ATLANTA -- 11Alive dominated the region by taking home more regional Edward R. Murrow Awards than any other station in the state.
11Alive won Best Newscast for the June 6, 2014 6:00 newscast during the Forsyth County Courthouse shooting. Producer Phil Humes was at the helm during the breaking news when an armed man was shot and killed by authorities.
11Alive.com won Best Website for coverage throughout 2014. Digital journalists Phillip Kish, Michael King, Greg Rossino, Beth Sawicki, and Julie Wolfe are the backbone of 11Alive.com, but the entire newsroom contributes to the comprehensive coverage and compelling content on 11Alive.com.
Chief Photojournalist Jon Samuels won Best Use of Video. His nine years at 11Alive include a long list of Regional Murrows, NPPA, GABBY, AP, and Emmys.
Reporter and anchor Jaye Watson won Best Writing. She's defending the national title. In October 2014, she traveled to New York to accept the National Best Writing award for her work in 2013. Watson's storytelling surrounding the Atlanta Homeless Men's choir was central to her win.
Multimedia Journalist Matt Pearl won Best Sports Feature for his "Homeruns for Dad" piece. The piece follows an 11-year-old boy who hit two home runs in honor of his father just a week after he passed away.
The entire station took top honors with the Overall Excellence award.
"I am proud of all our individual winners and particularly proud of the recognition for Best Newscast, Best Website and Overall Excellent," 11Alive News Director Jennifer Rigby said. "The awards speak to the dedication of the entire news team to serve our audience with the highest quality coverage on air, online and through social media."
President and General Manager John Deushane said, "While it's not uncommon for the talented journalists at 11Alive to be recognized with the most local Emmys, Gabbys, and AP Awards, to win six Edward R. Murrow regional awards is virtually unprecedented for any station. Of special note is that 11Alive was recognized in the top 3 categories of Overall Excellence, Best Newscast and Best Website."
The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) announced the regional Edward R. Murrow Award winners Thursday. They received more than 4,200 entries. It's an all-time record for the third year in a row.
"At a time when news reaches people in so many ways, these awards become even more meaningful," added RTDNA Executive Director Mike Cavender. "It is a tangible reminder of the high quality local journalism being done across the country."
These regional Murrow winners automatically advance to the national awards competition, which will be judged in May.
