The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) has awarded Valley Public Radio a 2019 Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for Investigative Reporting. The honor is for a story reporter Kerry Klein produced for broadcast on FM89 titled “The Fresno Detention Facility ICE Doesn't Want You to Know About.” The story exposed a previously undisclosed site in downtown Fresno used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to hold detainees. Following the broadcast of the story, ICE changed its policy and the facility is no longer unmarked.
The regional award comes in the small market radio category, region 2, which encompases California and Nevada. As a regional winner, the station's entry will now advance on to the national Edward R. Murrow Awards competition later this year. This is the first Regional Murrow Award in the history of Valley Public Radio.
“Edward R. Murrow was one of the pioneers of the broadcast news industry, and he is still held by today’s journalists as an example of the highest standards of our craft. The awards embody Murrow's values of integrity, reliability and trust that made him a broadcast legend,” said Joe Moore, President and General Manager of Valley Public Radio.
Valley Public Radio reporter Kerry Klein said the recogintion was a great honor. "These are such prestigious awards – I’m excited and honored that they recognized this story. It’s yet another more way that we at FM89 are establishing ourselves nationally as a standout station," said Klein.
The RTDNA writes about the awards and their namesake:
The Radio Television Digital News Association has been honoring outstanding achievements in electronic journalism with the Edward R. Murrow Awards since 1971. Award recipients demonstrate the spirit of excellence that Murrow set as a standard for the profession of broadcast and digital journalism... Murrow Award winning stories put public interest above all else, provide a catalyst for public discussion, and adhere to the RTDNA Code of Ethics. Of the awards given to journalists, the Murrow Awards are among the most respected journalism awards in the world. Responsible journalism helps to expose corruption and shines a light on problems that would otherwise go unnoticed.