WGLT, Bloomington-Normal’s NPR member-station, has earned two national awards from the Public Media Journalists Association.
WGLT earned First Place for Audience Engagement Program for its 23-part series Living Black In Bloomington-Normal, featuring interviews with Black community members in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. That project was led by WGLT Audio Director Jon Norton, Music Director Ariele Jones, and then-student reporter Darnysha Mitchell, who is now a reporter for 25 News WEEK (NBC affiliate) and Heart of Illinois ABC in Peoria.
WGLT is honored to share this recognition with each of the 23 community members who participated and shared their stories.
WGLT also won First Place for Best Use Of Sound for a story, “911 Calls Show Nursing Home COVID-19 Outbreak Unfolding In Slow Motion,” reported by Ryan Denham.
The PMJA awards recognize the best work in public media journalism from across the country. Stations compete against others with similar-sized newsrooms. Overall, judges reviewed nearly 1,300 entries. The 2021 awards were announced Thursday.
WGLT public radio is an NPR member station licensed to Illinois State University and has been a part of the School of Communication since 1997. Over the decades, support from the University and the community has allowed WGLT to become a full service public radio station, serving a central Illinois audience approaching 30,000 listeners a week at 89.1 FM, as well as a growing digital presence with users all over the world via WGLT.org, social media channels, and NPR One app.
