Local Broadcasters Win Cronkite Awards
Topic: Investigative Reporting
Posted on 3/31/2017
Local broadcast stations owned by Hearst, Scripps, TEGNA and Nexstar won 2017 Walter Cronkite Awards for Excellence in Television for their political coverage.
Brooks Jackson Prize for Fact-Checking Political Messages
- TEGNA’s NBC affiliate KUSA-TV Denver won its third consecutive local fact-checking award.
- The E.W. Scripps Company won the national fact-checking award for its local stations’ national impact.
Achievement by a Local Station
- Nexstar’s NBC affiliate KXAN-TV Austin covered the government’s effort to stop drug smugglers coming from Mexico. KXAN-TV held elected officials accountable and featured people directly impacted by federal and state policies.
- TEGNA’s ABC affiliate WXIA Atlanta won for its five-part investigation of a military policy stripping benefits and veteran status from service members suffering from PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury. The story demonstrated the issue’s human impact prompted legislative action.
Individual Achievement by a Local Journalist
- KUSA-TV political reporter Brandon Rittiman earned his second Cronkite award for his reporting on local judicial elections that judges said gives voice to “real people.”
- Nexstar’s ABC affiliate WOI-TV Des Moines reporter Sabrina Ahmed won for her reporting on medical cannabis, "combining emotion with policy and medicine."
Station Group
- Hearst Television and The E.W. Scripps Company were honored for "top-down commitment" to political coverage across all their stations.
Special Commendation for Local Investigative Journalism
- Marshall Zelinger with Scripps’ ABC affiliate KMGH-TV Denver won for the story of a signature forgery scandal in a U.S. Senate race, triggering an official investigation and policy change.
Special Commendation for Voter Education
- Independently owned KCET-TV Los Angeles was recognized for its online and on-air initiative, "Props in a Minute." The 60-second videos explain 17 propositions on California’s ballot, including school bonds, criminal sentencing and prescription drug prices.
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