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Playlist: Edward R. Murrow Award Winners

Compiled By: PRX Editors

 Credit:
Curated Playlist

Public radio rocks the Murrows. Take a listen to these award-winners.

2014 Winners

Generation Putin - Hour Special

From Seattle Globalist | Part of the Generation Putin series | 59:01

"Generation Putin" is an hourlong special on young people and politics in the former Soviet Union. Embeddable on SoundCloud, too.

Putin_logo_square-1_small

It's been over 20 years since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Young people in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Georgia are facing unemployment, democratic pressure, and the legacy of repression, while being influenced by the West, punk music, and the Pussy Riot trials. PRX sent a reporting team from the Seattle Globalist to explore the tensions in these countries, described by The Atlantic as 'uneasily suspended' between two political eras.

Join host Brooke Gladstone for Generation Putin, an in-depth look at the millennial generation in the post-Soviet states. Embed, stream and share the special and segments on SoundCloud.

The Hospital Always Wins

From Al Letson | Part of the State of the Re:Union: Season Four series | 53:56

In this special hour from State of the Re:Union, we take listeners to a place that exists in every American city… but most of us have never seen the inside of it. Back in 2004, SOTRU producer Laura Starecheski visited a state mental hospital in Queens, New York, called Creedmoor. She met an artist there named Issa Ibrahim. He had no perceptible symptoms: he was talented, charismatic, funny, engaging. To be blunt, he just didn’t seem like your typical long-term mental patient. But he’d been at Creedmoor for more than ten years already, with little hope of getting out. Why was Issa still stuck in the hospital?  Laura’s quest to uncover Issa’s story took almost a decade. In this special episode, State of the Re:Union takes a close-up look at love, guilt and forgiveness, revealing both the brightest and the darkest parts of human nature.     

Sotru_profile-pic_01_small

State of the Re:Union
The Hospital Always Wins

Host: Al Letson
Producer: Laura Starecheski

In this special hour from State of the Re:Union, we take listeners to a place that exists in every American city… but most of us have never seen the inside of it. Back in 2004, SOTRU producer Laura Starecheski visited a state mental hospital in Queens, New York, called Creedmoor. She met an artist there named Issa Ibrahim. He had no perceptible symptoms: he was talented, charismatic, funny, engaging. To be blunt, he just didn’t seem like your typical long-term mental patient. But he’d been at Creedmoor for more than ten years already, with little hope of getting out. Why was Issa still stuck in the hospital?  Laura’s quest to uncover Issa’s story took almost a decade. In this special episode, State of the Re:Union takes a close-up look at love, guilt and forgiveness, revealing both the brightest and the darkest parts of human nature.     


BILLBOARD (:59)
Incue: From PRX and WJCT...
Outcue: After the news.

News Hole: 1:00-6:00

SEGMENT A (12:29)
Incue: From WJCT in Jacksonville, Florida
Outcue: on State of the Re:Union. 

Laura meets Issa Ibrahim in 2004, at a Creedmoor arts program called The Living Museum.  Issa won’t tell Laura the reason he was sent to Creedmoor.  All she knows is that he has no contact with  his family, and he’s been at Creedmoor for over a decade.  But then he gives Laura a cd of his songs, recorded in his room on the ward, and the puzzle starts to come together: maybe Issa is at Creedmoor because he is his own worst enemy? Six years after they meet, Issa finally reveals his past to Laura.  His story begins at his childhood home in Queens, when he was the child of an artist and a musician.  The whole Ibrahim family was banking on Issa’s talent as an artist.  But his chaotic but promising childhood turned dark when Issa’s father, a jazz musician, passed away.  We hear from Issa’s brother Ishak and sister Karen on his decline into delusion and paranoia.

SEGMENT B (18:59)
Incue: I'm Al Letson
Outcue: on State of the Re:Union.


Issa’s story continues with a fateful night in February 1990 when he hears voices for the first time, and what they are telling him leads him to do something unthinkable.  In a fit of psychosis, Issa kills his own mother. When Issa ends up in front of a judge in a courtroom, he takes a plea: not guilty by reason of insanity.  He eventually ends up at Creedmoor, where he has no sentence and no release date.  We hear from several doctors who assessed Issa as his story unfolds.  As Issa struggles to learn the rules, he feels the pull of his destiny returning: maybe he can still be a great artist.  But making art, much of it provocative, and seeking out romantic relationships… attempting to live a semblance of a normal life inside the hospital… only buries him deeper.  And just as Issa begins to forgive himself for his crime, his case at the hospital has ground to a halt.  He has little hope of release.  

SEGMENT C (18:59)
Incue: I'm Al Letson and you're listening to
Outcue: to bring them back together. (music tail)


By 2002, Issa had been locked away for over ten years. When a new forensic director started working at Creedmoor, and was asked to do a brand-new assessment of him, he saw a potential turn-around in his case.  But the assessment labeled him ‘dangerous’, and despite years of good behavior, Issa’s future seems as hopeless as ever.  Left with no other options, Issa uses the money he’s saved from selling his paintings from inside the hospital to hire his own doctor, and after years of pushing, he finally gets his day in court.  We hear from several doctors and the presiding judge about the court hearings where Issa petitions for his freedom.  In 2009, the judge grants Issa a conditional release from Creedmoor, and he lives at a halfway house on the hospital grounds for four years before winning permission to move into his own apartment for the first time in his adult life.  Then, Issa must contend with life in the outside world.  Will his family ever forgive him?  Can Issa ever really forgive himself?

PROGRAM OUT @ 59:00

The Hospital Always Wins is available on PRX without charge to all public radio stations, and may be aired an unlimited number of times prior to January 31, 2017. The program may be streamed live on station websites but not archived. Excerpting is permitted for promotional purposes only.

State of the Re:Union is presented by WJCT and distributed by PRX.  Major funding for the State of the Re:Union comes from CPB, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Delores Barr Weaver Fund at The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida.

Thanks for your consideration of State of the Re:Union with Al Letson. 

 

The Working Poor (Series)

Produced by WCPN

The "working poor" are people who have a job - maybe even several - yet are barely scraping by. They’re often invisible... mopping the floors after closing, taking fares at a parking garage, or frying your burger behind the counter. ideastream's Brian Bull shares these profiles in the short, National Murrow Award-winning series The Working Poor.

Most recent piece in this series:

The Working Poor V: An Interview with 'Working Poor' Author David K. Shipler

From WCPN | Part of the The Working Poor series | 03:18

1223shipler_small For the past few months, we’ve shared stories of the “working poor” -- people with jobs yet only scrape by paycheck to paycheck. These included a single mom working in fast food, an ex-felon with two jobs, a 30-something college graduate living in her parent’s basement, and a senior citizen with no ready shot at retirement. The series was produced by ideastream’s Brian Bull, and was informed in part by a 2004 book titled, “The Working Poor: Invisible in America.” In our final installment of the series, Bull talks to the book's author, David K. Shipler, and asks what role the Great recession played in swelling the ranks of today's working poor.

Underground Trade: From Boston to Bangkok (Series)

Produced by WGBH Radio Boston

WGBH Senior Investigative Reporter, Phillip Martin, traveled in the U.S. and across East Asia to explore the modern slave trade of human trafficking. He examines the routes from New York to New England and from East Asia to New York and connects the dots.

Most recent piece in this series:

Underground Trade Part 8: What Now?

From WGBH Radio Boston | Part of the Underground Trade: From Boston to Bangkok series | 08:20

8-_mg_4881_small There are no simple solutions to stamping out human trafficking, but thousands of people and organizations worldwide are trying.  From the cab driver in Saigon who uses his own money to rescue exploited kids to a cop in Boston who works overtime and with few resources to assist exploited women.  In his final report in our serties "Underground Trade" investigative reporter Phillip Martin looks at individuals and institutions that are working to end what some view as modern-day slavery. In our final report we hear from activists and law enforcement officals in Saigon, Chiang Mai, New York, San Francisco, Boston and elsewhere.    


2012 Winners

Splash

From Rich Halten | 18:52

From a bridge famous for suicide jumps, the story of one lucky survivor and how a broken neck and collapsed lung made him a new man.

Audio News Documentary - Radio, Large Market
Entered as "Jumping Off the Skyway Bridge...and Surviving"

Playing
Splash
From
Rich Halten

Skyway_bridge_vignette_small The Sunshine Skyway bridge spans the mouth of Tampa Bay on the west coast of Florida. It carries thousands of cars everyday. It's also become one of the top ten places to end your life. This is the story of the many who jumped, one lucky guy who survived, and how broken bones and a collapsed lung made him a new man. "Splash" made its web debut on Transom.org.


2011 Winners

Grounded: The End of the Shuttle Era and the Future of Manned Space Flight

From KUT | 52:25

“Grounded: The End of the Shuttle Era and the Future of Manned Space Flight,” is a special report from KUT News exploring mission, place and what it has meant to millions of Texans to live in the space state.

Over the course of the hour we revisit the launch of U.S. space mission, explore the history of the shuttle program, and what it all meant for Texas.

There’s a wonderful history of the space program and a sound portrait of major event in the shuttle’s history that are applicable to a broad audience. There’s also a story on the future of manned space flight that has broad appeal.

Audio News Series - Large Market

Shuttle-launch_small “Grounded: The End of the Shuttle Era and the Future of Manned Space Flight,” is a special report from KUT News exploring mission, place and what it has meant to millions of Texans to live in the space state. Over the course of the hour we revisit the launch of U.S. space mission, explore the history of the shuttle program, and what it all meant for Texas. There’s a wonderful history of the space program and a sound portrait of major event in the shuttle’s history that are applicable to a broad audience. There’s also a story on the future of manned space flight that has broad appeal.

Trafficked (Series)

Produced by Youth Radio

Investigation into child prostitution in Oakland, CA.

Audio News Series - Radio Network/Syndication Service

Most recent piece in this series:

Youth Radio Investigates: Trafficked Part II

From Youth Radio | Part of the Trafficked series | 07:15

Traff_prx_square_small In the second half of our series Trafficked, we’ll hear how city police and community groups are fighting to save kids from the streets. According to the Oakland Attorney’s office, a mid-level pimp trafficking just four girls can make more than 500 thousand dollars a year marketing those girls on the street and online. Police say there are criminal networks that are moving into sexual exploitation of minors. The money is as good as selling drugs and safer. That’s because few are prosecuted and prison sentences are relatively short. Youth Radio’s Denise Tejada and Brett Myers have the story. 

Afghanistan's Other War

From Vermont Public | 28:30

A half-hour documentary that examines the challenging counter-insurgency mission of the National Guard and how the Guard is training the Afghan Police.

Audio News Documentary - Small Market

Afghanicon_small

The war in Afghanistan is no longer solely a fight against insurgents. In fact, training the country's security forces and building relationships are now central to the U.S. military's mission in Afghanistan and critical to any plans to withdraw troops. That means soldiers have had to adjust to a new role where the tools are words, not weapons.  Vermont Public Radio Reporter Steve Zind spent three weeks with National Guard soldiers in Afghanistan this fall. In this documentary, he takes us on patrols and to police training sessions to learn how soldiers carried out their complex mission and how they view the prospects for success.

Documentary - Coal: Dirty Past, Hazy Future

From The Environment Report | 58:30

Brew the coffee, turn on the radio, and check your electronic mail – you’re on your way to burning 20 pounds of coal for the day. That’s how much coal the average American uses. No matter what, we all have a stake in coal’s future. This hour-long documentary takes an in-depth look at that future.

Audio News Documentary - Large Market

Prxcoallogo_small This documentary will take your listeners on a journey from their light switch back to America’s coal fields.  We start at Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park Lab; visit a coal-burning power generating station; go down into a coal mine in Illinois; travel to the rural counties of West Virginia where mountaintop mining is pulling on the state’s social fabric; and take a closer look at the technologies that promise to deliver coal into the new green economy.  The Environment Report’s documentary explores the effects of coal in our lives and in the lives of those who depend on coal for a living.

The documentary is also available on Content Depot.

A big thanks to the people at the Joyce Foundation for providing the funding for this special project.  See below for rundown information.


2009 Winners

Block by Block: Street Gangs in St. Louis (Series)

Produced by Adam Allington

Award
Radio: Large Market
News Series
KWMU-FM

Summary
Any way you slice it, St. Louis is one of the most violent cities in America. A primary cause for that distinction is gang violence.

In a special three-part series, KWMU reporter Adam Allington speaks with Crips, Bloods, police, lawyers, and the people living in some of St. Louis' most notorious gang neighborhoods.

Most recent piece in this series:

North City Gangs Getting Younger, More Violent

From Adam Allington | Part of the Block by Block: Street Gangs in St. Louis series | 06:35

Jvlblood1_small Host In: Over the past several years overall crime in the city of St. Louis has dropped dramatically, almost 30-percent. One particular crime however is way up--homicides. The city is averaging nearly one murder every two days. A primary cause of this deadly spike is a proliferation of gangs and gang culture. In the first of his three part series on gangs in St. Louis, Adam Allington takes us behind the scenes with some of the city's most violent street gangs. SOQ @ 5:37 Music out at 6:36

Mexico '68: A Movement, A Massacre and the 40-Yr Search for the Truth

From Radio Diaries | 22:25

Award
Radio Network/Syndication Service
News Documentary

Summary
In the summer of 1968, students in Mexico began to challenge the country's authoritarian government. But the movement was short-lived, lasting less than three months. It ended on October 2, 1968, ten days before the opening of the Olympics in Mexico City, when military troops opened fire on a peaceful student demonstration. From Joe Richman Anayansi Diaz-Cortes for Radio Diaries.

Rd_mex68_prx_small In the summer of 1968, Mexico was experiencing the birth of a new student movement.

But that movement was short-lived. On Oct. 2, 1968, 10 days before the opening of the Summer Olympics in Mexico City, police officers and military troops shot into a crowd of unarmed students. Thousands of demonstrators fled in panic as tanks bulldozed over Tlatelolco Plaza.

Government sources originally reported that four people had been killed and 20 wounded, while eyewitnesses described the bodies of hundreds of young people being trucked away. Thousands of students were beaten and jailed, and many disappeared. Forty years later, the final death toll remains a mystery, but documents recently released by the U.S. and Mexican governments give a better picture of what may have triggered the massacre. Those documents suggest that snipers posted by the military fired on fellow troops, provoking them to open fire on the students.

The Beginning Of A Movement

In 1968, student movements were breaking out all over the world — including in France, Germany, Italy, Czechoslovakia, Argentina, Japan and the United States.

Mexico, like many countries in the prosperous 1960s, had spawned a vibrant middle class that enjoyed a quality of life unimaginable in previous decades. These children of the Mexican Revolution that now lived in comfort were, for the first time, able to send their own children to university in unprecedented numbers.

The student movement got its start from a street fight between high school students after a football game. The students confronted the Mexico City riot police sent there to end the skirmish. After hours of student resistance, the army was called in to quench the violence. The siege ended when the soldiers blasted the main door of the National Preparatory School in San Ildefonso with a bazooka, killing some of the students in the building.

The National University oversaw the Preparatory School, so the involvement of university officials and students was inevitable. In the following hours, the students decided to organize and protest against the violence exerted by the riot police. Over the following months, Mexico City witnessed a series of student protests and rallies against repression and violence.

The Massacre

Students expected the government to give in to their demands, but they were greeted with a clear message from the president: "No more unrest will be tolerated." The army proceeded in the following days to seize the National University, with virtually no resistance from the students, and later the National Polytechnic Institute, with active and violent student resistance.

After these events, the students rapidly called for a new gathering on Oct. 2 at the Three Cultures Square in the Tlatelolco housing complex. Thousands of students showed up to get firsthand knowledge of the movement's next steps. As the gathering was ending, soldiers arrived to capture the movement's leaders. They were greeted by gunshots from the buildings surrounding the square. The troops then opened fire, turning the evening into a shooting that lasted nearly two hours.

Over the following days, the official account of the events would be that the students — infiltrated by communist forces — had fired on the army, and the soldiers had to fire back to defend themselves.

The 40-Year Search For The Truth

Under an authoritarian regime, no formal investigation into the killings was ever initiated. But a renewed hope to find the truth arrived in 2000 with the election of President Vicente Fox, who broke nearly 70 years of one-party rule. In November 2001, Fox ordered the creation of a "special prosecutor for crimes of the past" to investigate the Tlatelolco massacre. But little was uncovered about the killings or those killed.

The number of civilian casualties reported has ranged between four — in the official count directly after the event — and 3,000. Eyewitnesses recount seeing dozens of bodies and prisoners being trucked away to military bases. But despite efforts by both the student leaders and the special prosecutor to compile the names of the dead, only about 40 have been documented. No siblings, parents or friends of the remaining casualties — if they exist — have come forward to add names to the list.

But new information has come to light through the release of official documents. They reveal that the Presidential Guard — a branch of the military — had posted snipers in the buildings surrounding Tlatelolco Plaza on the day of the massacre. The idea was that the snipers would shoot at the troops posted around the square, and the troops would think student snipers were shooting at them — and then they would open fire.

Using the documents, first-person accounts and archival news reports, along with historic recordings — many of which have never been broadcast before — Radio Diaries has woven together a clearer picture of what happened on Oct. 2.

This story was produced by Joe Richman and Anayansi Diaz-Cortes of Radio Diaries. Thanks to George Lewis and NBC News for some of the audio used in this story.

Michael Kavanagh's Murrow Award Winning Trio (Series)

Produced by World Vision Report

Award
Radio Network/Syndication Service
Writing
World Vision Report

Summary
Reporter Michael Kavanagh recounts his experiences traveling through Chad and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

"Goma RN": Refugees displaced by fighting in the DRC are left to fend for themselves.

"Hijacker": A young mother battered by war refuses to leave Michael's car.

"Stuck in the Mud": The glamor of international reporting fades after five hours of wheel-spinning in Chad.

Most recent piece in this series:

Stuck in the Mud

From World Vision Report | Part of the Michael Kavanagh's Murrow Award Winning Trio series | 03:41

Wv_podcast_icon_sm_small If you air this piece, please include a back announce saying "This piece originally aired on the World Vision Report." or "This piece came to us from the World Vision Report."

Death's Footprint

From Todd Melby | 27:51

Award
Radio: Large Market
News Documentary
Todd Melby and Diane Richard for WBEZ

Summary
A documentary exploring the environmental consequences of traditional funeral and burial practices.

00:27:50

Graveyard3small_small Cemeteries take up thousands of acres of open space. Funeral homes use gallons of toxic chemicals a year. And cremation consumes lots of energy and emits toxins into the environment. Today, many Americans are looking for ways that make their deaths greener. But change is coming slowly. The way we practice death has deep cultural and religious traditions.


2008 Winners

The Ninth Inning

From Philip Graitcer | 06:11

Best Feature, large market. Atlanta's Turner Field is a lively place. It's the home of the Atlanta Braves, where thousands cheer young men playing baseball. But less than a fly ball away from home plate sits another kind of home, a hospice for cancer patients, where much older men and women play out the game of life. A good piece to air during baseball season.

Dscf0248_small *** 2008 Edward R. Murrow Award regional winner - Best Feature, large market radio *** Atlanta's Turner Field is a lively place. It's the home of the Atlanta Braves, where thousands cheer young men playing baseball. But less than a fly ball away from home plate sits another kind of home, a hospice for cancer patients, where much older men and women play out the game of life. A good piece to air during baseball season.


2007 Winners

Hmong Funerals

From Wisconsin Public Radio | 07:51

Award
Region 4: Large Market
Use of Sound
Wisconsin Public Radio

Summary
The tradition of Hmong Funerals as carried out in America.

00:07:49

Hmgfnrl01_small For the thousands of Hmong immigrants who've settled in the United States, life is now a series of challenges and adjustments. Many of them are struggling to preserve their customs from southeast Asia. For most elderly Hmong, this includes the complex and lengthy funeral ceremony designed to guide their souls back to the ancestral homeland. But many obstacles -- from American funeral codes to the standard work schedule -- have forced compromise on this tradition. In this 8-minute piece, Brian Bull summarizes one such effort that took place at St. Paul's Hmong Funeral home for one of the community's elders, Ying Xiong. With many compelling passages of natural sound and direct, candid interviews with relatives, the four-day ceremony is presented in its elaborate, but heartfelt splendor.

Part 9: Card #10 (Sue)

From WUNC | Part of the Daily Lessons: Inside Western Guilford High School series | 08:09

Award
Feature Reporting
WUNC

Summary
Every year, hundreds of thousands of teenagers in the United States drop out of school. The reasons are many and each story is unique.

00:08:08

Wghs_small "Daily Lessons: Inside Western Guilford High School" is a ten part documentary series about a public high school in Greensboro, North Carolina. A team of reporters spent six months at the school to document how a ?typical? high school is dealing with some daunting new realities. Similar challenges face schools across the country. Schools across the country are facing similar challenges: ? Expanded testing requirements: Complying with the federal ?No Child Left Behind Act? and the North Carolina ?ABCs of Public Education? means tests, tests, and more tests. The result is a radical shift in the traditional rhythms of high school and big changes in what students are learning and how teachers are teaching. ? A worsening teacher shortage: North Carolina needs 10,000 new teachers annually to fill classroom vacancies, yet the state?s teaching colleges are only turning out 3,000 a year. At the same time, many new teachers burn out quickly, and veteran teachers are increasingly frustrated with the direction of public education, and wondering whether they?ll stay. ? Demographic change: NC has one of the fastest growing immigrant populations in the nation, meaning schools have to figure out ways to teach thousands of students whose first languages can be Spanish, Tagolog, Urdu or Arabic. Supporting those students, helping them learnEnglish, and making sure they pass standardized tests, is a challenge for high schools. ? A radically changed economy: The manufacturing and agriculture jobs that once fueled the North Carolina economy are fast disappearing, replaced by jobs that require more skills and higher education. Some educators say high schools must prepare all students for college. Others say high schools can?t forget students who might not be headed for higher education. "Daily Lessons: Inside Western Guilford High School" was produced for the series "North Carolina Voices: Studying High School" on North Carolina Public Radio ? WUNC. The series originally aired in May 2006. For more about the series, please visit http://wunc.org/voices A script for each radio piece, including a suggested host introduction, is attached here. Feel free to edit intros.

Daily Lessons: Inside Western Guilford High School (Series)

Produced by WUNC

Award
News Series
WUNC

Summary
Series about challenges facing a public high school in North Carolina. Originally produced for the series "North Carolina Voices: Studying High School."

Most recent piece in this series:

Part 1: Welcome to Western Guilford

From WUNC | Part of the Daily Lessons: Inside Western Guilford High School series | 08:13

Wghs_small  Western Guilford High School is a "typical" public high school, and it's dealing with the pressures of growth, economic and demographic change, and high stakes testing.  In this piece, Deborah George has an introduction to the people and the sounds of the school, and the challenges the school is facing.

"Daily Lessons: Inside Western Guilford High School" is a ten part documentary series about a public high school in Greensboro, North Carolina. A team of reporters spent six months at the school to document how a ?typical? high school is dealing with some daunting new realities. Schools across the country are facing similar challenges: ? Expanded testing requirements: Complying with the federal ?No Child Left Behind Act? and the North Carolina ?ABCs of Public Education? means tests, tests, and more tests. The result is a radical shift in the traditional rhythms of high school and big changes in what students are learning and how teachers are teaching. ? A worsening teacher shortage: North Carolina needs 10,000 new teachers annually to fill classroom vacancies, yet the state?s teaching colleges are only turning out 3,000 a year. At the same time, many new teachers burn out quickly, and veteran teachers are increasingly frustrated with the direction of public education, and wondering whether they?ll stay. ? Demographic change: NC has one of the fastest growing immigrant populations in the nation, meaning schools have to figure out ways to teach thousands of students whose first languages can be Spanish, Tagolog, Urdu or Arabic. Supporting those students, helping them learnEnglish, and making sure they pass standardized tests, is a challenge for high schools. ? A radically changed economy: The manufacturing and agriculture jobs that once fueled the North Carolina economy are fast disappearing, replaced by jobs that require more skills and higher education. Some educators say high schools must prepare all students for college. Others say high schools can?t forget students who might not be headed for higher education. ?Daily Lessons: Inside Western Guilford High School? was produced for the series ?North Carolina Voices: Studying High School? on North Carolina Public Radio ? WUNC. The series originally aired in May 2006. For more about the series, please visit http://wunc.org/voices A script for each radio piece, including a suggested host introduction, is attached here. Please feel free to edit intros.

Culture Lessons

From New Hampshire Public Radio | 59:00

Award
Region 10: Small Market
News Documentary
New Hampshire Public Radio

Summary
Stories of students at Manchester Central High School, New Hampshire's oldest and most diverse high school.

00:58:52

Manch_small Manchester, New Hampshire is an official relocation center for immigrants and refugees from all over the world. In recent years, the city has seen an influx of international refugees, some of which have been living in refugee camps for years. Manchester Central High School ends up absorbing these international students, resulting in a very diverse student body. Over 60 different languages are spoken in the classrooms, hallways and sports fields of Manchester Central. In 2006, independent producer John Rudolph joined with New Hampshire Public Radio to look at Manchester Central High School, the oldest and most diverse high school in New Hampshire.


2006 Winners

Tsim Txom: Domestic Violence in Hmong Society

From Wisconsin Public Radio | 29:42

Award
Region 4: Large Market
News Documentary
Wisconsin Public Radio

Summary
A look at domestic abuse in Hmong culture.

00:29:42

Dvhi_small RTNDA Edward R. Murrow Award for Best Documentary (Region IV); part of winning submission for national RTNDA-UNITY Awards, Large-Market Radio; Wisconsin Associated Press 1st Place for Documentary; Northwest Broadcast News Association Eric Sevareid Award for Best Documentary, Large Market Radio; and finalist, DART Awards, from the DART Center of Journalism and Trauma. ------------- Back in their traditional homeland of Laos, the Hmong people observed a patriarchal society. Men made the rules, women kept their place. It was expected that while a husband could lead a clan or simply stay out late with friends, the wife would stay behind and mind the home and children. After the Vietnam War, many Hmong -- who sided with the U.S. Forces -- fled southeast Asia to avoid persecution. Thousands of Hmong have come to America, where the concept of gender equality has been one of the biggest challenges to the their traditional value system. As opposed to Laos, women in America can work outside the home, get an education, choose their mates, and become community leaders. While some Hmong herald these opportunities, others denounce them as contrary to their culture. This disagreement has caused tensions in some Hmong households, and clashes among relatives have even escalated to violence. Crisis advocates are quick to note that while Hmong-Americans don't particularly have higher rates of domestic violence than other groups, unique cultural factors may keep a significant number of victims from seeking help. One of the most immediate is the clan system, which is expected to intervene and resolve the matter before police or crisis counselors are called in. Tsim Txom: Domestic Violence in Hmong Society looks at how some victim advocates are addressing the problem, through education and culturally-sensitive services. Through interviews with abuse victims, Hmong community representatives, and crisis counselors, the span of the dilemma -- and possible solutions -- are illuminated in this in-depth documentary.

When Student Suspension Becomes Controversial (Series)

Produced by Vermont Public

Award
Region 10: Small Market
Investigative Reporting
Vermont Public Radio/Nina Keck

Summary
In this two-part investigative report, Vermont Public Radio examines the circumstances surrounding the suspension of an African-American senior on allegations he intruded into other student rooms at Middlebury College. The senior sued the college to get his diploma and said that race was involved in his suspension. A Vermont court later ruled in favor of the college.

Most recent piece in this series:

Part 2: Judge Rules Suspension Justified

From Vermont Public | Part of the When Student Suspension Becomes Controversial series | 02:56

Default-piece-image-2 Vermont Public Radio's Nina (NY-nah) Keck reported on the controversial suspension of an African-American senior, O'Neil Walker, at Middlebury College in July of 2005. College administrators said 21-year-old Walker seriously violated the school's behavior code by allegedly intruding into the room of another student. Walker, a scholarship student from the Bronx, says he was unfairly charged; he took the school to court to try to get his diploma. Keck followed up on this story in November of 2005, reporting that an Addison Superior Court Judge ruled that Middlebury had the right to suspend Walker. The court stated that its function was not to reweigh the evidence or redecide Walker's guilt or innocence, but instead to ensure that Walker had been given the opportunity to present evidence to his defense. Walker dropped his charges that the college's actions were racially motivated. Vermont Public Radio received a national Edward R. Murrow award for Nina Keck's investigative reporting in the small market radio category for these stories. NOTE: Host intros must be included. They're provided under Information for Stations.


2005 Winners

The Wild Child: Coping with a Bipolar Youth

From Karen Brown | 58:00

Award
Region 10: Small Market
News Documentary
WFCR

Summary
Follow three young people as they navigate puberty and adolescence with bipolar disorder.

00:58:00

Erinreddickwildchild_small What is it like to have a mind you can't control? For three young people diagnosed with bipolar disorder, it's a brave journey into uncharted medical and emotional territory. This radio documentary follows Erin, Eric, and Athena, along with their parents, doctors, teachers, and advocates, as they navigate puberty and adolescence with a serious mood disorder. Seventeen-year-old Erin is a Nirvana fan with a history of substance abuse; Athena is a 10-year-old aspiring cheerleader who lives on disability with her single mom; Eric is a 15-year-old disciple of Conan O'Brien who still holds a record for middle school detentions. Through these young people's blunt, honest, and often humorous voices, we learn about the early signs of the disorder; difficulties getting an accurate diagnosis; the trial and error of treatment; stress on family relationships; working with under-budgeted school systems; and hopes for the future. This piece premiered on WFCR, Amherst, MA on Nov. 6, 2004 and has aired on about a dozen stations. Awards it has received include: National Edward R. Murrow Award from RTNDA; PRNDI (Public Radio News Directors Inc.)Award; New York Festivals Silver World Medal; First Place, Association of Health Care Reporter's 2005 Contest (Radio/TV); The National Mental Health Association's 2005 Media Award, Massachusetts Associated Press Award. The "Wild Child" was adapted for an American RadioWorks documentary -- "A Mind of Their Own" -- available at: http://www.prx.org/piece/4231 There is also a shorter (7:23) companion feature available -- focussing on the controversy over diagnosing bipolar in kids -- at: http://prx.org/piece/1482.

Iran Journal (Series)

Produced by Vermont Public

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News Series
Vermont Public Radio

Summary
An audio journal by an American reporter in search of his family's roots in Iran.

Most recent piece in this series:

Part 5: Keeper of the Flame

From Vermont Public | Part of the Iran Journal series | 04:48

Part5scroll_small An American journalist in search of his family roots provides an intimate look behind the scenes in Iran. In part 5 of a five-part series, Steve Zind meets with the 95-year-old keeper of the Zand family history, himself a direct descendant of an eighteenth century ruler king of Persia. This series is appropriate to air daily during an NPR news magazine (Morning Edition or All Things Considered); each part runs approx. 5 minutes and requires local host to read a live Intro and Outro. The series oringially ran on Vermont Public Radio as a daily feature July 19-23, 2004.

Working the Night Shift

From WFUV | 59:02

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Region 11: Large Market
News Documentary
WFUV

Summary
Night shift workers share their perspective on life after dark, family obligations and the big question: when do they sleep?

00:59:02

Default-piece-image-0 On this Labor Day, WFUV news catches up with local night shift workers to get their perspective on life after dark, balancing family obligations and the big question -- when do they sleep? This sound-rich hour introduces listeners to a colorful cast of night shift workers, from police officers to firefighters to a singing sanitation worker. The show also features interviews with a sociologist concerned that the needs of night shift workers are not being appropriately addressed and a sleep expert.

Subculture

From WFUV | 01:00:00

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Region 11: Large Market New Series
WFUV

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A one-hour documentary celebrating the centennial of the New York City Subway.

00:60:00

Playing
Subculture
From
WFUV

Subway1_small In time for the centennial celebration of the New York City Subway, WFUV rumbles through the 100 year-old rapid transit system and meets the characters that inhabit it, as we go underground for the inaugural subway ride, look for love on the L train, and experience the view from a conductor’s seat. We forecast the future of the fabled 2nd Avenue Line, while looking back at the generations that have graced the subway platforms since 1904. And yes, oh yes, we even take the A train.

Singing Sanitation Worker

From WFUV | Part of the On the Night Shift series | 04:51

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Region 11: Large Market
Use of Sound
WFUV

Summary
A sanitation worker sings his way through a very late -- or early -- shift.

00:04:50

Default-piece-image-2 Intro: While some people wake up to the sounds of an alarm clock or a rooster's cock-a-doodle-doo, some New Yorkers are awoken by the sounds of a singing sanitation worker. Andrew Macchio belts out show tunes and other songs while picking up the early morning trash. Tag: This "On the Night Shift" segment was produced by WFUV News.

Weighing the Balance

From Canadian Broadcasting Corporation | Part of the CBC Radio's Outfront series | 21:26

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Region 14: Small Market
Investigative Reporting
CBC Radio Thunder Bay/Outfront

Summary
In 2003, six men were named by the Toronto police as people who had purchased child pornography. What happened to them?

00:21:26

Flowers_logo-_final_small This is a documentary that aired on CBC Radio's "The Current" Weighing the Balance evolved from a simple question: what happened to the men who were named and shamed in a very public news conference staged by the Toronto Police. Six men, their ages and places of residence were named as people who had purchased child pornography. Upon investigation, Kellie Hudson found that one man wasn’t even charged, and while three had gone to court, two had had their charges quietly withdrawn. One of those men was James Lecraw. Despite the withdrawal of charges, LeCraw lost his job, friends and eventually, in deep despair, took his own life. This is James’ story, as told by his brother and niece, his former employer and through his own words. WARNING: This piece contains audio that may be extremely disturbing to some listeners. 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Reflections on Return: Wounded Iraq War Veteran

From Youth Radio | 02:24

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National: Network
News Series
Youth Radio

Summary
Soldiers coming back to the States talk about their experiences in Iraq. View the other pieces in the series.

Default-piece-image-2 Corporal Chris Kotch was hit by an improvised explosive device near Al'Fallujah in Iraq. He reflects on what it?s been like to return from war with a serious injury, starting with the moment the bomb detonated.


2003 Winners

Sound Artist Steve Peters: The Subtle Sounds of Nature

From Paul Ingles | 05:46

Award
National: Network
Best Use of Sound

Sound Artist Steve Peters captures the subtle sounds of nature by patiently recording in central New Mexico

020712stevepeters_small Listening to nature can be an art form. At least it is for sound artist Steve Peters. He spent hours recording in an outdoor space in New Mexico called "The Land," taking care to capture sounds of nature that normally escape our attention. Steve Peters has turned his recordings into a piece that recreates the soundscape of the land in a museum setting. He talked with producer Paul Ingles about the production of "Here-ings." [This piece won the RTNDA Edward R. Murrow award for "Best Use of Sound" in 2003.]