The truth is, most of us are your average, humble Minnesotans (long “O” of course). So when it comes to tooting our own horn - well, we tend to shy away.
But today, we can’t do that. Today we’re honored, and yes humbled too. It’s not every day that you receive such recognition from the peers in your industry.
WCCO Radio was awarded two National Edward R. Murrow Awards from the RTDNA (Radio Television Digital News Association), some of the highest honors broadcast journalists can achieve. The awards cover stories from 2021. The nominees for the national awards come from a group of regional winners. The competition isn’t just stiff, it’s all deserving of victory. This is already the best of the best.
The first is for WCCO’s Continuing Coverage of the shooting of Daunte Wright by Brooklyn Center Police Officer Kim Potter, the ensuing protests and riots that took place outside the police station, and eventually the trial and conviction of Potter.
The first second award is for Large Market Newscast of the Year for WCCO’s Drivetime News (6pm on April 21, 2021) which was hosted by Adam Carter, and features the work of the entire newsroom. That newscast featured the initial reactions to the shooting of Wright.
In April of 2021 during a traffic stop, Brooklyn Center Police Officer Kim Potter shot Daunte Wright after mistakenly drawing her firearm instead of her Taser. Over the next several days, protests and riots took place in Brooklyn Center in a repeat of the George Floyd protests. Meanwhile, Potter faced manslaughter charges and was found guilty in December.
It was another stark reminder of the volatile issues of social injustice in the Twin Cities and across the country, something we’ve become all too familiar with in the last two-plus years.
We don’t celebrate the circumstances of these stories. But we do celebrate the fine work of our journalists, show hosts and producers in bringing this important story to the community of the Twin Cities, all of Minnesota, and with these two awards the entire country.
You can listen to each of the award entries here:
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