KERA News won a total of 24 awards in 2015. Seven of those were national honors -- including the George Foster Peabody Award, broadcasting's highest honor. KERA was part of NPR's Peabody-winning Ebola coverage.
Here's a look at the year's awards:
National
- George Foster Peabody Award: KERA's coverage was part of the entry that earned NPR a Peabody Award in May. Reporter Lauren Silverman and vice president of news Rick Holter were credited in the official citation. Explore KERA's Ebola coverage.
- Online News Association Award for Topical Reporting (medium-size newsrooms) -- KERA News won its first-ever ONA award for "The Broken Hip" at the group's September awards ceremony in Los Angeles. Reporter Lauren Silverman, digital news editor Eric Aasen, interactive content producer Ryan Tainter, videographer Dane Walters, executive producer Jeff Whittington and the KERA News staff were cited. Competition included national news organizations, newspapers, radio stations, and online-only operations. Explore the project.
- RTDNA/NEFE Personal Finance Reporting Award: KERA’s “One Crisis Away: Inside A Neighborhood” project and reporter Courtney Collins came out on top among public and commercial stations across the country. Collins and the station were honored in September at the national Excellence in Journalism conference in Orlando, Fla. Explore the series.
- PRNDI/NEFE Award for Excellence in Consumer Finance Reporting: In June, "One Crisis Away: Living on the Financial Edge" won a national public radio award -- a first-ever honor for excellence in consumer finance reporting. Collins and the KERA staff were honored at the annual convention of the Public Radio News Directors Inc. in Salt Lake City. That group, the national organization of public radio news leaders, and the National Endowment for Financial Education presented the consumer finance award. "The news team at KERA has done an exceptional job presenting the vulnerabilities that many people experience when they live with modest financial means," says the endowment's Paul Golden. Explore the series.
- National Educational Telecommunications Association Awards: A pair of KERA News projects collected top honors from NETA in October. "The Broken Hip" won the group's annual community engagement award for online/social media. Explore the project. "One Crisis Away" earned NETA's content production award for news and public affairs. Explore the project.
- PRNDI Award for Best Series: "The Broken Hip" collected runner-up honors for best series among large public radio stations across the country. Explore the series.
Regional: Edward R. Murrow Awards
KERA earned six regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, including the top honor, overall excellence. That award is a first for the station, and the total of six doubles KERA's previous high. KERA competed against large-market radio stations, both commercial and public, in the Radio Television Digital News Association's region 6, which covers Texas and Oklahoma. Here are KERA's winning entries:
- Newscast: "North Texans React To Ebola Diagnosis In Dallas" – Listen to the report.
- Use of Sound: "Haunted Houses: The Science Behind The Scare" – Listen to the report.
- Series: "The Broken Hip" – Listen to the stories, and explore the digital project.
- Writing: "Secrets of the Meyerson" – Listen to the stories, and explore the digital project.
- Website: KERANews.org.
- Overall Excellence: KERA's first-ever award in this category. The entry included: Decisions On The Border; At One Dallas Church, Ebola Becomes Personal; Helping Kids Learn English – And Spanish, Too; The History Of The Meyerson Symphony Center; Haunted Houses: The Science Behind The Scare; The Broken Hip: The Quick Decline; The Indictment Of John Wiley Price; North Texans React To Ebola In Dallas.
Statewide: Anson M. Jones, MD, Awards
KERA News received four statewide awards for its medical reporting. The Texas Medical Association honored Lauren Silverman with two first-place Anson M. Jones, MD, Awards; the station also collected two runner-up honors. Here are KERA's winning entries:
- In-Depth Radio (first place): Lauren Silverman, "The Broken Hip" – Listen to the stories, and explore the digital project.
- In-Depth Radio (runner-up): KERA staff, "A Special Report on Ebola in Dallas" -- Listen to the report.
- Radio (first place): Lauren Silverman, "Ebola Is Scaring People Away From ERs" -- Listen to the report.
- Online/Mixed Media (runner-up): Lauren Silverman, Eric Aasen and Ryan Tainter, "The Broken Hip." – Explore the digital project.
Statewide: Texas Homeless Network Outstanding Community Service Award
In October, reporter Bill Zeeble and KERA were honored with the Texas Homeless Network Outstanding Community Service Award for the series "American Graduate: Homeless in High School." It was presented at the Texas Conference for Ending Homelessness in Corpus Christi. Explore the series.
Statewide: Lone Star Awards
KERA collected six Lone Star Awards from the Houston Press Club. The station competed against radio stations across the state for the honors. KERA's winners:
- Series (2nd place): "The Broken Hip" by Lauren Silverman, Eric Aasen and Ryan Tainter – Listen to the stories, and explore the digital project.
- Public affairs (3rd place): "Think: Ebola in North Texas" – Listen to the Think episode.
- Talk show (3rd place): "Think: Harry Shearer" – Listen to the Think episode.
- Politics or Government (3rd place): "The Indictment of John Wiley Price" -- Listen to the special report from the KERA Newsroom.
- Use of Sound (3rd place): "Secrets of the Meyerson: A History" by Jerome Weeks -- Listen to the stories, and explore the digital project.
- Hard News Feature (3rd place): "Home Rule Education in Dallas? Here Are The Pros And Cons" by Bill Zeeble -- Listen to the reports about supporters and opponents.
