The TransAlta Centralia Generation station pictured on March 6, 2024. (Jeremy Long - WITF)
Pennon’s reporting on energy honored for journalism excellence
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Staff
The TransAlta Centralia Generation station pictured on March 6, 2024. (Jeremy Long - WITF)
WITF’s in-depth reporting on the looming closure of a coal-fired power plant in Washington state and the lessons it could hold for a similar energy transition in Pennsylvania has been honored with a prestigious journalism award.
The series, published in April 2024 by reporter Rachel McDevitt and digital producer Jeremy Long, earned a regional Edward R. Murrow Award from the Radio Television Digital News Association. The association made the announcement on Tuesday.
“We are deeply honored to receive a regional Edward R. Murrow Award — one of the most respected honors in journalism. This recognition is a testament to the integrity, passion, and hard work of Rachel, Jeremy and our entire team, whose commitment to public service journalism never wavers,” said Ron Hetrick, the president and CEO of the public broadcaster, now called Pennon.
“We also extend our appreciation to the community we serve; your trust and support make this work possible every day.”
To report the story, McDevitt and Long traveled to Centralia, Washington, where the last coal-fired power plant in that state is being prepared for closure later this year. They produced a multimedia package of stories — video, photos, audio, infographics and text — exploring the impact and future of energy production in the community of fewer than 19,000 residents and the surrounding area in the Pacific Northwest.
McDevitt and Long chose Centralia for their project because it has been cited as a model for how to successfully transition away from coal.
The regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for excellence in broadcast and digital journalism are among the most prestigious awards in the industry.
Since 1971, the Radio Television Digital News Association has used these awards to recognize news organizations that demonstrate the excellence that Edward R. Murrow made a standard for the broadcast news profession.
The awards are presented to small and large radio, television and digital outlets in 14 geographic areas. WITF’s entries were judged against those from media organizations of similar size in Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey.
WITF is the recipient of 18 national Murrow Awards and 94 regional Murrow Awards for excellence in broadcast and online journalism. This is the second regional Murrow Award honoring the work of McDevitt, now a reporter for WESA in Pittsburgh, and Long’s third.
“This series of stories delivered the sort of careful, contextual and insightful reporting that has been the hallmark of our journalism for decades,” said Tom Murse, the company’s vice president of journalism. “We’re pleased that, once again, it is being acknowledged as such by The Radio Television Digital News Association in addition to our listeners, readers and viewers.”
The public media station, which broadcasts to 19 counties in Central Pennsylvania and more broadly via WITF.org, is owned by Harrisburg-based Pennon. Pennon is the parent company of LNP Media Group, which publishes LNP | LancasterOnline
Editor’s note: This story was updated to correct the number of regional Edward R. Murrow Awards earned by the staff.
A collection of interviews, photos, and music videos, featuring local musicians who have stopped by the WITF performance studio to share a little discussion and sound. Produced by WITF’s Joe Ulrich.
