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Honored: Golden Mike Awards (2024) — my work on KFI’s "He Said, She Said, They Said"

Honored: Golden Mike Awards (2024) — my work on KFI’s "He Said, She Said, They Said"
From left: Jacob Gonzalez, Nick Pagliochini, and Steve Gregory

In March 2024, He Said, She Said, They Said stood out at the 74th Golden Mike Awards—not just for excellence, but for its deeply empathetic and balanced approach to a complex and often polarizing topic. The special wove together voices from across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, parents, educators, and allies with nuance and care, creating a space where every interview felt heard, every perspective respected, and every moment carried the weight of human dignity.

What the Golden Mikes are

Presented annually by the Radio & Television News Association of Southern California (RTNA), the Golden Mike Awards honor distinguished achievement in broadcast and digital journalism across SoCal. They’re among the longest-running regional journalism awards programs in the U.S., with radio categories ranging from Best News Special to Best Feature Series, Best Use of Sound, and more.

2024 snapshot (KFI)

At the 74th Golden Mike Awards (March 30, 2024), KFI AM 640 was one of the night’s top winners, taking home 11 awards across multiple radio categories. Coverage at the time highlighted several of the newsroom’s wins that year, underscoring the depth and consistency of our team’s reporting.

My role on the KFI special

My official credit on He Said, She Said, They Said is Associate Producer, but the heart of my contribution was community sourcing:

  • I identified and recruited every LGBTQIA+ interviewee and ally featured in the two-hour special, drawing on long-standing relationships across the community.
  • I helped coordinate logistics (scheduling, pre-interviews, prep materials), and worked with the editorial team to ensure authentic, balanced representation.
  • I collaborated closely with the EP and producers on structure, tone, and sensitivities, so the piece reflected lived experience with rigor and care.

What I learned

  • Representation is a reporting skill. It’s not just who you book—it’s how you prepare them, earn trust, and frame the story.
  • Editorial sensitivity ≠ softness. You can be exacting and compassionate at once; that’s how you get clarity without caricature.

Gratitude

Thank you to the RTNA judges; to the KFI newsroom; to our EPs and producers; and especially to every LGBTQIA+ guest and ally who shared their time and truth for the special.