 |
WRAL-TV and WRAL.com Win Four Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards
|
The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) honored WRAL with four Regional Edward R. Murrow awards.
WRAL was honored in the Continuing Coverage and Best Newscast categories for its outstanding reporting before, during and after deadly tornadoes struck North Carolina on April 16, 2011.
Rick Gall, WRAL News Director says, ”When the stakes are highest, the staff here rises to the occasion. That was never more evident than when tornadoes hit on April 16 and never more evident than during our service to the community in the days that followed. After the tornadoes, we raised more than $800,000 for relief organizations. We gave slingpack bags with school supplies to children whose school was severely damaged, helped a community group collect household items, and led a food donation drive. All of this supplemented our coverage, which focused extensively on the many victims and efforts to help them.”
WRAL documentary, one of the few dedicated documentary units in local TV, was honored for outstanding News Documentary for its program “On the Edge,” which follows the journey of a 19-year old gang member who joins the EDGE program. EDGE stands for education, development, growth and employment. Its goal is to help students who’ve been kicked out of public schools earn a GED and go to college. The documentary chronicles how EDGE is successfully reducing gang-related crime but is facing elimination due to lack of funding.
WRAL-TV Vice President and General Manager Steven D. Hammel credits an outstanding staff saying, “These awards showcase the outstanding teamwork, creativity and commitment of the talented and passionate people who work here. Their tireless efforts consistently provide our viewers and web users with content they can’t get anywhere else. I’m proud of the work everyone does as we serve our community. ”
The station website, WRAL.com, won its fifth Murrow for Outstanding Web Site and was recently listed in Media Audit as the #2 news web site in America.
WRAL.com General Manager John Conway says content is still king. “Our mission, day in and day out, is providing rich, deep, interactive, unique content. Be the best local news web site in the country every single day.” WRAL.com has won the regional Murrow for Outstanding Web Site in 2001, 2006, 2008 and 2009 and the National Murrow in 2009.
RTDNA has been honoring outstanding achievements in electronic journalism with the Edward R. Murrow Awards since 1971. Murrow Award recipients demonstrate the spirit of excellence that Edward R. Murrow made a standard for the broadcast news profession.
WRAL competes in Region 8 which includes North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia.
As regional winners, WRAL-TV and WRAL.com will automatically be entered in the national Murrow competition. National winners will be announced over the summer.
Thanks to WRAL-TV’s Debbie Tullos for this capcom story.
