RADIO STATIONS
Radio stations newscast, all markets
First Place
“6 a.m., June 2, 2020”
Bloomberg Radio Staff
Bloomberg Radio
Judge’s comments: Broad sweep of racial justice protests from Manhattan to Washington with crisp writing, good use of sound and a general blend of news of the day made WBBR’s morning newscast following the George Floyd shooting a standout.
Second Place
“5 a.m. Nov. 4, 2020”
WBAL News Team
WBAL-AM
Third Place
“WLRN News with Christine DiMattei”
Christine DiMattei
WLRN News
Radio stations breaking news or continuing coverage of a single news event
First Place
“The killing of George Floyd”
MPR News Staff
Minnesota Public Radio
Judges’ comments:.MPR reporters set a tone of respect that came through in the clamour, and authoritative delivery of each story they told about the community they inhabit. The feeling that this death was a local story — indeed it was — seemed infused to infuse every detail and every interview. Despite the national attention, MPR told this story so the people who mattered most had the information they needed to try and safely go about their daily lives. And listeners got to know a little about George Floyd from the local people who knew him.
Second Place
“Northwest Baltimore Row Home Fire”
WBAL News Team
WBAL-AM
Third Place
“Voting Rights Restoration Continued: What Happened To Florida’s Amendment 4”
Daniel Rivero
WLRN News
Radio stations feature and human interest story, all markets
First Place
“Protecting Texas’ Bighorn Sheep”
Michael Marks
Texas Standard
Judges’ comments: Textbook example of seamlessly blending narration with expert voices tells the story of snagging bighorn sheep by helicopter and the wildlife management subtext that makes it all necessary. Great writing topped off the entry’s oddball appeal.
Second Place
“The USS Doris Miller”
Jay Price
North Carolina Public Radio WUNC
Third Place
“Searching for cremated remains in the ashes of Oregon’s wildfires”
Jes Burns
Oregon Public Broadcasting
Radio stations documentary or public affairs
First Place and BEST IN SHOW
“The Flag and the Fury”
Shima Oliaee and Jad Abumrad
Osm Audio & WNYC’s Radiolab
Judges’ comments: WNYC and Osm Audio do a pitch perfect job in reporting both angles to an emotional topic. Overall, this is an amazing mix of storytelling and historical audio clips folded in that illustrates what the Confederate flag means to many people.
Second Place
“The Sunshine Economy”
Tom Hudson and Polly Landess
WLRN News
Third Place
“Show Me The State: The Fulton Flash”
Kristofor Husted and Aviva Okeson-Haberman
KBIA
Radio stations news series
First Place
“Dying On The Sheriff’s Watch”
Christine Willmsen and Beth Healy
WBUR 90.9 FM
Judges’ comments: WBUR provided a compelling piece that covers topics that don’t often get enough discussion including a prisoner’s right to health care. Through effective writing and reporting, this story is at times compelling, informative, and to a degree, heartbreaking.
Second Place
“COVID Crisis in the Central Valley”
Kathy Novak
KCBS Radio
Third Place
“Where We Live”
Jason deBruyn
North Carolina Public Radio WUNC
Radio stations pandemic coverage/project
First Place
“Inside the Frenzied Pandemic Market for Medical Masks”
Beth Healy and Christine Willmsen
WBUR 90.9 FM
Judges’ comments:.WBUR uncovers and chronicles a disturbing and heretofore black market rife with price-gouging, fraudulent deals and opportunism in two riveting, well-documented pieces about Covid protection gear and masks.
Second Place
“How Counties and Businesses are Coping with a Patchwork of COVID-19 Enforcement Rules”
Caitie Switalski Muñoz, Jenny Staletovich and Wilkine Brutus
WLRN News
Third Place
“Black Funerals”
Leoneda Inge
North Carolina Public Radio WUNC
Broadcast radio networks and syndicators newscast
First Place
“World News Roundup, November 3, 2020”
Steve Kathan and Paul Farry
CBS News Radio
Judges’ comments: CBS reporters sound as if they’re telling the story of a race they’re watching. Close your eyes and listen to the cadence of the voices and you can imagine the candidates on a field and spectators in the stands yelling, cheering and booing!
No second- or third-place award given
Broadcast radio networks and syndicators breaking news or continuing coverage
First Place
“The President Tests Positive”
CBS News Radio Staff
CBS News Radio
Judges’ comments: Comprehensive coverage of the period of Trump’s COVID diagnosis, all the way through his hospitalization and release. Good summary of the medical treatments being given, the background on how there was likely COVID spread at White House events. Absence of political overtones was encouraging.
Second Place
“Delhi Riots: ‘How Do You Explain Such Violence?’”
Lauren Frayer, Sushmita Pathak, Nishant Dahiya and Hannah Bloch
National Public Radio
Third Place
“Holding Power Accountable as the Economy Cracked from the Pandemic”
Shannon Bond, Scott Horsley and Chris Arnold
National Public Radio
Broadcast radio networks and syndicators feature and human interest story
First Place
“Along the Rim of Alaska, the Once-A-Decade U.S. Census Began in Toksook Bay”
Hansi Lo Wang, Acacia Squires and Mark Katkov
NPR
Judges’ comments: This piece took the listener right into the port of a frigid, remote coastal Alaskan village where locals were interviewed about the start of the census. Locals had various interesting takes on the importance of the census, the federal funding aspect of which was not lost on some. Good narration mixed with local audio to tell a very culturally interesting local story.
Second Place
“The Long, Perilous Route Thousands of Indians Have Risked for a Shot At Life in U.S.”
Lauren Frayer, Sushmita Pathak and Nishant Dahiya
National Public Radio
Third Place
“New York City Protests – Making a Difference”
Westwood One
Broadcast radio networks and syndicators documentary or public affairs
First Place
“CBS Special Edition of America Changed Forever: The Life and Legacy of John Lewis”
Allison Keyes, Gil Gross, Paul Woodhull and Jonathan Clark
CBS News Radio
Judges’ comments: An engaging look back at the incredible life of John Lewis. Interviews from those who knew him early in his life during the civil rights movement to those who served with him in Congress. CBS did a great job of presenting such a well-rounded profile of another of the great non-violent civil rights icons.
Second Place
“China, India Handled COVID-19 Differently. Results Differed Too”
Lauren Frayer, Emily Feng and Nishant Dahiya
National Public Radio
Third Place
“Black Lives Matter: From Protests to Police Reform”
Westwood One
Broadcast radio networks and syndicators news series
First Place
“Profiles in Extremism”
Hannah Allam, Andrew Sussman, Walter Ray Watson Jr. and Jim Urquhart
National Public Radio
Judges’comments: It’seveneasiertoassessthisprofileofEricParkeraftertheCapitolriots as many people are still struggling to understand the violence of the Jan. 6, 2021 actions of right wing activists. NPR’s interview can be labeled prescient.
Second Place
“Stuck-At-Home Moms: The Pandemic’s Devastating Toll on Women”
Andrea Hsu, Scott Horsley and Alina Selyukh
National Public Radio
Third Place
“Celebrating a Century of Sound”
CBS News Radio and National Press Club
Broadcast radio networks and syndicators pandemic coverage/project
First Place
“The Summer of COVID-19”
Westwood One
Judges’ comments: We think we remember the whole COVID sequence. But The Summer of COVID-19 brings it all back. Great audio and narration of the many aspects of the pandemic as it affected the U.S. from early in 2020 through the summer months. In retrospect, we see how some reactions may have been overreactions, and how some steps were part of a learning curve. As this focused on the summer of 2020, the pandemic was still around and many questions remained unanswered. But it’s an excellent recap with great audio that will bring back memories, good and bad, in classic radio style.
No second- and third-place award given
TELEVISION
Broadcast or cable television stations newscast
First Place
“NewsCenter 5 at 6: March 13, 2020”
WCVB News Staff
WCVB
Judges’ comments: Just about as much information as you can pack into a newscast…typical top-rate production from NewsCenter 5. What you needed to know on a need to know basis. Fast-paced and flawless.
Second Place
“Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 At 6:00”
WTAE staff
WTAE
Third Place
“News 9 Tonight: The Democratic Primary Debate”
WMUR News Staff
WMUR-TV
Broadcast or cable television stations coverage of a live breaking news event
First Place
“Violence Follows Peaceful Protest”
WCVB News Staff
WCVB
Judges’ comments: Excellent footage of protest, violence and looting in Boston several hours into protests over the killing of George Floyd. The anchors and reporters were able to provide timely information about what we were seeing on camera.
Second Place
“Police, Protesters Clash in Front of Police Department”
David Bienick and Ted Cooper
WCVB
Third Place
“May 30th Protest”
WTAE staff
WTAE
Broadcast or cable television stations continuing coverage of a single news event
First Place
“Shredding”
WBFF-TV staff WBFF-TV
Judges’ comments: An amazing amount of research into shredding of documents in the aftermath of a financial scandal in Baltimore County Schools. It produced results: a criminal investigation was instigated, and a new retention policy developed.
Second Place
“Aftermath of Unrest” WCAU-TV staff
WCAU-TV
Third Place
“Black Lives Matter: Day of Protests”
Tim Tunison and WBAL-TV 11 News Team
WBAL-TV
Broadcast or cable television stations feature, sports or human interest story
First Place
“I Touched Lives”
Boyd Huppert and Chad Nelson KARE-TV
Judges’ comments: Her own terminal cancer diagnosis will not stop this nurse from being there for her patients. Excellent use of archival photos in an emotional story that puts life in perspective, and highlights the selflessness of one remarkable healthcare provider. Interwoven sound bites with short voiceover narration just to bridge the gaps, along with a barrage of smiling faces and intimate closeups of personal interactions, make this piece exceptionally human and inspiring.
Second Place
“Carolina Impact / Brooks’ Restaurant Reopens”
Jeff Sonier and Doug Stacker
WTVI PBS Charlotte
Third Place
“The Talk”
Chandi Chapman
WTAE
Broadcast or cable television stations public service
First Place
“Full Disclosure”
ABC15 Staff
KNXV (ABC15 Arizona)
Judges’ comments: Not only did the station document cases of policy dishonesty, it established a searchable database of officers who have officially been cited for transgressions, one that serves the entire community of law enforcement (and criminal attorneys) in a way state oversight officials never did. The system was broken, but ABC 15 took a giant step toward fixing it.
Second Place
“Learned Helplessness”
WBFF-TV Baltimore staff
WBFF-TV Baltimore
Third Place
“Pandemic PASS or FAIL: Solutions for Education Equity”
KXAN Investigates
KXAN
Broadcast or cable television stations documentary or series of reports on the same subject
First Place
“Registered & Enrolled”
WBFF-TV Baltimore staff
WBFF-TV Baltimore
Judges’ comments: This well thought out and written investigation into a high school sex offender was relentless in its desire to give three victims a voice. The shocking details of why the convicted sex offender was allowed to return to high school resulted in sweeping legislation to correct the many flaws and omissions in Baltimore County’s handling of sex offenders in public schools.
Second Place
“WESH 2 Project Community: Crusade for Change Part 1”
WESH staff
WESH
Third Place
“Cell Blocked”
Lee Zurik, Cody Lillich and Jon Turnipseed
WVUE-TV
Broadcast or cable television stations investigative reporting
First Place
“Inspecting the Inspectors”
Lee Zurik, Cody Lillich and Jon Turnipseed
WVUE-TV
Judges’ comments: A stunning investigation using GPS data on city vehicles compared with logs of inspections reveals a deadly routine — building inspectors were nowhere near the construction sites when they approved work. A hard story to get…it involved sifting through records, imaginative strategies, and hard questions. When the Hard Rock hotel project collapsed and killed three, Fox 8 moved with laser-like efficiency to do a deep dive on city malfeasance, with a number of personnel changes as a result. And judging from what was uncovered, maybe those results will save lives.
Second Place
“Prone”
Chris Vanderveen and Chris Hansen
KUSA-TV
Third Place
“Action News Investigates: Unemployment In Pennsylvania”
Paul Van Osdol
WTAE
Broadcast or cable television stations business and consumer reporting
First Place
“Ben Has Your Back”
Ben Simmoneau and Sarah Stolper
WCVB
Judges’ comments: WCVB’s Ben Simmoneau leads the charge against companies who charge for goods and services, but when problems arise, won’t completely honor their terms of service agreements to customer satisfaction. Ben & team offer a series of reports in which they uncover the loopholes companies try to slip through, and work to expose those holes and close them for the good of the individuals at their wits’ end, who are powerless to get results all alone. From air travel to exercise equipment, unemployment collections to college scholarships, the scenes are well-set and expertly explained, at a pace that is just right to keep the stories moving with engaging interviews and creative visuals.
Second Place
“COVID-19 Pandemic Impact On Restaurants”
WTAE staff
WTAE
Third Place
“The Most Challenging Year”
Chris Hansen and Chris Vanderveen
KUSA-TV
Broadcast or cable television stations health/science reporting
First Place
“KARE 11 Investigates: The Untested”
Brandon Stahl, A.J. Lagoe and Gary Knox
KARE11
Judges’ comments: KARE reveals through victims, lawmakers and law enforcement interviews a troubling problem: Why rape kits go untested. Through the station’s reporting, things changed for the better for the citizens of Minnesota’s key metropolis, and led to an influential debate statewide.
Second Place
“Spotlight on America: Chamber of Hope”
Duane Pohlman, Eric Frisbee and Max McClellan
WKRC-TV – SBG
Third Place
“A Beautiful New Blue Makes Its Debut”
Jes Burns, Brandon Swanson, Dan Evans and Stephani Gordon
Oregon Public Broadcasting
Broadcast or cable television stations environmental reporting
First Place
“WESH 2 Chronicle: Wasted: How Your Recycling Gets Trashed”
WESH staff
WESH
Judges’ comments: This was eye-opening, informative, and transformative environmental story on the hidden truths of recycling. You may have already suspected that recyclables are actually headed for the landfill. The Chronicle exposé reveals this hunch is true and landfills in Orange County will be at capacity in 20 years due to mishandled recyclables. Yet, who is responsible for this carelessness? You may be surprised to learn that the guilty suspect is you! This is truly a life-changing segment on the recycling process and how everyone can take more concerted action in recycling correctly.
Second Place
“Pipeline Exposure”
Jody Barr, Ben Friberg and Josh Hinkle
KXAN
Third Place
“Air Quality Concerns”
Chandi Chapman
WTAE
Broadcast or cable television stations pandemic coverage/project
First Place
“Kane In Your Corner: COVID Outbreak at Veterans Home”
Karin Attonito, Anthony Cocco and Walt Kane
News 12 New Jersey
Judges’ comments: An inside look at the perils facing patients caught in the worst Covid outbreak of any veterans’ home in the nation through heart-breaking interviews with families isolated from their loved ones and inside descriptions and video from a caretaker within the home. A deep dive beyond the many barriers erected to keep people out.
Second Place
“Arizona’s deadly COVID numbers game”
Melissa Blasius, Nicole Grigg and Garrett Archer
KNXV-TV
Third Place
“Getting Answers for New Hampshire” WMUR News Staff
WMUR
Broadcast or cable television stations severe weather reporting
First Place
“Nor’Easter Buries Massachusetts”
WCVB News Staff
WCVB
Judges’ comments: While WCVB covered a massive nor’easter with arresting photography, crisp reporting and fast-paced editing, what sets its entry apart is its tone. Stations tend to act like a big storm equates with Death From Above, but WCVB delivers a calm but compelling wrapup of the storm’s effects throughout the region with a widespread team of reporters and an authoritative and easy-to-understand overview by meteorologist Mike Wankum in the studio. Graphics instantly and readably told viewers how the storm was affecting their areas and a net of reporters — the Hub, Foxboro, Brockton, the south side and on and on — each found a compelling angle for their particular outpost. Best of all was the entertaining piece on snow fever at Boston Commons.
Second Place
“December Snowstorm”
WTAE staff
WTAE
Third Place
“Covering Slow-moving Sally”
Tyler Fingert and Daeshen Smith
WALA FOX10 News
Broadcast television networks, cable networks and syndicators newscast
First Place
“PBS NewsHour – June 23, 2020”
PBS NewsHour staff
PBS NewsHour
Judges’ comments: Judy Woodruff and the PBS News Hour excel at in-depth coverage providing the context that explains to viewers whether they, and/or their communities, can be part of the problem or part of the solution.The program covered a wide range of content and context — from the White House to the front lines of the Covid battle to the unrest in Yemen. Every story was explored in depth, looking at not only why it happened, but why it matters.
Second Place
“The CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell, September 17, 2020 broadcast” Norah O’Donnell, Jay Shaylor and staff
CBS News
No third-place award given
Broadcast television networks, cable networks and syndicators coverage of a major news event
First Place
“CBS News: California Burning”
CBS News Staff
CBS News
Judges’ comments: Footage is spectacular and reporting is first-rate. Great editing and some excellent sound bites. Those qualities and the overall context — including maps of the fire’s movements — set this apart.
Second Place
“The President and his Coronavirus Diagnosis”
CBS News staff
CBS News
Third Place
“Nationwide Protests after Death of George Floyd”
Weekend Today Staff
NBC News
Broadcast television networks, cable networks and syndicators continuing coverage of a major news event
First Place
“Face the Nation: Facing the Pandemic”
Margaret Brennan, Mary Hager and staff
CBS News
Judges’ comments: Especially impressive because this was so early in the pandemic. We were getting different answers everywhere, and it was hard to separate fact from rumor, but “Face the Nation” was asked the right questions of the right people. This coverage was exactly what the country needed at the time.
Second Place
“60 Minutes: Voting in the Pandemic Series”
Bill Whitaker, Marc Lieberman, Ali Rawaf and Staff
60 Minutes
Third Place
“COVID-19, Economic Toll”
CBS News staff
CBS News
Broadcast television networks, cable networks and syndicators feature, sports or human interest
First Place
“NFL Countdown: The Big Mo Show”
Harry Hawkings
ESPN
Judges’ comments: A memorial piece on a young teen that inspired professional athletes and sports fans across an entire city. “The Big Mo Show” (both “Mo” the kid, and the piece itself) puts a smile on your face, as it is truly bursting with positive emotion, inspiration and an expertly captured zest for life evoked by the lead character and those around him, despite his dire personal health and life situation challenges. It’s not until four minutes into the six-minute piece that the true tragedy is revealed, and the legacy of this remarkable kid is fully realized. Stories and characters are followed across a long-term arc that is more than effectively illustrated with new and archival media, edited with interviews, music and just a bit of narration that keeps the pace up but appropriately holds back for the poignant moments.
Second Place
“CBS Sunday Morning: Americans without Water”
Rand Morrison, Lee Cowan, Sari Aviv and Carol Ross
CBS News
Third Place
“CBS Sunday Morning: Dog is My Copilot”
Rand Morrison, Conor Knighton and Emanuele Secci
CBS News
Broadcast television networks, cable networks and syndicators documentary or series of reports on the same subject
First Place and BEST IN SHOW
“Desperate Journey”
PBS NewsHour staff
PBS NewsHour
Judges’ comments: Extraordinary, embedded, risk-filled documentary of what refugees are going through as they navigate jungles and rivers heading north to the US. Exceptional reporting and documenting.A daring, danger-filled documentation of what many refugees are going through with a degree of difficulty unmatched by competitors.
Second Place
“Bravery and Hope: 7 Days on the Front Line”
CBS News staff
CBS News
Third Place
“20/20: In the Cold Dark Night”
ABC News staff
ABC News
Broadcast television networks, cable networks and syndicators investigative report
First Place
“60 Minutes: Opioid Playbook”
Bill Whitaker, Sam Hornblower, Matthew Danowski and Emilio Almonte
CBS News
Judges’ comments: Peddlers of misery use flamboyant sales tactics to increase sales of opioids, which trap tens of thousands in addiction. Doctors get speaking contracts, wooed at fancy resorts and sales reps have no boundaries when trying to get their numbers up. “60 Minutes” lays out the whole tawdry scheme and gets insiders to confess their sins.
Second Place
“CBS This Morning: VA Ignores War’s Signature Wound, Leaving Vets to Die”
Jim Axelrod, Peter Burgess, Len Tepper and Michael Kaplan
CBS News
Third Place
“20/20: Falling From the Sky”
Staff of 20/20
ABC News
Broadcast television networks, cable networks and syndicators news magazine program
First Place
“20/20 and Courier Journal: Say Her Name: Breonna Taylor”
ABC News staff
ABC News
Judges’ comments: Sincere and documented attempt to understand a tragic incident. Went many steps beyond the typical coverage; extraordinary level of detail.
Second Place
“CBS Sunday Morning: The Pet Project”
Jane Pauley, Rand Morrison, Jason Sacca and Jon Carras
CBS News
Third Place
“The Long Road to Freedom”
Izhar Harpaz, Craig Melvin and Paul Ryan
Dateline NBC
Broadcast television networks, cable networks and syndicators business and consumer reporting
First Place
“60 Minutes: On the Line”
Norah O’Donnell, Keith Sharman, Rome Hartman and Adam Verdugo
60 Minutes
Judges’ comments: 60 Minutes is there on the front lines of automotive industry factories for Ford and GM as they pivot from making cars to COVID-19 PPE and ventilators in a rapid changeover not seen since World War II. Interviews with the CEO’s as well as the workers assembling the parts reveal how the mindset at all levels was not “if” to help, but how do we help, and how fast can we get started. Reporting also provides full and detailed explanations of the now-commonplace safety measures (temperature checks, plexiglass dividers, proximity sensors) introduced to keep the employees safe in only the first weeks of the situation being realized in the US. A concise history lesson on the automotive industry’s relationship with the government is also presented, including reflection on prior government loans and bailouts in recent years.
Second Place
“CBS Sunday Morning: Not So Plain”
Rand Morrison, Seth Doane, Sari Aviv and George Pozderec
CBS News
Third Place
“Patriot Penalty”
Lee Zurik, Owen Hornstein, Jamie Grey and Emma Ruby
InvestigateTV – Gray Television
Broadcast television networks, cable networks and syndicators health/science reporting
First Place
“Vital Signs with Dr. Sanjay Gupta: Venom-derived medicine”
Sanjay Gupta, Samantha Bresnahan and John Austin
CNN
Judges’ comments: Astonishing photography and cohesive and coherent storytelling. Who knew so many medicines were made from snake venom? More to the point, who knew a story about it could be so fascinating?
Second Place
“60 Minutes: Perseverance”
Anderson Cooper, Andy Court, Evie Salomon and Joe Schanzer
CBS News
Third Place
“Millions of Americans receive drugs by mail. But are they safe?”
Cynthia McFadden, Kenzi Abou-Sabe, Adiel Kaplan, Kit Ramgopal
NBC News Investigative Unit
Broadcast television networks, cable networks and syndicators environmental reporting
First Place
“60 Minutes: Cause and Effect”
Scott Pelley, Maria Gavrilovic, Alex Ortiz and April Wilson
CBS News
Judges’ comments: This is an extremely powerful segment, backed by science packaged for the average viewer to understand, about the frightening speed of devastation wrought by human-fueled climate change. The harrowing effects of the California forest fires, predicted by scientist James Edward Hansen in the 1980s, is a testament to the rapid pace of global warming. Fifty million Americans on the West Coast suffered through weeks of the worst air quality on the planet, as the fires charred four percent of the state. Professor Michael Mann of Penn State shares scientific research compounding this startling evidence, but he offers a glimmer of hope. We can reverse this devastation, and we can start by ceasing emissions from coal power plants.
Second Place
“CBS Sunday Morning: Seeking to Solve a Pediatric Cancer Mystery”
Rand Morrison, Erin Moriarty, Kay M. Lim and George Pozderec
CBS News
Third Place
“60 Minutes: Array of Hope”
Bill Whitaker, Rome Hartman, Sara Kuzmarov and Matt Richman
60 Minutes
Broadcast television networks, cable networks and syndicators pandemic coverage/project
First Place
“60 Minutes: Whistleblower”
Norah O’Donnell, Keith Sharman, Rome Hartman and Adam Verdugo
60 Minutes
Judges’ comments: A longtime federal administrator is suddenly sidelined when his views on the urgency on the unfolding Covid-19 crisis is found to be at odds with the administration’s view that the contagion was far less serious. He tells all to “60 Minutes” in a calm, sobering and prophetic interview about conflicting views with the White House, and time proves him right.
Second Place
“Race for a Vaccine”
Lester Holt and Dateline Staff
Dateline NBC
Third Place
“On Assignment with Richard Engel: Mexico’s Hidden Toll”
NBC News MSNBC staff
NBC News MSNBC