WGBH News Also Wins Boston / New England Emmy® Awards and Public Radio News Directors Inc. (PRNDI) Recognition

BOSTON – (June 18, 2019) --- Honoring outstanding achievement in investigative reporting, WGBH News and the New England Center for Investigative Reporting (NECIR) were recognized today with a National Edward R. Murrow Award for best Investigative Series, large market radio for the series “ The Business of Illicit Massage.”

Awarded by the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA), the Edward R. Murrow Awards honor outstanding achievement in broadcast and digital journalism, technical expertise and adherence to the RTDNA’s Code of Ethics.

The five-part series, reported by NECIR Senior Investigative Reporter Jenifer McKim and WGBH News Senior Investigative Reporter Phillip Martin, focused on the illicit massage industry in Massachusetts, concentrating on the websites that promote the practice and the rarely-heard stories of both sex buyers and prostituted women. The sustained attention generated by the series on the practice of using massage parlors as a front for prostitution prompted more focus on the issue by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office.

In addition to McKim and Martin, WGBH News Executive Producer Aaron Schachter and photographer Meredith Nierman were recognized for their efforts in the series as well.

“Truth, transparency and accountability are core values in the outstanding reporting that comes from WGBH News,” said Jon Abbott, president and CEO of WGBH. “We remain committed to investigative reporting, recognizing its importance to the health of our democracy and our community. I’m thrilled the Radio Television Digital News Association recognized the dedication of our news team and honored their work with this prestigious award.”

Today’s announcement of the National Edward R. Murrow award follows recent recognition for WGBH News at The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ 42nd Annual Boston / New England Emmy® Awards and the 2019 Public Radio News Directors Inc. (PRNDI) Awards.

WGBH received three Boston / New England Emmy® Awards, including an Interview/Discussion Emmy® for its media commentary program Beat the Press for the second year in a row for its 20th Anniversary Special; an Emmy® in the Program Host/Moderator Category for Jim Braude, Executive Editor and Host of WGBH’s Greater Boston; and an Emmy® in the Audio category for WCRB Classical Radio Boston’s lead engineer Antonio Oliart for his work on the WGBH Holiday Special “ ’Tis the Night with Ben Folds & Friends Ushers in the Holiday Season.”

The PRNDI Awards celebrate the best public radio reporting across the country in a variety of categories. At the awards ceremony on June 15, 2019, WGBH News reporter Craig LeMoult was recognized with a First Place award in the Nationally Edited Breaking News category for his report, “ Massachusetts Gas Leaks Set Off Series of Explosions,” about the Merrimack Valley gas explosions. WGBH News took second place in the Newscast category for its coverage on Morning Edition the day after the Merrimack Valley gas explosions. WGBH News host Callie Crossley was honored with a Second Place award in the Commentary category for “ The Smith College Incident is What Everyday Racisim Looks Like,” which addressed a white college employee who called the police on a black student eating lunch alone. WCAI, WGBH’s sister station on Cape Cod, earned Second Place in the Best Collaborative Effort category for their work with the Cape Cod Times on “ Are We Ready? – Huricane Preparedness.”

“Every day, the WGBH News team works to share the stories of importance with our community,” said WGBH News Director Kate Zachry. “We are proud to be recognized with these awards and look forward to continuing to earn the trust the public places in our work.”

About WGBH News
WGBH News is among the fastest growing local news providers in greater Boston and draws on the talent of a multi-platform newsroom that includes 89.7 WGBH, Boston’s Local NPR, television and digital reporting. The WGBH newsroom continues to invest in substantive local coverage and has established dedicated desks for innovation, higher education and politics as well as unique partnerships to expand on that commitment, including with WNYC’s The Takeaway, PRI’s The World, the New England Center for Investigative Reporting, and The GroundTruth Project.

About WGBH
WGBH Boston is America’s preeminent public broadcaster and the largest producer of PBS content for TV and the Web, including Frontline, Nova, American Experience, Masterpiece, Antiques Roadshow, Arthur, and more than a dozen other prime-time, lifestyle, and children’s series. WGBH also is a major supplier of programming for public radio and a partner with Public Radio International (PRI). As a leader in educational multimedia for the classroom, WGBH supplies content to PBS LearningMedia, a national broadband service for teachers and students. WGBH also is a pioneer in technologies and services that make media accessible to those with hearing or visual impairments. WGBH has been recognized with hundreds of honors: Emmys, Peabodys, duPont-Columbia Awards and Oscars. Find more information at www.wgbh.org.
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