WLRN's newsroom won big at this year's Sunshine State Awards.
Our digital and radio teams took home 12 first place statewide recognitions, as well as four more finalist recognitions. The awards included Jessica Bakeman — who is now WLRN's director of enterprise journalism — as Florida’s Editor of the Year and Christine DiMattei as Anchor of the Year.
“We are so thrilled as a newsroom to be recognized for our excellent work by our journalism colleagues across the state of Florida,” said WLRN vice president for news, Sergio Bustos. “It’s a proud achievement for us at WLRN.”
Organized by the Society of Professional Journalists, the awards recognized the best in radio, print and digital journalism undertaken in Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2022.
Among the WLRN journalists honored at this year's ceremony were Kate Payne, Verónica Zaragovia and Danny Rivero, each winning a first place award for their beats with awards for Education, Health and Investigative Reporting respectively.
Environment editor Jenny Staletovich won the top honor in the Environment, Science & Technology Reporting category — the award coming just two weeks after she picked up a national Edward R. Murrow win for a story about python sex.
WLRN's coverage of the 2022 elections took the first place for Government & Politics Reporting, while coverage of the trial of the Parkland shooter also won Kate Payne and Gerard Albert III a top honor.
On the digital front, Katie Lepri Cohen won the New Media Engagement award for WLRN News' Instagram feed, while WLRN.org picked up first place in the News Website for small newsrooms category.
Earlier this year, WLRN News won five regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, including overall excellence for large market radio stations.
Below is the full list of WLRN recognitions at the 2023 Sunshine State Awards:
Editor of the Year: Jessica Bakeman
Anchor of the Year: Christine DiMattei
Investigative Reporting • 1st Place: Danny Rivero, for a series on South Florida's affordable housing crisis
Government & Politics Reporting • 1st Place: Staff, for coverage of the 2022 elections
Environment, Science & Technology Reporting • 1st Place: Jenny Staletovich
Health Reporting • 1st Place: Verónica Zaragovia
Best Use of Sound • 1st Place: Kate Payne, for How Miamibloco is helping amateur musicians find their rhythm and build community through samba
Continuing Coverage or Series • 1st Place: Gerard Albert III & Kate Payne, for coverage of Parkland shooter death penalty trial
Education Reporting • 1st Place: Kate Payne
Arts Reporting • 1st Place: Danny Rivero & Natu Tweh, for Students blocked from attending a play in Miami-Dade Public Schools
News Website (Small Newsroom) • 1st Place: Staff, for WLRN.org
New Media Engagement • 1st Place: Katie Lepri Cohen, WLRN News on Instagram
Journalist of the Year • Finalist: Danny Rivero
Disaster Reporting • Finalist: Tim Padgett, Wilkine Brutus & Jacqueline Charles, for Crisis in Haiti
Podcast • 2nd Place: Danny Rivero, for Detention by Design
General Assignment Reporting • 3rd Place: WLRN/Miami Herald – Jacqueline Charles, for Deadly Voyages
READ MORE: Overall excellence, investigative, writing: WLRN News takes five regional Murrows
