WKSU RECOGNIZED BY PRESS CLUB OF CLEVELAND

Thursday July 22, 2010

WKSU was honored by the Press Club of Cleveland with nine Ohio Excellence in Journalism Awards at June ceremony at the Marriott Downtown at Key Center in Cleveland. Included among the honors were six first-place awards. Award entries were judged by a panel of judges comprised of journalism professionals from press clubs and news publications located across the country.

WKSU winners of 2010 Ohio Excellence in Journalism Awards from the Press Club of Cleveland are:

In the New Media division:
•     Second Place – Radio-Web Site Design, Web Developer Joe Linstrum and Graphic Designer Renee Volchko for "WKSU.org."
The judges said: Nice site feature buttons, fun to explore.

In the Radio division:
•     First Place – Spot News, Reporter/Producer Tim Rudell for "Chrysler Dealer Survives."
The reporter interviews a car dealer's response as he opens his letter from Chrysler giving his dealership the right to continue. The judges said: Interesting to be there when the dealer opened his letter from Chrysler to learn how his future might play out. Good use of natural sound. Well done.

•     First Place – General News, Ruddell for "Racinos."
The economic crisis as seen through the eyes of an unexpected source – those involved in the horse racing and gambling industry. The judges said: We chose 'Racinos' because it was well-rounded with strong interviews representing all perspectives of the issue and made great use of natural sound.

•     First Place – Public Service, News Staff for "Vital Signs: Diagnosing Health Care in Northeast Ohio."
A seven-part series exploring health care choices taking hold in the region at the local level. The judges said: Interesting and informative with good interviews and use of sound. 'Vital Signs' examined all sides of the issue and provided a 'vital' service to listeners.

•     First Place – Documentary, News Staff for "Good Jobs in Bad Times."
Searching for positive employment news in an hour-long version of WKSU's eight-part series on the realities of the worst job market since the Great Depression. The judges said: A timely, terrific topic that educated the audience. We learned a college degree is no guarantee of a job; that adaptability is key; during a recession is the best time to 'reinvent' yourself—and more.

•     First Place – Human Interest, Reporter/Producer Vivian Goodman for "Gimme Rewrite Sweetheart."
Goodman interviews several of Cleveland's legendary newspaper journalists who are the subject of a new book. The judges said: Stop the presses! We could feel the ink flowing through our veins! Great interviews, natural sound and creative use of audio from a classic movie all combined for an entertaining and informative story told by those who used to 'break 'em' on the front page.

•     First Place – Use of Sound, Program Director Mark Urycki for "A Perfect Day in Akron."
A sound-rich tour of some of Summit County's highlights as suggested by a travel book. The judges said: This was the perfect use of sound for a perfect day in Akron. We closed our eyes and listened to joggers, kids, geese, crickets, basket weavers and more—and felt as though we were beside the pair as they explored the 'Rubber City.'

•     Second Place – General News, Reporter/Producer Kevin Niedermier for "A History of Cleveland Corruption."
In light of recent arrests of Cleveland city employees, Niedermier offers a slightly tongue-in-cheek review of other shady public servants.

•     Second Place – On-Going Coverage, News Staff for “The Ups and Downs of the Auto Industry.”
In a year of enormous changes in the auto industry, WKSU covers the regional connections.

The Ohio Excellence in Journalism contest is a statewide competition for the best in print and broadcast journalism. More than 1,000 entries were submitted for consideration. WKSU competes in the Major Market division with radio stations in Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati.

WKSU broadcasts NPR & Classical Music at 89.7 FM, and is a service of Kent State University. WKSU programming is also heard on WKRW 89.3 FM in Wooster, WKRJ 91.5 FM in Dover/New Philadelphia, WKSV 89.1 FM in Thompson, WNRK 90.7 in Norwalk, W298BA 107.5 FM in Boardman, and W239AZ 95.7 FM in Ashland. The station broadcasts four HD Radio channels – adding WKSU-2 Folk Alley, WKSU-3 The Classical Channel and WKSU-4 The News Channel to the analog broadcast schedule. The Classical Channel can also be heard in Cleveland at 107.3 HD-3. The WKSU website is www.wksu.org.

PR10.07 ### 7/22/10

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