. Toledo, who grew up on the Central Coast, said she values the perspectives of people in her own community that she gained through exploring various arts and culture programs in the area. “…to get recognized for highlighting [the] different communities that matter so much to me… is such an honor,” said Toledo. Read more of her work here.
“We feel privileged to receive these awards, grateful for Melanie and Alyssa’s excellent reporting, and proud of the public service journalism we produce at KCBX,” said Marisa Waddell, Director of Programming and Content at KCBX. “The features that received these awards are exemplary of the broad spectrum of Central Coast stories that come out of the KCBX newsroom, from sports and the arts to serious social issues.” Waddell said the KCBX reporting recognized by PMJA was made possible by the grants the station received. She said “Behind Closed Doors” was produced as a project for the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism’s Domestic Violence Impact Fund; the rugby feature was made possible by the Shanbrom Family Foundation; and an anonymous donor from Monterey County funded the baile folklórico story.