WLRN’s coverage of black and Hispanic subject matter has been recognized for its excellence at the national level.
WLRN radio news staffers won awards from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) as well as the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) in competitions with stations in New York, Chicago, Boston, Texas and California.
The threat to Coconut Grove’s historically black community was detailed in "GroveTrolley," reported by former WLRN reporter Arianna Prothero with direction and editing by Editorial Director Alicia Zuckerman and News Director Terence Shepherd. Her piece, which revealed the vulnerability to development of desirably located low-income neighborhoods won the NABJ Salute to Excellence award in the News: Short Form category.
Purvis Young’s striking paintings of another Miami neighborhood again received national attention when WLRN reporter Wilson Sayre’s story about a local artist who used scrap wood, broken doors and shag carpets to reflect his surroundings won the NABJ Salute to Excellence award for Feature reporting. Zuckerman and Shepherd also shared in this award for "Purvis Young Painted Overtown."
Shortly thereafter, WLRN’s Latin America Report coverage swept the Radio Hard News category in the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) awards competition.
Sayre’s compelling feature, “Riding the Beast,”provided a new dimension of awareness and understanding of immigrants and immigration. Her piece, which focuses on immigrants who use the dangerous “La Bestia” train to escape brutal conditions in Central America, won first place in NABJ’s Radio Hard News category. The story aired as a “Latin America Report” last summer.
Americas Editor Tim Padgett produced the two other award winning entries in NAHJ’s competition.
Padgett’s “El Salvador's Abortion Law Nightmare" was a finalist in the Radio Hard News category. His reporting reveals the unintended consequences of EL Salvador’s hard line policy on this issue of interest to U.S. voters and perhaps, not surprisingly, to our local health care economy.
Panama's Canal expansion prompted changes to South Florida’s ports and Padgett flew to Panama to capture the larger story of how the changes to the canal have provided the country with new political and social opportunities. Padgett’s resulting reports, encompassed in “Panama’s Canal” was a finalist in the Latino Issues, Radio/Online Audio category.
The NAHJ awards were announced during a gala celebration this week in Orlando and the NABJ awards were revealed in August. The Latin America Report airs Tuesdays on WLRN.
