Aspen Public Radio has been recognized nationally for its outstanding journalism by the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA). Winners were announced on August 15, 2023, honoring work done in 2022.
RTDNA has been honoring outstanding achievements in electronic journalism with the Edward R. Murrow Awards since 1971. Award recipients demonstrate the spirit of excellence that Murrow set as a standard for the profession of broadcast and digital journalism, and are among the most prestigious in broadcast and digital news. Murrow Awards are presented to news organizations, not individual reporters, and all awards are presented based on the specific body of work submitted.
“The Edward R. Murrow Awards remind us that journalism is a powerful force for truth and accountability,” said RTDNA Chair Tim Scheld. “These awards honor those who courageously navigate the complexities of our world to deliver stories that matter, stories that resonate, and stories that uphold the integrity of our profession."
Aspen Public Radio was recognized in May with Regional awards in the following categories:
- Feature Reporting: Jahir Rodas cuts his first Christmas tree and keeps his grandmother’s memory alive by Eleanor Bennett
- Hard News: Teen Rescues and Resuscitates Friend Caught in the Cascades on Independence Pass, Credits CPR Training by Halle Zander
- Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Uneven Landscapes: Spanish Emergency Alerts in the Roaring Fork Valley by Halle Zander
Regional Murrow Awards are presented to small and large radio, television and digital outlets based on 14 geographic regions. Region 3 comprises Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming, and Regional winners are automatically considered for a National award.
This week it was announced that Halle Zander’s story, Teen Rescues and Resuscitates Friend Caught in the Cascades on Independence Pass, Credits CPR Training, was named the top Hard News story of 2022 across all small market radio stations in the country.
“Edward R. Murrow awards are celebrated throughout our industry as honoring the best of the best,” said Aspen Public Executive Director Breeze Richardson. “For Aspen Public Radio to be the only radio station in Colorado of any size to receive a 2023 award helps bring awareness to the phenomenal work this newsroom is doing everyday in service to Aspen and the valley.”
This tremendous honor builds on the recognition Aspen Public Radio received in April 2023 from the Colorado Broadcasters Association and the Society of Professional Journalists, alongside recognition received last year for reporting in 2021.
You can review the full RTDNA National award announcement here.