04 Sep CC Pulse Writer Wins Ethnic Media Award

Ronvel Sharper, 25, won a California Ethnic Media Award on Aug. 28 in Sacramento for his commentary “The Internet Brings Out the Worst in Us,” published last year by The Contra Costa Pulse.

Staff Report

Graduate student and freelance writer Ronvel Sharper has been honored with a 2024 California Ethnic Media award for his story “The Internet Brings Out the Worst in Us,” which explores the issue of online harassment.

Sharper, a longtime contributor to The Contra Costa Pulse, was awarded first place in the category “Coming of Age in a Polarized Society.”

His winning story is a commentary on how online hate has increased since he started playing video games on the internet as a kid. Sharper also writes about how fearmongering and scapegoating are used to create division for political purposes and how social media amplifies this.

“Some of the most vile stuff is said on there, and that is not a joke,” said Sharper, 25. “People always be their worst selves when anonymity is involved. They think they’re untouchable and legit forget that there are consequences to their actions.”

The essay was produced for our Stop the Hate coverage. The Pulse recently completed a yearlong campaign funded by the state of California to raise awareness of acts of hate, factors that drive them, and efforts to fight them.

“I see journalism not only as a public service, but it’s also a form of social work — the flame that blots out the darkness of ignorance,” said Sharper, who began writing for the Pulse at 16 as a student at Richmond High.

The California Ethnic Media Awards ceremony, co-hosted by Ethnic Media Services and California Black Media, took place at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento on Aug. 28.

The ceremony recognized journalists across the state for their outstanding reporting in nine different topic areas, including sports, health, politics and culture.