The WLRN newsroom won top honors in nine categories, along with three second place finishes, at the Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists awards in Orlando. Every year, the organization showcases and celebrates excellence in broadcast journalism from newsrooms across Florida.
In 2024, WLRN News covered a wide breadth of topics and regions from the Palm Beaches down to the Keys.
Some projects broke down the wide reaching impacts of topics critical to our community — including a long-form podcast untangling the broken promises of Everglades restoration and a multilingual series detailing the hopes and limitations of President Biden's humanitarian parole program.
"It gives us great pride to have our media colleagues recognize the outstanding journalists and the journalism we do each and every day at WLRN,” said Vice President for News Sergio Bustos. “We are truly humbled by these awards.”
Palm Beach County reporter Wilkine Brutus was named reporter of the year. He was recognized for his extensive coverage on underrepresented communities, particularly when it comes to issues of immigration. Last year, when a new Florida law targeting undocumented immigrants came into force, Brutus put a face to the issue.
"Journalism, at its highest level, informs and empowers our diverse community," Brutus said. "I’m honored to be recognized for my reporting — I’m particularly proud of the human interest stories, the careful documentation of lesser-known communities and individuals who bring a sense of joy or purpose to the spaces we all occupy."
WLRN's investigative reporter Daniel Rivero won two awards for his accountability coverage of issues relating to housing in Florida. Earlier this year, he was honored with a human rights award by Americans for Immigrant Justice (AIJ) for his work on the “compelling and informative” Detention by Design podcast.
The FABJ awards success comes just weeks after the 2023 series Unguarded, the inaugural project by WLRN's investigations team, picked up a national award from the nonprofit Investigative Reporters & Editors. The series is also a finalist for the prestigious Esserman-Knight Awards.
Here’s a rundown of the FABJ award recipients and finalists.
First Place:
Investigative Reporting: "In push to remove homeowners from Citizens, the state-run insurer uses unlicensed inspectors," by Daniel Rivero.
Florida taxpayer-owned Citizens Insurance is using unlicensed inspectors in a little-known program that is ramping up inspections, WLRN found. Homeowners and industry insiders say the move is alarming.
Feature - Hard: "Miami is spending $4.1m on six homes, to be sold at a loss. Is this good affordable housing policy?" by Daniel Rivero.
The tale of how the city of Miami decided to develop single-family homes and sell them at a loss as part of a strategy to address the affordable housing crisis offers insight into what experts warn could be a city government that fails to see the big picture, and is throwing money at pet projects instead of spending taxpayer money effectively.
Continuing Coverage: "Book restrictions and censorship in Florida's public schools," by Kate Payne.
WLRN's education reporter covered the ways state politics seeped into South Florida public schools. Payne looked at how these policies drove some teachers away from the classroom and what it would take for them to return. In other cases, we saw how teachers found ways to give students a voice in the face of censorship. Not to mention the unintended consequences of book banning: making some people want to read more.
Natural Storytelling: "From the Panhandle to the Everglades: A Miami native hikes the long way home," by Alyssa Ramos.
In 2023, Miami native Maria Llorens decided to thru-hike the Florida Trail. The 1,100-mile trek is one of 11 National Scenic Trails, and it snakes its way along the length of the state, starting from Pensacola down to Big Cypress National Reserve in the Everglades. The trail forces those curious enough to reckon with Florida in its most natural and untouched state — an aspect that not many Floridians get to see.
Weather Reporting: "Historic flooding devastates Fort Lauderdale neighborhoods," by WLRN News Staff.
A historic rainstorm that struck Fort Lauderdale last April dumped record amounts of rain on the coastal city in a span of hours, devastating neighborhoods. WLRN reporters covered the destruction and frustration felt by residents, as well as efforts by the city to rapidly make infrastructure improvements six months later. Public records reviewed by WLRN detail the frantic recovery operations and where employees felt they could have done better.
Sports Reporting: "A South Florida hockey club carves out a space for women on the ice," by Sherrilyn Cabrera & Alyssa Ramos.
Karen Ota-O'Brien is the founder of the Fort Lauderdale-based Lucky Pucks, a women's ice hockey club made of girls and women of all ages. She is finally getting recognition for her decades-long work in bringing women's hockey to South Florida. The team's biggest legacy, however, isn't the trophies and accolades — it's the generations who continue to pass on their love of the sport.
Environmental Reporting: "Extreme heat in South Florida," by WLRN News Staff.
Last year's heat wave was a wakeup call about the tangible impacts of climate change, as South Florida experienced its warmest July since records began. The temperature jump led to WLRN covered how the jump in temperature led to widespread coral bleachingand the scramble by scientists to save them. Back on land, the community shared the enterprising ways they dealt with the heat - from "bearsicles" to walking clubs.
Digital Reporting: "Bright Lit Place," by Jenny Staletovich, Patrick Farrell, Laura Kurtzberg.
In 2000, the U.S. set out on one of the most ambitious environmental projects ever attempted: to wind back the clock and make the Everglades function like it once did — in 1900. The plan could have given Florida a 20-year head start on climate change, but that didn't happen. WLRN's podcast series Bright Lit Place looked at the struggle to save the Everglades and the costs of failure.
Reporter of the Year: Wilkine Brutus.
Palm Beach County reporter Wilkine Brutus was honored after a year when he undertook extensive coverage on underrepresented communities, particularly when it comes to issues of immigration.
Brutus also breathed life and joy by localizing national topics, such as profiling Coco Gauff's maternal grandmother who helped integrate Delray Beach public schools. And through his thoughtful reporting, he brought us the story of Hubba Bubba, a local street performer and community fixture who faces disability challenges.
Second Place:
Breaking News: "City of Miami sued for 'racial gerrymandering' in redistricting map," by Joshua Ceballos.
When Miami redrew its district maps early this year, many residents criticized the city for carving up neighborhoods, including ones populated by minorities. Reporter Joshua Ceballos covered the legal challenge to its redistricting process, which included allegations of racial gerrymandering.
General Assignment: "Places, people and history: New app maps out Black landmarks in Broward," by Gerard Albert III.
A new app created by Broward County Transit highlights Black history in the county. Threads is an interactive map that allows residents to identify historical Black landmarks and designated bus routes to take them there. As the state restricts how public school teachers can discuss Black history in the classroom, reporter Gerald Albert toured some of the sites with the team behind the app.
Series/Franchise - Hard: "Waiting for America," by WLRN News Team.
As soon as President Biden took office in January 2021, his administration was overwhelmed by a crisis it admittedly had not done enough to prepare for: unprecedented numbers of migrants coming over the southern border. WLRN News evaluated a key plank of the Biden administration's immigration agenda, one year later.
