AUSTIN, Texas – June 20, 2017 – A “Texas Standard” documentary commemorating the 50th anniversary of the University of Texas Tower shooting and KUT News social media have won National Edward R. Murrow Awards from the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) in recognition of excellence in electronic journalism.
“Out of the Blue: 50 Years after the UT Tower Shooting” won in the news documentary - large market radio category. The powerful radio documentary and website were the culmination of a two-year effort to locate survivors and witnesses of the shooting and gather their stories. The oral history features firsthand accounts from nearly 100 people – many of which had not been shared publicly before.
“Out of the Blue” was produced by “Texas Standard” staff, including David Brown, Laura Rice and Emily Donahue. The project was made possible with support from the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, which maintains a permanent archive of the oral histories.
KUT News’ won a National Murrow in the social media large market radio category. KUT web reporter Andrew Weber was recognized for work including: Live Blog: Trump in Austin, City Council member’s comment on likelihood of Prop 1’s defeat and Come for the headline, stay for the photos.
This is the fifth National Murrow Award for KUT News and the first for “Texas Standard.”
“Now more than ever, it is important to recognize the outstanding journalism being done by newsrooms across the country and around the world,” said RTDNA Chairman Vincent Duffy. “We're proud to highlight the great work of dedicated, hard-working, professional journalists who serve a critical role in our society.”
A complete list of winners with links to the winning entries for the 2017 National Edward R. Murrow Awards is at rtdna.org.
About KUT
KUT 90.5, Austin's NPR station, delivers in-depth stories by and about people in Austin – for Austin – with the highest journalistic standards from a variety of thoughtful perspectives. A founding member of NPR, KUT News has won more than 200 state, national and international awards for journalistic excellence.
About “Texas Standard”
“Texas Standard” sets the bar for broadcast news coverage, offering crisp, expansive coverage of politics, lifestyle and culture, the environment, technology and innovation, and business and the economy — from a distinctly Texas perspective. Hosted by award-winning journalist David Brown, the hour-long daily news magazine is grounded in the best traditions of American journalism: fact-based, independent and politically neutral reporting.
“Texas Standard,” which airs in 28 markets across Texas, is a project of KUT Austin, KERA North Texas, Houston Public Media, and San Antonio’s Texas Public Radio, in collaboration with news organizations across Texas. It is distributed by Public Radio International (PRI).
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Contact: Erin Geisler (512) 475-8071
