Marfa Public Radio is the recipient of a 2016 National Edward R. Murrow Award. That marks the first time the station has achieved such an honor.
The awards are given by the Radio Television Digital News Association and are among the the most prestigious in broadcast journalism.
The national honor was given for reporting by Lorne Matalon for his series entitled, “Towns on Path of Proposed Mexican Pipelines Suffer Rash of Violence.” It won for the category of Investigative Reporting in the Small-Market Radio Station division. The National Murrow Awards recognize reporting from calendar year 2015. These reports were first broadcast in October 2015.
http://marfapublicradio.org/blog/borderland-exodus-towns-on-path-of-proposed-mexican-pipelines-suffer-rash-of-violence/
For the story, Matalon traveled to the Juarez Valley in Mexico, southeast of El Paso, Texas. He found that real estate speculators - preparing for proposed oil and gas production - had forced an exodus of area residents.
“Lorne’s reporting revealed that people living in the Juarez Valley suffered during a brutal land grab,” said Tom Michael, General Manager of Marfa Public Radio, who also serves as News Director. “He has a wide lens. Lorne is able to weave in the long threads of politics, business, and history - and still tell a personal story for radio. We’re lucky to have such a skilled journalist on our team."
The 2016 Edward R. Murrow Awards recognize the best in journalism - radio, television, and online - both commercial and non-commercial media. They are named after Edward R. Murrow, a pioneer of broadcast news on CBS radio and television. This year, Marfa Public Radio was a regional winner in 8 categories.
The national trophies will be presented at the Edward R. Murrow Awards Gala in New York City on Monday, October 10, 2016.