MPR News wins Two National Awards from the Society of Professional Journalists for "Betrayed by Silence"

Apr 24, 2015

(St. Paul, Minn.)--April 24, 2015--Minnesota Public Radio News today received two national awards for "Betrayed by Silence", its investigative reporting on the clergy sex abuse scandal in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. In addition to receiving the George Foster Peabody Award this week, "Betrayed by Silence" received two Sigma Delta Chi awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, one for its documentary and one for its online investigative reporting.

The Sigma Delta Chi awards cap an outstanding week for MPR News. Yesterday, it won four regional RTDNA Edward R. Murrow awards. The documentary "Betrayed by Silence" was one of the four award winners. Other regional Murrow award winners include host Cathy Wurzer and producer Jim Bickal for feature reporting on their series "Bruce Kramer: Living with ALS"; reporter Tom Scheck for investigative reporting around secret accounts that paid for clergy misconduct; and MPRNews.org for its website.

About MPR News:

MPR News has long been recognized as one of the foremost journalistic organizations in the Upper Midwest, reaching news consumers across all platforms. Reaching more than 500,000 listeners each week, the MPR News radio signal can be heard by 95 percent of Minnesotans, it distributes stories daily to 35 newspapers statewide, shares news coverage with KARE 11 - Minnesota's largest television station -and has news bureaus around the state and in Washington, D.C. More at mprnews.org. Source: Data are copyright Nielsen Audio. Data are estimates only.

About the Sigma Delta Chi Awards:

The Sigma Delta Chi Awards date back to 1932, when the Society first honored six individuals for contributions to journalism. The current program began in 1939, when the organization awarded the first Distinguished Service Awards. These awards later became the Sigma Delta Chi Awards.

The awards recognize the best in professional journalism in categories covering print, radio, television, newsletters, art/graphics, online and research. The contest is open to any U.S. media outlet.

About the RTDNA Edward R. Murrow Awards:

The awards recognize the best electronic journalism produced by radio, television and online news organizations around the world. This year, RTDNA awarded 673 regional Edward R. Murrow Awards in 14 categories, out of an all-time record of more than 4,200 entries, including Overall Excellence, Breaking News, Investigative Reporting, and Website.

Regional winners automatically advance to the national Edward R. Murrow Awards competition, which will be judged in May. National awards, including those for network news organizations, will be presented at the RTDNA Edward R. Murrow Awards Gala at Gotham Hall in New York City on October 12.

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