WBUR Wins Two 2021 National Murrow Awards

The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) announced the 2021 National Edward R. Murrow Award recipients today, and WBUR won two awards in the large market radio division.

“We are delighted to be honored with two Edward R. Murrow awards this year,” said Victor Hernandez, Chief Content Officer, WBUR. “These awards reflect a readiness at WBUR to take on tough subjects and report them with investigative rigor, raising public consciousness about institutional matters often overlooked.”

On Point, hosted by Meghna Chakrabarti, received the Murrow Award in the News Documentary category for What the President Knew. The one-hour feature analyzed the early days before 9/11 and the COVID pandemic through the eyes of people who were at senior positions in the White House and national security services. What the President Knew reveals what factors influence moments when Presidents make decisions that do not protect the safety of the American people.

WBUR’s investigative series, Dying on the Sheriff's Watch, received the Murrow Award for News Series. The four-part series, reported by Christine Willmsen and Beth Healy, revealed the death and suffering in Massachusetts jails as a result of poor medical care, enabled by systemic secrecy and a lack of oversight. This was the first series by WBUR’s new investigative team which pursues stories that hold powerful institutions and people to account.

"A core pillar of RTDNA is celebrating the best in journalism, and one of the ways we do that is through the Edward R. Murrow Awards," said RTDNA Executive Director Dan Shelley. "This year especially, we are honored to recognize outstanding achievements in broadcast and digital journalism. The past 18 months have been some of the most challenging in the history of our profession, and these recipients — among thousands of other journalists — clearly fulfilled their obligations to serve the public."

Since 1971, RTDNA has been honoring outstanding achievements in broadcast and digital journalism with the Edward R. Murrow Awards. Among the most prestigious in news, the Murrow Awards recognize local and national news stories that uphold the RTDNA Code of Ethics, demonstrate technical expertise and exemplify the importance and impact of journalism as a service to the community.

Winners were honored at the Murrow Awards Gala held on Oct. 27 in New York.

See the full list here: https://bit.ly/3xYxG54