WRAL-TV’s Documentary Unit Honored for Environmental Focal Points

WRAL-TV’s Debra Morgan (l to r) accepts the Environmental Stewardship Award on behalf of the WRAL Doc Unit from Marcia Lieber, Vice Chair of Wake Soil
and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors & Betty Lou Ward, Vice Chair of the Wake County Commissioners.

WRAL-TV’s Documentary Unit recently received recognition from the Wake Soil and Water Conservation District Board for four of the Focal Point documentaries that focus on environmental issues. The Wake Soil and Water Conservation District Board presented the WRAL Documentary Unit with its Environmental Stewardship Award for inspiring natural resources stewardship awareness and action through the Trash Talk, Hot Topic, Green Acres and Clearing the Air documentaries.

“Environmental issues are probably the most important ones we address with our documentaries. After all, if we don’t have clean air to breath and clean water to drink, not much else matters.”
– WRAL-TV Documentary Producer Clay Johnson

These four documentaries examined the issues of litter, global warming, development and open space, and ozone pollution. They also examined differing views of the issues and told the stories of what citizen stewards are doing to make a difference.

WRAL-TV Documentary Producer Clay Johnson & WRAL-TV Documentary Photographer Jay Jennings put together all four programs.

More about the Focal Point Documentaries

Focal Point Docs on WRAL.com

Focal Point: Trash Talk examines North Carolina’s litter problem, its impact and what can be done about it.
WATCH Trash Talk

Focal Point: Hot Topic looks at the debate about global warming and how North Carolina leaders are taking the threat seriously and planning for the future.
WATCH Hot Topic

Focal Point: Green Acres explores the question of how to manage the growth and development in North Carolina so the state can preserve the open, green space that makes it such a great place to live.
WATCH Green Acres Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3 – Part 4

Focal Point: Clearing the Air addresses the questions whether it is safe to breathe our air and whether the situation is getting better or worse.
WATCH Clearing the Air

We are very proud to receive this award from the Wake County Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors,” said Johnson. “What’s particularly rewarding to us is being recognized not for a single documentary, but for a body of work that represents the efforts of our documentary unit over several years to raise public awareness about a number of important environmental issues affecting our state.”

WRAL-TV Anchor/Reporter Debra Morgan, host of the Focal Point Trash Talk, accepted the award on behalf of the WRAL documentary team at the event on December 5, 2007.

The Wake Soil and Water Conservation District Board presented three other awards during the evening, including The Dan Wilkinson WRAL Conservation Communication Award. Dan Wilkinson served as the Farm Reporter for WRAL for many years during his two decades with Capitol Broadcasting Company. The Wake Soil and Water Conservation District Board named the award for Wilkinson as a tribute after his untimely death in 2003. The Neuse River Foundation won the 2007 Dan Wilkinson Award for their exemplary efforts in delivering the natural resources stewardship message to the community.

Thanks to Wake Soil & Water Conservation’s Larry Petrovick for this capcom photo.