KCUR and its collaborative partners took home a total of 11 wins from the 2023 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, honoring the stations’ coverage of a deadly Amtrak derailment, an investigation into contaminated groundwater, life in rural Kansas, the birth of Black radio in Kansas City, and more.
The Murrow Awards are given out every year by the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA), and are among the most prestigious prizes in journalism.
KCUR competes in the large market radio division of Region 5, which includes the states of Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa. Regional winners will advance to the national round of competition, with national winners to be announced later this summer.
“This year's winners really show off reporters who are experts in their craft — they use sound to bring the audience directly into real people's stories," says KCUR news director Lisa Rodriguez. "They take you alongside them as walk through tragedy, joy and hardship. It's incredibly difficult and time consuming work, but absolutely worth it. There's no more intimate way to tell stories about human existence."
Here is a list of all the 2023 Regional Murrow Awards won by KCUR, NPR Midwest Newsroom, Kansas News Service and Harvest Public Media:
KCUR 89.3
- Breaking news coverage: "Deadly Amtrak derailment leaves a small Missouri town grieving, and eager to help" by Frank Morris
- Continuing coverage: Prisons and criminal justice in Kansas
- Feature reporting: "A small Kansas community college finds itself in the spotlight amid allegations of racial animosity" by Frank Morris
- Documentary: "Hot 103 Jamz and the birth of Black radio" from the KCUR Studios podcast A People's History of Kansas City
- Podcast: Overlooked from KCUR Studios
Harvest Public Media
- News series: "Drying Up: How Droughts Like the One in 2022 are Transforming Life on the Great Plains" (in partnership with the Kansas News Service)
Kansas News Service
- Digital: "Here's how this year's drought has battered the Midwest — and what it might mean for next year" by David Condos, High Plains Public Radio
- Excellence in writing: "‘A hole in the ground' and other quirky curiosities mean money and pride for small Kansas towns" by David Condos, High Plains Public Radio
- Hard news: "Research shows social-emotional learning in schools pays off, but conservatives see a liberal agenda" by Suzanne Perez, KMUW
- Sports reporting: "Even competitive hunting can't stop coyotes from thriving in Kansas" by David Condos, High Plains Public Radio
NPR Midwest Newsroom
- Investigative reporting: "Missouri Knew of Contamination in Springfield’s Groundwater Decades Before Anyone Told Residents" by Eric Schmid and Steve Vockrodt, St. Louis Public Radio
