Sacramento reporter Adam Beam and San Francisco photographer Godofredo A. Vasquez delivered compelling text, photos and video that depicted the chaos and sense of community spirit that followed a magnitude 6.4 earthquake in a remote stretch of rural Northern California, putting strong all formats coverage on the wire despite issues with cell service and internet. Beam and Vasquez were awoken by early morning phone calls from editors to head far north in the aftermath of a 6.4-magnitude earthquake that rocked Northern California.
When each reached the scene five hours later, they immediately began reporting in all formats — including video, which is not the specialty of either reporter. Cell phone service and Internet coverage were limited, as most of the region was without power and running water. Whenever they got service, Beam would call in his reporting to colleagues on the desk, while Vasquez sent in photos and video as soon as he could.