PORTLAND, Ore. — KGW has won three awards in the 2021 RTDNA Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards. The prestigious competition recognizes outstanding journalism in thirteen geographical regions in the United States and one international region.
KGW, a part of TEGNA, Inc., competed in a northwestern U.S. region, which includes the five states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Alaska.
The work honored was in the following categories:
Excellence in Innovation:
KGW won for "The Story with Dan Haggerty", the station's weekday 6 p.m. show that engages its audience to be part of the conversation. The show launched in January 2020, with KGW anchor Dan Haggerty working with a broad newsroom team. This is the second year in a row KGW has received the top award for Innovation.
WATCH: The Story with Dan Haggerty
Excellence in Diversity:
KGW was honored for a special episode of the "Inside Woodlawn" series, entitled "No Time to Waste." Since the start of the 2019-2020 school year, KGW journalists have been closely following life in, and around, Woodlawn Elementary school, located in Northeast Portland. The series' lead contributors are investigative reporter Cristin Severance and photojournalist Gene Cotton. They were noted in the Murrow Award, as was Assistant News Director John Tierney, who has helped lead coverage of the ongoing series.
Excellence in Hard News:
KGW was honored for an in-depth story on one aspect of the devastating wildfires that struck Oregon in the summer of 2020. Investigative reporter Kyle Iboshi and photojournalist Gene Cotton explored how the Beachie Creek Fire turned into a destructive "megafire" and caused historic losses in the region.
All of the KGW entries automatically advance to the national Murrow competition. Winners of the national awards will be announced later in 2021, in advance of an October awards presentation.
“These honors recognize the unique content that we are sharing with our audience,” said KGW news director Greg Retsinas. “As a newsroom, we work every day to report the facts, find inspiring stories, and provide more context and nuanced perspectives across all of our platforms. We’re re-thinking what local news can be.”
“The Edward R. Murrow awards are some of the most prestigious awards in journalism. It is a true honor to be considered one of the top televisions stations nationwide,” said Steve Carter, KGW president and general manager. “Each day we take our responsibility to the community very seriously and we’re honored and humbled to be recognized with these awards.”
About KGW
KGW is the NBC affiliate in Portland, Oregon serving Oregon and Southwest Washington. KGW’s award-winning website, KGW.com, and its mobile app KGW News, provide breaking news, traffic and weather information to consumers on demand. KGW also operates a low-power station, KGWZ. KGW is owned and operated by TEGNA Inc. (NYSE: TGNA) a broadcasting, digital media and marketing services company. TEGNA and KGW serve the greater good of Oregon and Southwest Washington, across platforms, by telling empowering stories, conducting impactful investigations and delivering innovative marketing solutions. For more information, visit www.TEGNA.com.
