For Immediate Release
Friday, April 29, 2016
Contact: Jennifer Fuller, Associate Director, WSIU News & Public Affairs, (618) 453-6245, jennifer.fuller@wsiu.org; Jeff Williams, WSIU Radio General Manager, (618) 453-6170, jeff.williams@wsiu.org
WSIU Public Radio Wins Multiple Awards from Illinois Associated Press
Carbondale, IL – WSIU Public Radio, a public media service of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, is pleased to announce that staff members Brad Palmer, Producer, and Benjy Jeffords, Digital Media Production Specialist, have won multiple awards in the 2015 Illinois Associated Press Awards. Palmer and Jeffords were honored at an awards ceremony held at the Illinois News Broadcasters Association convention in Springfield, Illinois on Saturday, April 23.
Palmer, a 1991 graduate in Radio-Television at SIU Carbondale, won 2nd Place in the Best Sports Feature category for his story on new IHSA rules regarding high school football and concussions. Listen to the story online at http://news.wsiu.org/post/wsiu-infocus-high-school-football-begins-emphasis-concussions#stream/0.
Jeffords, a 2002 graduate of the SIU Carbondale Radio-Television program, won 2nd Place in the Best Videography (TV) and Best Hard News Feature (Radio) for his story on storm shelters built in southern Illinois, available online at http://news.wsiu.org/post/safe-sheds-above-ground-tornado-shelters - stream/0.
"Brad and Benjy work hard to take day-to-day issues and examine how they affect southern Illinois,” said Jennifer Fuller, Associate Director for News & Public Affairs at WSIU. “These projects are both great examples of the work WSIU's team is proud to present every day. To have this recognition just adds to WSIU’s long tradition of great journalism."
WSIU Radio General Manager, Jeff Williams, emphasized the value of the reporting staff’s contributions as an integral part of WSIU’s broader mission to improve the quality of life in the region. “Brad and Benjy’s work underscores the commitment that WSIU has to providing high quality local news content that provides both meaning and understanding,” said Williams. “Listeners benefit from their experience and knowledge.”
WSIU Radio has won numerous awards from the Illinois Associated Press over the past 20 years. In 2015, the station was named Station of the Year and won 1st Place in the “Best Newscast” category. In 2012, News & Public Affairs Director and Producer Jennifer Fuller was named the Best Radio Reporter in downstate Illinois.
About WSIU Public Broadcasting
WSIU Public Broadcasting is licensed to the Board of Trustees of Southern Illinois University and is an integral part of the College of Mass Communication & Media Arts on the Carbondale campus. The WSIU stations reach more than three million people across five states and beyond through three digital public television channels, three public radio stations, a radio information service, a website, and an education and community outreach department.
WSIU's mission is to improve the quality of life of the people they serve. The WSIU stations partner with other community organizations to promote positive change and to support the academic and public service missions of Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Learn more and get the latest station news online at wsiu.org and on WSIU's Facebook and Twitter pages.
WSIU's programs and services are partially funded by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.
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