Jefferson Public Radio's newsroom is among the winners of the 2018 regional Edward R. Murrow Awards. The Murrows are presented by the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) to recognize outstanding broadcast and online journalism.
JPR took top honors in the News Series, Continuing Coverage, Feature Reporting and Hard News categories in RTDNA's small market division among public and commercial radio stations in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Alaska.
"Real journalism is more important than ever," stated JPR Executive Director Paul Westhelle. "These awards are recognition of the excellent journalism JPR produces everyday as we work to create better informed citizens and a stronger democratic society."
The winning entries were:
Hard News
Could The Chetco Bar Fire Have Been Prevented?
The Chetco Bar fire, near Brookings on Oregon’s south coast, simmered for weeks in the scars of previous fires in the Kalmiopsis Wilderness before breaking out in mid-August last year. As the fire raced across the landscape, driven by high winds, the firefighting effort came under growing criticism.
News Feature
Max's Mission: One Mother's Crusade To Put Naloxone Pretty Much Everywhere
This is the story of an Ashland mother who's turned her personal tragedy into community action to save lives.
Continuing Coverage
These reports cover from various angles the issues that arose in the summer of 2017 when large-scale wildfires around Oregon triggered evacuations, destroyed homes and caused unhealthy air, raising public concerns and, sometimes, anger.
News Series
At The Water's Edge: A Small Coastal Town Strives To Reinvent Itself
Many rural communities in the Northwest are struggling with changes that have weakened or even eliminated the natural resource-based economy that sustained them for decades.
In this series, we take a look at what's being done in Port Orford, on Oregon's south coast. There, an energetic group of locals is working to create new approaches to community development that they hope will help their town get back on its feet.
Regional Murrow winners are automatically entered in the national Edward R. Murrow competition. National winners will be announced in June.
