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OK now that I’m past the initial shock of this award (and have the kids in bed), here’s a little thread about how proud I am about the work of the people in this little newsroom. https://twitter.com/RTDNA/status/1315069113539145731
For those that don’t know, our newsroom is unusual. We’re staffed by 6 full-time newsroom employees. As you’d expect, all of them had work included in this entry. ( @theradiogirl, @krishusted, @Becky_A_Smith, @sebastiansings & @NathanBLawrence) https://www.kbia.org/post/kbia-edward-r-murrow-award-overall-excellence-entry#stream/0
But we also have students at the MU J School work in the newsroom in pretty much every capacity: reporting, anchoring, producing. It’s between 30-50 students a semester, filing in and out through various roles. As usual, we heard many of their voices in this entry.
Those voices fill their own tweet: @betsys_tweets, @jamieahobbs, @trevorahook, @avivaokeson, @kc_haas, @NoahTaborda, @ByMitchLegan, @isalohgo, @mawa_iqbal, @MacRWhaley & @KassidyArena.
Just to emphasize the point: 11 journalists still in college played a significant role in KBIA earning the top award for a small market station in the National Murrow Awards. As did many others who couldn't fit into the entry. The future is very bright.
But a note about the pro staff here: the work of helping train these journalists while also doing journalism of their own is a daunting and dizzying task. It always amazes me how the KBIA staff can produce such high-caliber work AND bring their trainees up to that level with them
To pull out a few highlights: this story (which also won a national Sigma Delta Chi Award from SPJ for Investigative Reporting) was done by two then-students, in collaboration with @CoMissourian. The MO AG launched an investigation the day it published: https://www.kbia.org/post/thousands-call-missouris-adult-abuse-hotline-only-some-get-through#stream/0
Missouri Health Talks is @Becky_A_Smith's “conversations journalism” project focused on enabling Missourians to tell their own stories about health care & access. The project has helped shape the way KBIA thinks about inclusion & equity for our sources. https://www.missourihealthtalks.org/
This episode of our weekly talk show Intersection was the one included in the entry. It’s a terrific example of how host @theradiogirl takes on complex & important issues, and brings students into the reporting & producing process in very meaningful ways: https://www.kbia.org/post/intersection-why-its-tough-talk-about-sexual-violence
The True/False Podcast is a collaboration with an external partner: the @truefalse Film Festival. Together, we’re able to produce something neither of us would be able to produce on our own. Pro staffer @sebastiansings serves as the host: https://casts.kbia.fm/true-false/690524700/
Though he doesn’t work here anymore, I have to mention @NathanBLawrence . His fingerprints were all over the work included in this submission, and we miss him at KBIA dearly.
And, then, of course, there’s Show Me the State. It won a National Murrow Award of its own tonight for Best Podcast. I just want to point out – this was the first ever episode of the podcast (set to launch its third season). Start slow? Not @krishusted https://twitter.com/RTDNA/status/1315080620368965632?s=20
I’ll leave it to Kris and producer @jamieahobbs to say the stuff on this episode.
https://twitter.com/krishusted/status/1315102453084413952?s=20 https://twitter.com/jamieahobbs/status/1315090648740003840?s=20
https://twitter.com/krishusted/status/1315102453084413952?s=20 https://twitter.com/jamieahobbs/status/1315090648740003840?s=20
And actually, a different episode of Show Me The State was included in the overall excellence entry. “The Gay Purge” won many other awards this year, including a Sigma Delta Chi Award, a New York Festivals Award and being named a finalist in the Webbys. https://casts.kbia.fm/show-me/765531158/
I could go on and on. But all this to say: I’m very lucky to have this job and to be able to work with some of the best journalists in the country. We're not perfect: in fact we have a lot to work on. But it's nice to know I'm not the only one who thinks this place is special.
And oh yeah @RTDNA the ceremony was really well done. But have to say the experience was a slight step down from the gala. Just out of the shot is my cheeseburger and fries (let the 6-year-old pick dinner: McDonalds)
