On Saturday, May 1, the news and programming teams at Boise State Public Radio were recognized for their excellence during the annual awards ceremony by the Idaho Press Club. The annual event recognizes the best in local reporting across categories such as newspapers, photography, periodicals, online and students. The Idaho Press Club is a statewide association of working journalists dedicated to excellence in journalism and freedom of information.
Boise State Public Radio took home 20 honors, including several within their journalism collaborations: the Mountain West News Bureau, Guns & America and Report For America. Reports from the newsroom and from the weekday public affairs program, Idaho Matters, were acclaimed by the judges.
The issues reflected by the awards include some of the major stories of 2020, including the station's reporting on the coronavirus pandemic, changes in policing, mental health and racial equity.
A complete list of all awardees can be found here.
General Excellence – Audio
1st – Gemma Gaudette, Samantha Wright, Frankie Barnhill, Molly Wampler, Troy Oppie – Boise State Public Radio, 91.5 FM – “Idaho Matters”
General News Report – Audio
2nd – James Dawson – Boise State Public Radio, 91.5 FM – “Ballot Initiatives Shutter in Idaho and the U.S. As Coronavirus Surges”
3rd – Rachel Cohen – Boise State Public Radio, 91.5 FM – “Blaine County Deals With Coronavirus Hot Spot as Other Rural Idaho Communities Prepare for the Worst”
Election Report – Audio
1st – Madelyn Beck – Boise State Public Radio, 91.5 FM – “Bloomberg Sets Sights on Mountain West”
2nd – James Dawson – Boise State Public Radio, 91.5 FM – “Ada Co. GOP Chair Used Party Funds on Private Expense, Allowed Questionable Audit”
Pandemic Report – Audio
1st – Madelyn Beck – Boise State Public Radio, 91.5 FM – “From Livestock Auctions To Packing Plants, COVID-19 Has A Big Impact On Beef”
2nd – Madelyn Beck – Boise State Public Radio, 91.5 FM – “Worsening Healthcare Crisis Forces Hospitals To Look Across State Borders”
3rd – Samantha Wright, Gemma Gaudette, Frankie Barnhill – Boise State Public Radio, 91.5 FM – “As Protesters Disturb Health Board Meeting, Idaho Doctors Fight Worsening Pandemic”
Spot News Report – Audio
2nd – Rachel Cohen – Boise State Public Radio, 91.5 FM – “Health District Abruptly Cancels Meeting After Protesters Show Up to Board Members’ Homes”
3rd – James Dawson – Boise State Public Radio, 91.5 FM – “Idaho House Republicans: Party On Amid Coronavirus”
Serious Feature Report – Audio
1st – Heath Druzin – Boise State Public Radio, 91.5 FM – “Where Help Is Far Away, Communities Are Taking It Upon Themselves To Tackle Suicide”
2nd – Heath Druzin – Boise State Public Radio, 91.5 FM – “Idaho Refugees’ Wartime Experience Helps Them Through COVID-19 Pandemic”
3rd – Rachel Cohen – Boise State Public Radio, 91.5 FM – “What the West Could Learn From Idaho’s Replenished Aquifer”
Light Feature Report – Audio
2nd – Troy Oppie – Boise State Public Radio, 91.5 FM –“Santa On A Screen? Just One of Many This Pandemic Holiday Season”
3rd – Troy Oppie – Boise State Public Radio, 91.5 FM – “Why Some Idaho Breweries Are Marking Up Beer Cans with Sharpies”
Interview – Audio
2nd – Gemma Gaudette, Frankie Barnhill, Samantha Wright – Boise State Public Radio, 91.5 FM – “Two Black Idaho Leaders Reflect On Police Violence: ‘The Boiling Point Has Been Hit’”
News Talk Show
1st – Gemma Gaudette, Frankie Barnhill, Molly Wampler, Samantha Wright – Boise State Public Radio, 91.5 FM – “Idaho Matters: June 2, 2020”
Public Affairs Program – Audio
1st – Gemma Gaudette, Frankie Barnhill, Samantha Wright – Boise State Public Radio, 91.5 FM – “In Overwhelmingly White Idaho, Here’s How (And Why) to Talk to Our Kids About Racism”
Use of Sound – Audio
1st – Troy Oppie – Boise State Public Radio, 91.5 FM – “Idaho Moviegoers Drive-In For A Night Out In Parma”
Best Multimedia Report
2nd – Arlie Sommer, Lacey Daley, Sasa Woodruff – Boise State Public Radio, 91.5 FM – “Expressive Idaho 2020”
