The KUNM news staff once more received numerous awards for radio coverage this year, covering work primarily produced in 2021. That included first place from the national Public Media Journalists Association, as well as regional awards from the Society of Professional Journalists Region 9 and statewide recognition from the New Mexico Press Women.
The stories and programs covered a wide range of issues, including the ongoing impacts of COVID, criminal justice, redistricting, government, grief and mental health and history. Several awards touched on the loss of Interim News Director Hannah Colton in late 2020 and the emotional impact of that and of the pandemic.
Public Media Journalists Association
— Audience Engagement Program – First Place;Let's Talk Youth & COVID: Back To (In-Person) School; Nash Jones
Society of Professional Journalists Region 9 – Top of the Rockies
—Mental Health News - First Place; No More Normal: Grief & TransformationPart 1 &Part 2; Marisa Demarco, Khalil Ekulona
— Politics Feature - First Place; No More Normal: How We Got Here, Marisa Demarco, Khalil Ekulona
—Science Feature - First Place; How maps influenced our ideas about Mars; Megan Kamerick
—Mental Health - Feature; Making Space for Grief Over The Holidays; Nash Jones
—Business News -Third Place;Pandemic pop-up to continue as Downtown Growers’ Market returns; Nash Jones
— Education Feature - Third Place;Students pitch in to make NM social studies standards more culturally relevant; Nash Jones
— Extended Coverage - Second Place;Redistricting Series; Nash Jones
— Legal News - Third Place;Chief Public Defender says lawsuit for pretrial GPS monitoring data goes too far &Bernalillo County DA talks about suing the court for ankle monitor location data Kaveh Mowahed & Taylor Velazquez
— Climate Reporting Package - Third Place; 'It's a lost art': Cooling down Albuquerque's streets in the face of climate change; Tree rings may hold secret to where wildfires spark in the Southwest; Global warming is causing bark beetles to kill more of the Southwest's forests; Bryce Dix
New Mexico Press Women
— Talk Show - First place;Let’s Talk essential undocumented workers; Yasmin Khan
— Special Programming - First Place;No More Normal: Remembering Hannah Colton; Marisa Demarco, Khalil Ekulona, Nash Jones
— Special Programming - Second Place;Former interpreter struggles to evacuate family from Afghanistan; Yasmin Khan
— Talk Show - Second Place;Let’s Talk about acknowledging the history of the land; Ty Bannerman
— Prepared Report - Second Place;Public Defender’s Office asks legislators for more money to hire more social workers; Kaveh Mowahed
— Talk Show - Third Place;Let’s Talk unemployment and the labor shortage; Kaveh Mowahed
— On-the-scene Report - Third Place;Democrat Stansbury celebrates special election win; Kaveh Mowahed
— Prepared Report - Third Place;Remembering the 1971 Chicano Rebellion; Yasmin Khan
— Interview - Third Place;How maps influenced our ideas about Mars; Megan Kamerick
— Prepared Report - Honorable Mention;Making space for grief over the 2021 holidays; Nash Jones
— Prepared Report - Honorable Mention;Teachers call on APS to stay remote, district delays decision; Nash Jones
— Interview - Honorable Mention; Vaccine town halls emphasize equity during Public Health Week; Kaveh Mowahed
