The journalism at WUSF Public Media has been recognized with three Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, one of the most prestigious broadcast awards in the country.
WUSF won for stories produced in 2019, in the investigative reporting, sports, and news series categories. WUSF competes in Region 13, which includes news produced in the states of Florida and Georgia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Selected from a record of more than 5,000 entries, these regional winners represent the best in local broadcast news.
“Murrow Award-winning journalism upholds the guiding principles of RTDNA’s Code of Ethics: truth, accuracy, fairness, context, independence, transparency and accountability for consequences,” said RTDNA Chairman Terence Shepherd, who also is News Director at WLRN Public Media in Miami. “Displaying technical excellence, creativity and innovation, this year’s winners have empowered audiences across the country to make more informed decisions for themselves and to become closer to their communities.”
The work being honored by the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) includes:
- Investigative Journalism: Daylina Miller, a reporter for WUSF’s Health News Florida, was the first reporter to identify problems with a state crackdown on fraudulent billing practices. It had unintended consequences at clinics that provide behavior analysis therapy to children on the autism spectrum. Miller’s reporting led to changes in how the state was addressing the problem. Julio Ochoa was the editor. The story that launched the coverage can be found here.
- News Series: WUSF’s Robin Sussingham, Steve Newborn and Cathy Carter all contributed stories to “The Buzz On Florida’s Honey Bees,” a WUSF News project featured on The Zest Podcast. The entry included an excerpt from a Florida Matters interview Sussingham hosted with a bee expert, a story on the environmental threats the Florida bee population faces, and a feature story on the urban apiary on the roof of the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts. Sussingham, senior producer and host of The Zest Podcast, led the project. Producers Stephanie Colombini and Christy Oshana also contributed to this series.
- Sports Reporting: WUSF’s Cathy Carter’s profiled a Sarasota-based dragon boat team comprised of breast cancer survivors. The story looked into how the 2,000-year-old sport has grown in recent, international popularity in part because of cancer survivors. It was edited by News Director Mary Shedden.
All three entries are advancing to the National Murrow Award competition, which will be announced later this year.
