WVTF Radio IQ wins national Edward R. Murrow Award for news reporting

The Blacksburg-based WVTF Radio IQ has won a national Edward R. Murrow Award for overall excellence in news reporting in the small market category by the Radio Television Digital News Association.

Among the most prestigious awards in news, the Murrow Awards recognize local and national 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.

“We are grateful for the recognition from RTDNA and for their commitment to support great journalism,” said Roger Duvall, general manager for WVTF Radio IQ. “Best-in-class reporting starts with generous support of our 14,000 listener-contributors, corporate supporters, Virginia Tech, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. That support allows us to assemble an outstanding news team led by news director David Seidel. Thanks to all for their hard work and dedication to serve our listeners and citizens.”

Reporting by Charlottesville bureau chief Sandy Hausman for the package of stories titled “COVID 19 in Virginia Prisons” also won the overall excellence award for news series. This the sixth national Murrow award that Hausman has received. Her 2019 report on “Victims of Car Attack Prepare to Testify” received top honors in the hard news category.

The national recognition follows six regional Edward R. Murrow Awards that the news team won in May and continues a recent string of accolades that include a recognition for outstanding news operation by The Associated Press and a Fulbright grant for reporter Mallory Noe-Payne that was pivotal in creating the podcast series “Memory Wars.”

With the national overall excellence honor, WVTF joins other winning organizations such as CBS News Radio, NBC News, Texas Public Radio, and the Texas Tribune.

All award recipients will be recognized in October at a gala in New York City.

Radio IQ and WVTF Music provide public radio programming to 200,000 listeners weekly through 25 signals reaching over half of the Commonwealth.  A community service of Virginia Tech, the station is licensed to the Virginia Tech Foundation and helps fulfill the university’s motto Ut Prosim (That I May Serve).

See the full list of award recipients here.