BOSTON – (August 7, 2018) — Recognized for their commitment to quality journalism, WGBH journalists took home two awards during the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Convention in Detroit, MI this weekend.
WGBH News senior investigative reporter Phillip Martin, a Detroit-native, was recognized alongside executive producer Aaron Schachter and senior editor Ken Cooper for the radio piece “Detroit, Boston And The Searing Memories Of The Summer Of 1967.” The piece won in the category of Radio Feature, Top 15 Markets.
WGBH News reporter Tina Martin won alongside senior producer Courtney Kennedy for “Explore India Program Shows Students Another Part of the World”, a television piece appearing on Greater Bostonwith host Jim Braude. This story won in the category of Television Public Affairs: Segment, Top 15 Markets.
Every year, the NABJ recognizes journalism that best covered the black experience or addressed issues affecting the worldwide black community. The competition is open to all media organizations and individuals involved in print, broadcast and/or online journalism. Submissions must cover people or issues of the African/African American Diaspora. Entries are judged on content, creativity, innovation, use of the medium and relevance to the black community.
Banner Awards Season for WGBH News
These wins follow a banner awards season for WGBH News. In March, WGBH News senior investigative reporter Phillip Martin was named a 2017 Sigma Delta Chi Award Winner in the category of Best Investigative Reporting for his four-part series, “Gangs of Nantucket.” In April, WGBH News was recognized with two regional 2018 Edward R. Murrow Awards. In the category of Large Market Radio Stations – Best Investigative Reporting, WGBH News and the New England Center for Investigative Reporting won for “Behind the Wall – Jailhouse Suicides,” by Chris Burrell and edited by Aaron Schachter. In the category of Large Market Radio Stations – Best Use of Video, WGBH was recognized for “What it means to be DACA-mented,” by Emily Judem. In June, 89.7 took home First Place in the Newscast category of the Public Radio News Directors Awards for the station’s November 8, 2017 local elections newscast. Also in June, WGBH’s award-winning, longstanding program Beat The Press took home a New England Emmy Award for Best Interview/Discussion Program presented by the Boston/New England chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
“By practicing old fashioned ‘on the ground’ journalism, WGBH News strives to bring stories to our audiences that help explain and contextualize important topics and issues,” said Phil Redo, general manager at 89.7 WGBH. “As demonstrated by these awards, our journalists work hard to find the facts, to tell a story that isn’t always obvious to all. We are committed to continuing this work and are proud of the recognition from the NABJ and others.”
About WGBH News
WGBH News is among the fastest growing local news providers in greater Boston and draws on the talent of a multi-platform newsroom that includes 89.7 WGBH, Boston’s Local NPR, television and digital reporting. The WGBH newsroom continues to invest in substantive local coverage and has established dedicated desks for innovation, higher education and politics as well as unique partnerships to expand on that commitment, including with WNYC’s The Takeaway, PRI’s The World, the New England Center for Investigative Reporting, and The GroundTruth Project.
About WGBH
WGBH Boston is America’s preeminent public broadcaster and the largest producer of PBS content for TV and the Web, including Masterpiece, Antiques Roadshow, Frontline, Nova, American Experience, Arthur and more than a dozen other primetime, lifestyle and children’s series. WGBH’s television channels include WGBH 2, WGBX 44, and the digital channels World and Create. WGBH TV productions focusing on the region’s diverse community include Greater Boston, Basic Black and High School Quiz Show. WGBH Radio serves listeners across New England with 89.7 WGBH, Boston’s Local NPR®; 99.5 WCRB Classical Radio Boston; and WCAI, the Cape and Islands NPR® Station. WGBH also is a major source of programs for public radio (among them, PRI’s The World®), a leader in educational multimedia (including PBS LearningMedia™, providing the nation’s educators with free, curriculum-based digital content), and a pioneer in technologies and services that make media accessible to deaf, hard of hearing, blind and visually impaired audiences. WGBH has been recognized with hundreds of honors: Emmys, Peabodys, duPont-Columbia Awards and Oscars. Find more information at wgbh.org.
