KUNC News, the Colorado-based NPR station, was honored last week with six regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for work produced in 2024, including Overall Excellence, which is given to the outstanding station of the year.
The Murrow Awards are presented by the Radio and Television Digital News Association and are among the most prestigious in broadcast and digital journalism. KUNC won in the Region 3, Small Market Radio Division, competing with similar-sized outlets in Colorado and from neighboring states like Arizona and Wyoming.
"Awards like these are a powerful reminder that public service journalism matters,” says Mike Arnold, KUNC’s chief audience and content officer. “This recognition belongs to our entire team and to the listeners who make our work possible. It's an honor to see that shared commitment to public service recognized."
In addition to Overall Excellence, KUNC also won in the Continuing Coverage category for its coverage of multiple wildfires in northern Colorado during a two-week period last summer. The entire staff was involved in the coverage.
KUNC’s digital staff won in the Digital category. That desk is led by Digital Managing Editor Jennifer Coombes and Digital Producer Alex Murphy.
An episode of KUNC’s podcast The Colorado Dream won the top award in the Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion category. The story was reported and produced by Senior Editor-Reporter Leigh Paterson, and it looks at the policies around gender expression in schools, and how those rules impact students and their families.
The Colorado Dream as a whole won in the Podcast category for its fourth season, Ending the Hate State. The series of long-form stories examine the impact and aftermath of Amendment 2, the 1992 legislation that was challenged and struck down by the US Supreme Court in the nation’s first case to address anti-discrimination protections for gay, lesbian and bisexual people. The podcast is hosted by KUNC Senior Managing Editor-Reporter Stephanie Daniel. It was reported by Daniel, Paterson and Investigative Reporter Scott Franz. Executive News Director Sean Corcoran edited the podcast.
A series of stories that look at housing insecurity among students won the top award in the News Series category. “Unseen But Everywhere: A 3-part look at housing insecurity and education among Colorado youth,” was reported and written by Reporters Lucas Brady Woods, Emma VandenEinde and Rae Solomon. It was edited by Paterson.
All six awards now move on to the national competition. RTDNA, which administers the awards, will announce the national winners in August.
“These awards, including Overall Excellence, recognize the deep talent and commitment to public service that drives KUNC’s journalism,” Corcoran said. “Every news staff member was involved in these awards in some way.”
Last year, KUNC won a national Murrow for its water reporting and the podcast, “Thirst Gap: Learning to live with less on the Colorado River.”