July 7, 2016

KMUW reporter reaches out to the homeless, wins national award

WSU News Services

  • KMUW reporter Abigail Wilson won a national Edward R. Murrow Award for her reporting on the relationship between the Wichita Police Department (WPD) and Wichita’s homeless community.
  • Wilson won a regional Murrow Award for that piece, along with her documentary “The Pieces That Remain.”
  • She recently won a Public News Directors Inc. national award as well.

KMUW-FM, Wichita Public Radio 89.1 FM was honored with three prestigious Edward R. Murrow Awards from the Radio Television Digital News Association for excellence in a four-state region in April.

Now, one of those awards has gone national.

Reporter Abigail Wilson, a 2015 Wichita State University graduate, earned a regional Edward R. Murrow Award in feature reporting for her story, “Reaching Out: The Ongoing Relationship Between the WPD and the Homeless.” The story competed against other regional Murrow Award winners from across the country and won the category at the national level.

 

“I've been in this business for a long time. I know how rare it is to win a Murrow at the national level.”
– Debra Fraser 

 

Wilson’s story follows the experience of Officer Nate Schweithale and Tex, a homeless man he befriends while working with a pilot program, the Homeless Outreach Team, in Wichita to address the nearly 600 chronically homeless people in the community.

“I’ve been in this business for a long time,” says KMUW General Manager Debra Fraser. “I know how rare it is to win a Murrow at the national level. Amid a lot of really great news and wonderful awards the station has been earning, this one really stands out.”

In addition to the national Murrow award, Wilson won a regional Murrow for her documentary on the WSU plane crash, “The Pieces That Remain.” She also garnered a National Gracie Award from The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation for the piece.

Most recently, she won a Public Radio News Directors Inc. national award along with KMUW Assistant News Director, Carla Eckels.

KMUW, WSU’s listener-supported public radio station, has been recognized as the Large Market Radio Station of the Year by the Kansas Association of Broadcasters for the last two years.

“Wilson’s accomplishment is incredible,” says Fraser. “Here at KMUW, we can all say, ‘We knew her when…’ It’s a privilege to have her talent and hard work recognized with this wonderful national award.”

KMUW is a 24/7 news and entertainment station, broadcasting from WSU Old Town at 121 N. Mead.