| The WUSF News team also collects six first-place awards and 10 finalist recognitions among Florida’s commercial and public media broadcasters |
| TAMPA, Fla. (June 3, 2021) – The Florida Association of Broadcast Journalists, FABJ, has named WUSF Public Media the “Station of the Year” in the radio division for 2020, citing exceptional work in broadcasting, digital news and podcasting by WUSF journalists amid a year of pandemic upheaval and social unrest. In all, WUSF won 17 awards – the most ever for the station – and the station’s first-ever “Radio Station of the Year” award for a wide range of news projects, public affairs shows and feature programming. “I am tremendously proud of our journalists, editors and interns for their dedication and excellence,” said WUSF General Manager JoAnn Urofsky. “The residents of Florida had the best in-depth news and information so they could make critical decisions for themselves and their families, and that is what the professionals of this station provided.” |
 Reporter Stephanie Colombini collecting stories for WUSF Public Media. Photo by Daylina Miller/WUSF Public Media. |
| The team collected six other first-place awards and 10 finalist recognitions in this year’s contest. The FABJ is a not-for-profit organization of professionals in commercial and public television and radio stations, as well as those at college-level journalism operations. |
 Reporter Cathy Carter collecting stories for WUSF Public Media.Photo by Daylina Miller/WUSF Public Media. |
| The honor is especially significant coming after a difficult year, with newsroom reporters, editors and producers working remotely since mid-March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. “The team never stopped,” said News Director Mary Shedden. “We kept our focus on reporting how the virus, racial unrest and the contentious political season were affecting people in the greater Tampa Bay region.” |
 Reporter Bradley George collecting stories for WUSF Public Media.Photo by Daylina Miller/WUSF Public Media. |
| WUSF won these awards on the heels of another recent award announcement: three Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, recognizing the extraordinary work of reporters, producers, hosts and editors who bring news and information to this region. |
 Reporter Kerry Sheridan collecting stories for WUSF Public Media.Photo by Daylina Miller/WUSF Public Media. |
| In addition to station-wide awards, the FABJ honored Health News Florida Reporter Stephanie Colombini in the individual reporting category as a finalist. She also won two first-place, and two finalist awards for individual stories. FABJ First Place Honors include:Overall Station of the Year, Radio Statewide: WUSFGeneral Assignment: Two Candidates, One City: Sights and Sounds from the Trump and Biden Campaign Appearances In Tampa (Stephanie Colombini, Steve Newborn)General Assignment, Long: Racial Tensions Escalate in New Port Richey as Protests Continue (Stephanie Colombini)Education reporting, Single Story: He Learned a Mayan Dialect to Speak To The Children Of Migrant Farmworkers. Now He Delivers Them Food (Kerry Sheridan)Health Reporting, Single Story: Health Workers Bring COVD-19 Testing To Pinellas County’s Black Community (Stephanie Colombini)Political, Government, Election Reporting, Single Story: Women For Trump Focus On The Future, Not The Past (Steve Newborn)Political, Government, Election Reporting, Station: Elections Coverage 2020 (Steve Newborn, Bradley George, Cathy Carter) FABJ Finalist Honors include: Reporter: Stephanie ColombiniSeries Franchise, Light: Surviving COVID-19 (Stephanie Colombini)Feature Reporting, Light: With Visits Still Banned At VA Nursing Homes, Families And Veterans Try To Cope With Separation (Stephanie Colombini)Consumer, Financial, Economic Reporting: Tampa Bay Businesses React to 2020 Pandemic, Racial Reckoning (Daylina Miller, Julio Ochoa, Bradley George)Best Radio Newscast: All Things Considered: March 10, 2020 (Lisa Peakes, Mark Schreiner) Digital Programing: The Zest Podcast (Dalia Colon)Environmental Reporting, Series: Tampa Bay Aquafarmer Hopes To Cash In On Florida’s Growing Oyster Industry (Jessica Meszaros)Use of Sound: Keeping Tradition of Circus Music Alive (Kerry Sheridan)Public Affairs: Tampa Bay’s Small Music Venues Struggle With No End In Sight (Dinorah Prevost, Bradley George)Online, Web, Digital: wusfnews.org (Carl Lisciandrello and News Team) |
| Media Contact:Richard Mullins rmullins@tuckerhall.com O: 813.228.0652 x1127 M: 813-992-8139 About WUSF Public MediaWUSF Public Media is a comprehensive media organization that serves the community and businesses through public broadcasting, digital resources and multi-media production services. Licensed to the University of South Florida, WUSF Public Media has been serving the public interest through programming, educational engagement and community partnerships for 58 years. For more information, visit www.wusf.org. |