Marfa Public Radio has won three National Edward R. Murrow awards from the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) for its reporting in 2018. This is the first time the station has received this number of National Murrow awards .
The station's only other National Murrow was awarded in 2016 for Lorne Matalon's investigative reporting in the Juarez Valley in Mexico.
The awards are considered among the most prestigious and recognize "news stories that uphold the RTDNA Code of Ethics, demonstrate technical expertise and exemplify the importance and impact of journalism as a service to the community."
Marfa Public Radio was awarded in the small market radio category for its use of social media, its website and use of multimedia and for feature reporting.
In the use of social media category, Marfa Public Radio cited the following work for consideration: The McDannald Ranch Fire, protests at the Tornillo detention facility and Marfa Public Radio's call for día de los muertos remembrances.
For Marfa Public Radio's submission for website and multimedia, the station cited its homepage, as well as the landing pages for West Texas Wonders and West Texas Talk.
For feature reporting, Marfa Public Radio's Sally Beauvais was awarded for her story, "Without Hospice, Who Gets To Die In The Big Bend? The story follows 91-year-old Marfa resident Joy Elliot Rawls as she fights to spend her last years in the Big Bend.
This year, the station also won seven regional Edward R. Murrow awards.
A complete list of awards can be found at rtdna.org.
National Murrow recipients will be honored at the Edward R. Murrow Awards Gala on Oct. 14.
In addition to the National Murrow awards this year, Marfa Public Radio also received awards from PRNDI, Public Radio News Directors Incorporated. The station received a second place award for continuing coverage on family separation and zero tolerance and another second place award for the feature "Without Hospice, Who Gets To Die In The Big Bend?"
