JPR wins regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for news reporting
The Jefferson Public Radio newsroom at SOU is among the winners of the 2019 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 won in the Hard News and Continuing Coverage categories in RTDNA’s Northwest small market division, made up of public and commercial radio stations in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Alaska. This is the second year running JPR has won in those categories.
“I’m thrilled to see JPR news recognized once again for its outstanding work during the past year, creating high-impact journalism and telling compelling stories about our region,” JPR Executive Director Paul Westhelle said. “The work recognized by the RTDNA is the result of a team effort by our entire newsroom – work which is made possible by the generous support of our listeners.”
JPR’s winning entry in the Hard News category examined the West Coast tourism industry’s responses to a recent string of smoky summers:
“West Coast businesses that depend on the summertime tourist dollar took a big hit from this years’ wildfires and smoke.
“The same thing happened last year. And two years before that. Now, the idea that smoky summers may become the norm is beginning to take hold, and tourist operators — and the towns that rely on them — are looking for ways to adapt.”
Listen to the full story: The West Coast Tourism Industry Starts To Adapt To A Smoky Future
The station’s winning entry in the Continuing Coverage category looked at how deeply the Redding area was affected by the nearby Carr fire, and challenges to the area’s recovery:
“In late July, the Carr fire burned through Shasta and Trinity Counties in far-northern California. Driven by dry fuels, hot temperatures and high winds, it became a ‘fire tornado,’ jumping the Sacramento River and sweeping through neighborhoods in Redding, the region’s largest city. Nearly half of Redding’s population had to evacuate and more than 1,000 homes were destroyed. Eight people, including three fire fighters, died.
“These are stories of how the Carr fire affected the Redding area and some of the challenges facing the recovery effort.”
Listen to the full story: The Carr Fire: Aftermath And Challenges To Recovery
Regional winners of Murrow awards are automatically entered in the national Edward R. Murrow competition. National winners will be announced in June.
This story is reposted from Jefferson Public Radio
(Ashland, ORE) – Southern Oregon University (SOU) and the JPR Foundation have reached an agreement on a new organizational structure that continues their existing 14-year partnership to operate SOU’s regional public radio network, Jefferson Public Radio (JPR). Also contained in the agreement is the creation of a new entity called Jefferson Live!, which will be wholly owned by the JPR Foundation, to manage Redding’s Cascade Theatre, restore Medford’s Holly Theatre and explore the feasibility of the Foundation’s Jefferson Square project.