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KUNC Newsroom Wins Several Awards, Including National Edward R. Murrow Award

The KUNC newsroom won a slate of awards this year, including a prestigious national Edward R. Murrow Award from the Radio Television Digital News Association.

KUNC reporter Michael de Yoanna won a national Murrow Award for investigative reporting for his story on a Denver landlord who refused to rent a space to restaurant owners who are Muslims.

The story added context to a rising number of discrimination complaints filed with the Colorado Civil Rights Division.

“Our story received tens of thousands of hits from around the country, triggering an outpouring of support for the Muslim restaurant owners at their Curry N Kebob location in Boulder,” said de Yoanna.

The RTDNA also awarded regional Edward R. Murrow awards to the KUNC newsroom for Bente Birkland’s continuing coverage of sexual discrimination at the state Capitol.

Rae Ellen Bichell, who reports for the Mountain West Bureau, won a regional Murrow award for excellence in writing for her stories on monitoring streams, canyoneering and gerrymandering.

Bichell also won an award for her story“A Tour Of Public Lands: Canyoneering In Utah” from the Public Media Journalists Association (formerly PRNDI) in the Best Use of Sound category.

Water Reporter Luke Runyon was awarded by the Public Media Journalists Association for his work covering the Colorado River.

The Society of Professional Journalists awarded four KUNC reporters for their work, which includes: Stacy Nick’s reporting on Denver’s neon signs; Stephanie Daniel’s story on how rural Colorado school districts are getting creative to fill teacher shortages; Matt Bloom’s story looking at Jamestown five years after the 2013 floods; and Luke Runyon’s reporting on the Colorado River.

The Colorado Broadcasters Association recognized Stephanie Daniel with two awards for her work covering the opioid crisis in Colorado and a student walkout in protest of gun violence.

“The recognition of the consistent quality journalism by KUNC’s reporters and editors by our colleagues around the country is greatly appreciated.  All of us are deeply grateful for and humbled by the member support that makes our work possible,” said KUNC president and CEO Neil Best.

KUNC is a community-licensed public radio station, operated by Community Radio for Northern Colorado, Inc., a 501 (c) 3, Colorado non-profit organization. CRNC came into existence in the winter of 2001 when a group of community volunteers raised $2 million in 20 days to purchase KUNC's license from the University of Northern Colorado and preserve the station's independent voice.

Stories written by KUNC newsroom staff.