KPRC2's awards haul includes 3 regional Murrows, SPJ Sigma Delta Chi award

Exterior of the KPRC2 studios in southwest Houston. (KPRC2)

HOUSTON – KPRC2 is a proud recipient of three Regional 2019 Edward R. Murrow Awards by the Radio Television Digital News Association.

KPRC2 received three awards including the highly coveted Overall Excellence in Large Market Television which recognizes the station's commitment to quality journalism. KPRC2's entry in this category featured examples of breaking news, investigations, and special event coverage, as well as community service initiatives and digital content.

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Another of KPRC2's Regional Murrow Awards was presented for Best News Series in Large Market Television for "Inside MS-13," Anchor/Reporter Jacob Rascon's in-depth reports on the notoriously violent transnational gang, and the evolving fight against it from El Salvador to Houston.

KPRC2 News at 6 p.m. was awarded Best Newscast in Large Market Television for "Tragedy in Santa Fe," which featured team coverage of the May 2018 school shootings in Santa Fe, Texas. The KPRC2 team worked to provide complete and compassionate coverage to their community in the immediate wake of such a horrific event.

KPRC2 was one of five large-market television stations to win the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi Award which honors "exceptional professional journalism produced in 2018." KPRC2's entry "Breaking News Coverage: Tragedy in Santa Fe" was among 77 honorees selected from nearly 1,200 submissions.

KPRC2 also won second place at the National Headliner Awards in two categories: Newscast ('KPRC2 News at 6 p.m.: Tragedy in Santa Fe') and coverage of a live breaking news event ('Tragedy in Santa Fe.')

More Honors

Two other Graham Media Group stations received regional Murrow awards. 

WDIV-Local 4/ClickOnDetroit received two awards, including Excellence in Sound in Large Market Television for "Criss-Cross Crash," a beautifully crafted story which exemplifies the art of audio. WDIV-Local 4/ClickOnDetroit's second Regional Murrow Award was presented for Social Media in Large Market Television, recognizing several examples including "Death of Aretha Franklin," and "Meteor in Michigan," to name a few. Their digital efforts offer unparalleled social media coverage to provide useful, concise information on topics important to our audience.

WSLS 10 in Roanoke, Virginia, was recognized for Excellence in Innovation in Small Market Television for "In the Navy," a series featuring what it's like to be a sailor for a day with News Anchor John Carlin attempting the Navy's water survival training course.

"We're honored by our team's recognition by our peers in the Radio Television Digital News Association," Graham Media Group President & Chief Executive Officer Emily Barr said. "Our main mission is to inform and celebrate the communities we serve. We share these awards with our viewers and the communities we so proudly cover."

Graham Media Group's six regional winning entries will now go on to the national RTDNA Edward R. Murrow Awards judging round. Winners will be announced in June, and presented at the annual RTDNA Edward R. Murrow Awards Gala on October 14 in New York City.

The Radio Television Digital News Association 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 electronic journalism.

Dating back to 1932, the Society of Professional Journalists awards originally honored six individuals for contributions to journalism. The current program began in 1939, when the Society granted the first Distinguished Service Awards. The honors later became the Sigma Delta Chi Awards. The winners will be honored at an awards banquet June 21 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.