KERA News collected a half-dozen trophies last weekend, these from the Houston Press Club's Lone Star Awards. That brings the station's total award haul this year to 21 -- including second place for best newscast among large stations nationally from the Public Radio News Directors Inc. Here's a rundown of the station's awards this year.
Lone Star Awards (a statewide competition sponsored by the Houston Press Club)
- Internet News/Feature Story (1st place): Eric Aasen and KERA Staff, 22 Days in November, the digital series leading up to the 50th anniversary of the JFK assassination.
- Radio Politics/Government (1st place): Shelley Kofler, The $97 Million Vote, a look at a water district election that had only a single vote – the son of a developer.
- Radio Politics/Government (3rd place): Shelley Kofler, Will Texas Reverse Decision, Provide Medicaid to 1.5 Million?
- Radio Use of Sound (2nd place): Lauren Silverman, Lyndsay Knecht and Sam Baker, Meet The Rockwall Man Who Plays Harmonica On "Timber," Pitbull and Ke$ha's Chart-Topping Song
- Radio Talk Show (3rd place): Think staff, What Makes A Hero?, a discussion after the murder of “American Sniper” Chris Kyle.
- Radio Series (3rd place): Lauren Silverman, Breakthroughs, which spotlights health/science/tech breakthroughs born in North Texas.
Public Radio News Directors Inc. Awards (a national competition among public radio stations)
- Best Newscast (2nd place) for Nov. 22, 2013: The 50th Anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s Assassination.
Edward R. Murrow Awards (Radio Television Digital News Association honors for the Texas-Oklahoma region)
- Newscast (1st place): KERA staff, the Nov. 22, 2013, local news segment reporting on that day’s JFK 50 commemoration in Dealey Plaza.
- Feature reporting (1st place): Lauren Silverman, “Young Adults With Autism Find Work In Tech,” Lauren’s story was also picked up nationally by Morning Edition.
- Use of sound: Lauren Silverman, Lyndsay Knecht and Sam Baker, “Meet The Rockwall Man Who Plays Harmonica On "Timber," Pitbull and Ke$ha's Chart-Topping Song.”
Texas Associated Press Broadcasters Awards (a statewide competition with commercial and public radio stations)
- Digital (1st place): KERA staff, KERANews.org.
- Spot News (2nd place): Bill Zeeble, ‘We Will Continue To Fight:’ Loved Ones Remember Slain DA And His Wife.
- Use of Actuality-Production (2nd place): Courtney Collins, Playing For Keeps: Jazz Legend Hands Out Trumpets and Responsibility.
- Feature, Light (2nd place): Lauren Silverman, Lyndsay Knecht & Sam Baker. Meet The Rockwall Man Who Plays Harmonica On "Timber," Pitbull and Ke$ha's Chart-Topping Song.
- Spot News (honorable mention): Courtney Collins, Nursing Home Employees Shield Residents from Blast, Pull People from Rubble.
- Continuing Coverage (honorable mention): KERA Staff, JFK 50th: Remembering John F. Kennedy.
Texas Medical Association Anson Jones, MD, Awards (a statewide competition with TV, radio and print; KERA won five awards in all, most of any media organization in Texas)
- Texas Health Journalist of the Year (1st place): B.J. Austin
- Texas Health Journalist of the Year (runner-up): Lauren Silverman
- Radio (1st place): Lauren Silverman, Threat of Hunger Looms Large for Texas Seniors.
- In-Depth Radio (1st place): Krys Boyd, Jeff Whittington, Stephen Becker, A Dose of Disparity
- In-Depth Radio (runner-up): Lauren Silverman, Measles Makes a Comeback in Texas