Local radio stations take 7 regional Edward R. Murrow awards
3 min read
Eugene public radio station KLCC won five regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, including Overall Excellence, Jefferson Public Radio won for Hard News, and community radio station KEPW 97.3 won for its Digital news service at Whole Community News.
Adjudicated by the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA), the Murrow Awards are among the most respected journalism awards in the world. Murrow Award winning stories put public interest above all else, provide a catalyst for public discussion, and adhere to the RTDNA Code of Ethics.
“It means so much to get the recognition of our journalistic peers in this prestigious competition,” said KLCC News Director, Rachael McDonald. “As a public radio station, we are very fortunate and grateful to have listener support, which helps make our work possible.”
“In a time when local voices and headlines are growing more faint, KLCC news is deepening its commitment to factual, inclusive journalism,” added KLCC General Manager, Jim Rondeau. “We’re glowing over this recognition of our team and very proud of the spirit that motivates them to deliver a timely snapshot of our region—day after day.”
“We have been investing in hyperlocal journalism in Pacific Northwest watersheds since 1999,” said KEPW partner John Quetzalcoatl Murray. “With inspiration from the Pulitzer Prize awarded to citizen journalist Darnella Frazier, who bore witness to the police murder of George Floyd and changed the world, and with awareness of the impacts of climate change, we are encouraging greater watershed awareness by providing watershed-based news.”
KLCC and KEPW are judged in the Small Market Radio Division for Region 1, including Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Idaho, and Montana. Regional winners will go on to compete in the national Edward R. Murrow Awards.
KLCC’s Overall Excellence entry included a newscast by Love Cross, and reporting by Brian Bull, Rachael McDonald, Chris Lehman, Melorie Begay, Tiffany Eckert, and Aubrey Bulkeley.
KLCC’s individual awards included Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for reporter Brian Bull’s coverage of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (Girls/ People). Bull also received the award for Excellence in Writing.
KLCC news anchor Love Cross was recognized for Excellence in Sound for her piece, Sounds from the Ballgame: Emeralds Return to PK Park.
Cross’ work also topped the competition’s Newscast category, which included contributions from Brian Bull, Tiffany Eckert, and Tom Banse.
Jefferson Public Radio won for April Erlich’s Hard News report on how drought in the Klamath Basin is affecting daily life: “Homes lose running water in Klamath Basin as they compete with farmers, ranchers.”
KEPW 97.3, The Corporation for Public Community Newspapers, and Everyone Village teamed up to produce the hyperlocal news service, Whole Community News, which won the regional award for Digital news with extensive reporting on Eugene’s housing and homelessness crisis. The award-winning website was designed by podcast Executive Producer Joshua Kielas.
Other regional winners included:
- KYUK, Bethel, AK. Continuing Coverage: Nearly Half Of Bethel Police Are Unvaccinated And Live Out Of Town. They Could Lose Their Jobs.
- Boise State Public Radio, Boise, ID. Feature Reporting. A Boise Nurse Shares her Frontline Experience through Poetry.
- Boise State Public Radio, Boise, ID. Investigative Reporting. ‘I Don’t Tell People That I Worked There’: Employees Describe Problems At Idaho COVID Care Center. Boise State Public Radio, Boise, ID.
- Alaska Public Media (in partnership with Anchorage Daily News, Indian Country Today), Anchorage, AK. News Series. Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act 50th Anniversary Series.
- Montana Public Radio (in partnership with University of Montana College of Business), Missoula, MT. Podcast. Fireline.
The Radio Television Digital News Association has been honoring outstanding achievements in electronic journalism with the Edward R. Murrow Awards since 1971. Award recipients demonstrate the spirit of excellence that Murrow set as a standard for the profession of broadcast and digital journalism.
