WREX Wins National Murrow
The newsroom at WREX-TV in Rockford is celebrating an RTDNA National Edward R Murrow Award. INBA Board Member Josh Morgan is News Director and his staff includes several INBA members, including Assistant News Director Audrey Moon and Anchor Kristin Crowley. The NBC affiliate is being honored for Overall Excellence, small market television. This category recognizes a station for the totality of its journalistic efforts, including breaking news, continuing coverage, weather, sports, community service and digital media, among others. 13 WREX's entry included work from its month-long special on the opioid epidemic, investigative work on Rockford's Southeast Superfund site, comprehensive coverage of Officer Jaimie Cox's tragic death in November, as well as the four major community service events the station hosted in 2017.
"This honor and award is a testament to the entire staff here at 13 WREX," said Josh Morgan. "We have a team willing to take on any story and any project to best serve the viewers of the Rockford region. We are all so proud to receive this prestigious honor."
13 WREX becomes the smallest television market to win the National Murrow Award for Overall Excellence (DMA: 138) since 2003 (Anchorage, 147). There were more than 4,400 entries in this year's competition.
Former INBA President Steve Scott is also part of a National Murrow Award-winning submission: Best Newscast for Large Market radio, which he co-anchored at WCBS-AM in New York.
And Chicago radio station WBEZ has been named the winner in Large Market radio Hard News, for a submission on Illinois Sex Offenders.
"Winning an RTDNA National Edward R. Murrow Award means that a news organization has provided exemplary public service to its viewers, listeners and readers. These honorees truly represent the very best in broadcast and digital journalism around the world,” said Dan Shelley, RTDNA Executive Director. Shelley was the keynote speaker at INBA's Spring Convention in April in East Peoria.
The 2018 Awards will be presented in October in New York.