RICHMOND, Va. -- WTVR CBS 6 was honored with the station's fourth National Edward R. Murrow Award in five years this week.
WTVR won in the small-market television category of News Documentary for "Reopen the Case: Center Street"when the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) announced the honors Thursday.
The investigation, produced in partnership with the nonprofit organization Reopen the Case Foundation, started with the November 2022 murder case of 17-year-old Cion Carroll. During this investigation, the team uncovered two more suspicious deaths and missing person cases dating back to 2020 in the small town of Lunenburg, Virginia.
While working with law enforcement, advocates and loved ones of victims to highlight these unsolved cases, three additional suspicious deaths in the county were revealed.
The winning work by Reporter Jon Burkett, Creative Services Director David Stotts, Assistant Creative Services Director Brandy Brown and the Reopen the Case Foundation ushered in potential leads for state and federal authorities.
Scripps News won two awards in the television network category. The documentary "In Real Life: Injected" won for Continuing Coverage after revealing that there is no uniform protocol in the U.S. for paramedics to administer the powerful ketamine sedative to patients during police encounters. The documentary guided viewers through a years-long examination of the use of ketamine by paramedics. Additionally, Scripps News won for Excellence in Innovation for "Russia's Ghost Fleet." The collaborative special report uncovered Russian vessels covertly exploiting international ports for Ukraine's resources in the spoils of war.
"These awards are evidence of Scripps' commitment – across our national and local newsrooms – to journalism that has true impact," Scripps President of News Kate O'Brian said. "For each of these investigations, Scripps News teams spent weeks, months and even years listening to people and their stories, combing through data and asking critical questions of those in power. Through persistence and courage, they've advanced our understanding of our world and brought critical information to light in their pursuit of truth."
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The Murrow Awards are among the most prestigious accolades in the news industry, celebrating local and national journalism that aligns with the RTDNA Code of Ethics, showcases technical prowess and underscores the significance and influence of journalism as a community service.
The honored work echoes the excellence that Edward R. Murrow established as the gold standard in broadcast news.
WTVR CBS 6 also won National Murrow Awards for News Series in 2023, Sports Reporting in 2022 and Overall Excellence in 2020.
Additionally, the South's First Television Station received eight Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards this year as well as bringing home 27 awards, the most of any station in Virginia, Washington DC or Maryland, from the Capital Emmys.
WTVR CBS 6 was also honored with the National Press Photographers Association medium market Station of the Year. It marked the tenth year in a row that WTVR was named station of the year or runner-up in that category.
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