State of the Re:Union, the public radio program created and hosted by Jacksonville artist Al Letson and presented by WJCT, has won a prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award for the second year in a row.
The awards were announced today by The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA). State of the Re:Union (SOTRU) was awarded in the news documentary category for the episode "The Hospital Always Wins."
The episode, produced by Laura Starcheski, takes listeners into the world of Issa Ibrahim, at artist who lives at Creedmoor Psychiatric Center, a state mental hospital in Queens, New York. The hour-long show explores mental illness, love, guilt and forgiveness, revealing both the brightest and the darkest parts of human nature.
"I'm incredibly proud of the work that Laura and the team put in to making this episode," said Letson.
"When Laura first told me about the story, I knew with her skill, heart, and grace that this story would be a special episode. She really brought it home."
The Edward R. Murrow Awards recognize work of the highest quality produced by radio, television and online news organizations around the world. The awards will be presented Oct. 6 at the New York Marriott Marquis in New York City.
State of The Re:Union won an Edward R. Murrow Award in 2013 for the episode "As Black As We Wish to Be," which told the story of a small town in the Appalachian foothills of Ohio where residents have shared the bond of identifying as African-American despite appearing white.
State of The Re:Union airs locally on WJCT-FM (89.9 FM) Thursdays at 1 p.m. and Saturdays at 3 p.m.
You can learn more about the show at StateoftheReUnion.com and you can stream the show live during local broadcasts at WJCTNews.org.
You can follow Patrick Donges on Twitter @patrickhdonges.
