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WFAE Gets National Recognition for Randall Kerrick Trial Coverage

The Public Radio News Directors, Inc., recognized WFAE 90.7 FM’s coverage of the Randall Kerrick trial in its annual national awards competition. WFAE’s reporting won second place in the Division A, Breaking News category.

“Excellence in journalism is the necessary ingredient in any healthy democracy,” said Joe O’Connor, WFAE president and general manager. “I am so proud that WFAE’s newsroom is being recognized for its remarkable coverage of the Randall Kerrick Trial.”

WFAE’s “Randall Kerrick Hung Jury” included live special coverage as soon as the mistrial was declared, and stories that were produced that evening. Hosted by WFAE reporters Tom Bullock and Michael Tomsic, they interviewed legal experts and community leaders, while WFAE reporters Gwendolyn Glenn and Duncan McFadyen reported from inside and outside the courthouse. The follow-up stories produced that evening were packaged together in a segment anchored by McFadyen. The stories focused on the mistrial ruling and reaction (Glenn); reaction from the Fraternal Order of Police (Lisa Worf); churches that opened the evening of the mistrial (Sarah Delia), and the activism that took place that night (Bullock).

WFAE News Director Greg Collard said the coverage was the result of everyone in the newsroom together.

“This is truly a team award, both on and off the air,” said Collard. “It represents substantive, informative and thought-provoking journalism. I’ve never been more proud of a newsroom than on that day.”

The annual PRNDI Awards recognizes the very best public radio reporting in a variety of categories from Arts Reporting to Spot News. Division A is for stations that have between 8 and 15 full-time news staff members. WFAE recently moved into this division with increases in the number of reporters on staff.

In addition to receiving national recognition from PRNDI, WFAE’s coverage of the Kerrick trial also won a regional Edward R. Murrow award for breaking news coverage.

Celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2016, WFAE 90.7 FM is a non-profit public radio station, licensed to the University Radio Foundation Inc. With 90.3 FM in Hickory, 106.1 FM in Laurinburg and 93.7 FM in Southern Pines, WFAE serves over 200,000 weekly listeners with an award-winning lineup of local, national and international news, and weekend entertainment programs from NPR®, American Public Media, Public Radio International and Public Radio Exchange.