The WESA newsroom on Tuesday night was honored with multiple Golden Quill awards, presented by the Press Club of Western Pennsylvania. Kevin Gavin, host of The Confluence, was celebrated for his multiple decades in public radio news with the Service to Journalism award. Gavin has spent nearly 45 years in public radio — beginning at WDUQ — and has held various newsroom roles including news director, internship director and director of special news projects.
Land & Power, a podcast hosted by Margaret J. Krauss and edited by Liz Reid, received three honors: Excellence in enterprise/investigative audio journalism, documentary audio journalism and the Ed King Memorial Award for “best-of-show” in audio journalism. Land & Power is a five-episode podcast detailing the displacement of residents of East Liberty’s Penn Plaza apartment complex in 2015.
Additionally, the newsroom won seven awards for coverage social justice protests last summer, the economic impact of COVID on families, the 2020 election and other issues.
“I am extremely proud of and grateful to our newsroom team for this recognition by our peers in western Pennsylvania journalism,” said Executive Editor Cindi Lash. “It’s indicative of the strong work our reporters, editors, producers and hosts report and deliver every day to inform our listeners and readers — particularly in a time when credible, trustworthy journalism has never been more important for the communities we serve."
Here’s the full list of winners:
- Service to Journalism Award - Kevin Gavin
- Ed King Memorial Award for audio journalism - Margaret J. Krauss, Liz Reid - Land & Power
- Spot/breaking news - Kiley Koscinski, Katie Blackley, Liz Reid - "This is not a riot!" Hundreds march through East End, Beechview; Doctors protest in Oakland
- News feature - Kate Giammarise - "Just scraping by": Families in PA waiting on additional food stamps as court fight continues
- Profile - Ariel Worthy - A grieving mom is on a hunger strike at Freedom Corner. The Hill District has embraced her
- Documentary - Margaret J. Krauss, Liz Reid - Land & Power
- Public affairs/politics/government - Lucy Perkins - Can Biden win back support from Catholic Democrats in PA?
- Education - Sarah Schneider - Teachers are tackling the impeachment trial in a politically divisive climate
- Medical/health - Sarah Boden - Locked emergency rooms, no answers: Ellwood City still without hospital
- Lifestyle - Katie Blackley - Drive-ins find new life during the pandemic
- Enterprise/investigative - Margaret J. Krauss, Liz Reid - Land & Power
The Golden Quills competition honors professional and student excellence in print, broadcast, photography, videography and digital journalism in Western Pennsylvania and nearby counties in Ohio and West Virginia.