KBIA has been honored with two National Headliner Awards.
As it described on its website, “Founded in 1934 by the Press Club of Atlantic City, the National Headliner Awards program is one of the oldest and largest annual contests recognizing journalistic merit in the communications industry.”
There are no class sizes in the competition, So KBIA competed against every other radio station that entered, including major market stations like WNYC and WBEZ.
KBIA took third place in two categories:
Third Place in “Radio stations documentary or public affairs” for Mizzou at a Crossroads.
Third place in “Radio stations news series” for An Uncertain Road: Life after Premature Birth
“Mizzou at a Crossroads” is an in-depth analysis on the history of race relations at MU, the efforts to start conversations about race on campus, the process behind hiring former University of Missouri System President Tim Wolfe, and an overview of what might be in store for the future of UM leadership. Every professional member of the KBIA news staff contributed reporting to the project, and it was a true “teaching hospital” project, as University of Missouri students worked alongside out professional reporters on this in-depth report. Graduate student Guimel Sibingo co-reported part three of the series, and students Emerald O’Brien, Ryan Levi and Rodney Davis also contributed to reporting. Other students also assisted with production tasks on the project.
“An Uncertain Road: Life after Premature Birth” was a series by KBIA reporter Rebecca Smith, who is one of two reporters on the KBIA Health and Wealth Desk. Her series explored the nuanced reality of premature birth through compelling stories of Missouri families who have been through the experience, including her own family.
Both series were published online using an interface created by KBIA’s digital content director Nathan Lawrence.
This is the first time KBIA has won a Headliner Award.
