The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) announced the winners of the 2014 National Edward R. Murrow Awards, which recognize outstanding work produced by radio, television and online news organizations around the world.
“This year’s field was the best we’ve ever seen,” said RTDNA Chairman Chris Carl. “The entries gave our judges the luxury of a fantastic pool from which to select the winners.”
This year, RTDNA awarded 98 national Edward R. Murrow Awards in 13 categories including Overall Excellence, Breaking News, Investigative Reporting and more. RTDNA received more than 4,000 entries during the 2014 awards season, surpassing 2013 by more than 500 entries and setting an all-time record for entries in what proved to be one of the most competitive Edward R. Murrow Awards seasons in RTDNA history.
For the first time in six years, ABC News won the Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence in the network television division. ABC News won two more awards for Continuing Coverage and Hard News.
In the same television division, CBS News earned five Murrow Awards in 2014 – for Newscast, News Series, Feature Reporting, Investigative Reporting, and Writing.
NBC News took the awards for Use of Video and Breaking News in the network television division.
Univision Network News took the award for best network television website, while ESPN won for News Documentary and Sports Reporting.
In the network radio division, ABC News Radio won the Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence, their first in eight years. It has been more than twenty years since ABC News has brought home Overall Excellence awards for both radio and television in the same year. ABC News Radio also won an award for Breaking News.
For the sixth consecutive year, National Public Radio took home the award for best network radio website. NPR won two additional awards for Investigative Reporting and News Series.
CBS Radio News won three awards in the same division – Continuing Coverage, Newscast, and Writing. Studio 360/WNYC/PRI (Feature Reporting), State of the Re:Union (News Documentary), American Public Media (Hard News), ESPN (Sports Reporting), and New York Public Radio/PRI (Use of Sound ) each won one award.
For the second year in a row, The Washington Post won the Overall Excellence Award in the large online news organization division as well as an award for Feature Reporting.
In the same division, The Boston Globe won three awards (Breaking News, Continuing Coverage, and Investigative Reporting). The Bay Area News Group (Use of Video), TIME Magazine (News Documentary), The Dallas Morning News (News Series), The New York Times (Hard News), Yahoo! (Sports Reporting), and The Detroit Free Press (Website) also won awards in the large online news organization division.
Of particular note this year in the Small Market Radio division was KNAU – Arizona Public Radio, which pulled off a rare double win in News Series and Writing for its entry Building Hope In Haiti: Flagstaff Responds To Humanitarian Crisis.
“The work of our honorees speaks volumes about the quality and diversity of electronic journalism available today,” said RTDNA Executive Director Mike Cavender. “Each winning entry demonstrates how powerful a well-told story can be.”
To receive an Overall Excellence award, a news organization must exemplify the highest standards in serving its audience through quality electronic or digital journalism.
Overall Excellence award winners in 2014 are:
• ABC News (network television)
• ABC News Radio (network radio)
• The Washington Post (large online news)
• The Texas Tribune (small online news)
• WCVB-TV, Boston (television, large market)
• WBIR-TV, Knoxville, Tenn. (television, small market)
• WBEZ, Chicago (radio, large market)
• WDEL, Wilmington, Del. (radio, small market)
National awards will be presented at the New York Marriott Marquis in New York City on October 6.
