PROVIDENCE – Rhode Island Public Radio and WPRI-TV CBS 12 received regional 2016 Edward R. Murrow Awards, announced recently by the Radio Television Digital News Association.
RIPR was recognized for “At the Crossroads: The Rise of Hepatitis C and the Fight to Stop It” by Kristin Gourlay, the radio station’s health care reporter. Her one-hour documentary came out of a series of reports on rising infections from Hepatitis C, the lack of funding for treatment and the link to opioid addiction, according to RIPR. The station was recognized in the news documentary category for large market radio.
In the small market television category, WPRI was recognized for feature reporting for its Street Series on “Eric the Great” about 26-year-old Eric Birnie, who has cerebral palsy, but works out regularly to build up strength, inspiring others in the process. He was able to take 10 or 12 steps without falling, two years after his first gym trip, according to the piece.
Regional winners automatically advance to the national competition. National winners will be announced in June.
“Our winners shed light on important issues and solve problems in their communities,” RTDNA Executive Director Mike Cavender said in a statement. “We’re proud to recognize their achievements.”
This year, RTDNA awarded 654 regional Edward R. Murrow Awards in 14 categories, including overall excellence, breaking news, investigative reporting and website. RTDNA received more than 4,300 entries during the 2016 awards season, setting an all-time record for the fourth year in a row.
The association has been honoring outstanding achievements in electronic journalism with the Edward R. Murrow Awards since 1971.
The country is divided into 14 regions for the awards. Rhode Island is in region 10, which also features the other New England states.
In other awards-related news, six media outlets were honored with Metcalf Awards for Diversity in the Media by Rhode Island for Community & Justice. The 28th annual Metcalf Awards will be presented at a breakfast at The Hotel Providence on May 10 at 8 a.m. At the event, each author is joined by a subject of their winning story, both speaking briefly and taking questions from the audience.
Metcalf Award recipients are:
- “RI’s minority police officers understand life on both sides of the blue line” by Amanda Milkovits, The Providence Journal, told of the unique challenges faced by minority police officers serving in several Rhode Island cities, humanizing officers while addressing historical roots of the conflicts. (Print Daily award).
- “My name is Kris. I’m a Boy” by Bre Power Eaton, Newport Mercury, brought to light the story of Kris Barber, whose transgender identity did not deter his peers at Rogers High School from electing him homecoming king. (Print Weekly/Biweekly award).
- “The Tyranny of Low Expectations” by Casey Nilsson, Rhode Island Monthly, examining how far Rhode Island has come since local agencies officially stopped segregating people with disabilities and keeping them from pursuing real work in the community. (Print Monthly award).
- “Children In Crisis: Child Welfare in the Ocean State” by Kristin Gourley, Rhode Island Public Radio, posed an in-depth investigation into the foster system run by the Department of Children Youth and Families, after a R.I. Senate panel unveiled disturbing trends in the state agency. (Broadcast award).
- “Still Making Magic: Ricardo Pitts-Wiley uses theater as his wand” by Barry Fain, East Side Monthly, highlights Ricardo Pitts-Wiley’s dedication to preserving and presenting a diversity of cultural and ethnic images and ideas on stage. (Community award).
- “Race in Rhode Island” by the staff of The Providence Journal; the staff is being honored for the year-long series, a multimedia exploration through print, online and community features. (Series/Multimedia award).
Tickets are $40 for the breakfast. For information or to purchase tickets, contact (401) 467-1717 or ricj@ricj.org.
RIPR News Director Elisabeth Harrison weighed in on the awards.
“These awards reflect Rhode Island Public Radio’s commitment to reporting on health care issues that you might not hear about somewhere else – but are of great importance to everyone in Rhode Island,” she said in a statement. “And Kristin’s reporting brings out the personal side of these complex issues.”
