The WLRN newsroom has been named a winner in five Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, including investigative reporting and feature reporting, the Radio Television Digital News Association announced Thursday.
The Murrow awards were created in 1971 and are named in honor of Edward R. Murrow, a pioneer journalist who set the standard for the highest quality of broadcast journalism.
The awards are among the most prestigious in broadcast and digital news.
In the investigative reporting category, WLRN won jointly with the Miami Herald for the gripping exposé "Killer Train." It revealed astonishing fatality rates for Brightline, a high-speed rail service in Florida. The series was impactful, immediately triggering the release of $42 million to improve safety along the tracks and challenging the company's narrative that the victims were to blame, and nothing could be done.
WLRN reporters Joshua Ceballos and Daniel Rivero teamed up with several Herald reporters, along with WLRN editors Denise Royal, Jessica Bakeman, Sergio Bustos and Matheus Sanchez, with website assistance from Mihail Halatchev, who is WLRN's director of digital products.
READ MORE: Journalism excellence: WLRN/Miami Herald Brightline series wins IRE award, Pulitzer Prize finalist
The Regional Murrow Award was among several national awards garnered by the Brightline project.
The series was among four finalists for the Pulitzer Prize under Local Reporting — the only public radio station to be named to the most coveted prize in journalism. And it won a national award from Investigative Reporters & Editors, the nation’s most prominent investigative journalism organization.
Here are the four other categories in which WLRN was named as a Regional Murrow Award winner in the 'Large Market Radio Station' division for Florida, Georgia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands:
Feature Reporting: Awarded to "Bending the Bars," a look at a hip-hop album showcasing talent within Broward County jails. The story was reported and written by Broward County reporter Carlton Gillespie.
Podcast: Earned for "Keeper and Killer," an intimate exploration of how a brother's murder in the Florida Keys tested the criminal justice system. The podcast was reported by Jenny Staletovich and edited by Mike Majchrowicz and Caitie Muñoz.
Excellence in Writing: Awarded for the vibrant feature, "Fort Lauderdale’s Suzie Toot tap dances her way to drag’s biggest stage." The story was reported and written by reporter Alyssa Ramos.
Digital: Recognized for WLRN's stellar comprehensive digital coverage across South Florida. The digital team is led by Matheus Sanchez. The digital producers are Alyssa Ramos and Valentina Sandoval. VP for News Sergio Bustos also contributes as a writer and editor to the digital team.
