WYPR’s Midday Receives Regional Edward R. Murrow Award
BALTIMORE—WYPR’s Midday has been honored with the Radio Television Digital News Association’s (RTDNA) 2020 Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for its October 18, 2019 broadcast memorializing Congressman Elijah E. Cummings, who had passed away the previous day at the age of 68.
Midday Host and Executive Producer Tom Hall, Senior Producer Rob Sivak, Producers Cianna Greaves and Kathleen Cahill and Director Luke Spicknall quickly set out to put together a broadcast that would illuminate Rep. Cummings’ extraordinary life and legacy, from his early career as a lawyer known for quiet diligence and generous mentoring, to his rise as the chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, where he was a tireless watchdog of the Trump Administration and an early leader in the House Impeachment inquiry.
“We are honored to receive this award, and we are grateful to the RTDNA Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards Committee for recognizing our work,” said Midday Host Tom Hall. “As we did when we reflected on the extraordinary legacy of Congressman Cummings last October, every day, we try to present diverse and erudite voices to inform and illuminate our community on the important issues of the day. Each and every day, we cherish the opportunity to help shape the public conversation about all the issues that matter to our region, our country and our world.“
Guests who joined Hall during the Oct. 18 program included Baltimore City Mayor Jack Young, civil rights icon and Congressman John Lewis (D.,Ga 5th, in a conversation recorded the day before the live broadcast), Representative Dutch Ruppersberger (D., Md 7th) and former Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen, as well as Rep. Cummings’ former law partner, Edward Smith, and veteran WBAL-TV investigative reporter Jayne Miller.
“The Midday team was able to capture and share the legacy of one of Maryland’s most beloved advocates with stories from those who knew him best,“ said WYPR General Manager LaFontaine E. Oliver. “Those who tuned in were included in an intimate gathering of friends and colleagues reminiscing about someone whom we all universally cherished. I’m so proud of the production staff for allowing us into that conversation and for providing that thoughtfulness and dedication with each show they broadcast.”
The RTDNA Edward R. Murrow Awards are among the most prestigious in broadcast and digital news, honoring news organizations that demonstrate the spirit of excellence that Murrow set as a standard for the profession of broadcast and digital journalism. Midday is one of 14 other regional recipients in its category advancing to the National Murrow Award competition. National winners of the award will be announced in June.
The award-winning program can be heard online at https://www.wypr.org/post/elijah-cummings-reflections-man-and-his-legacy.
Midday airs Monday through Friday from noon to 1:00 p.m. on 88.1 FM and streams through wypr.org. Hall and his guests talk about the latest news, local and national politics, education and the environment, popular culture and the arts, sports and science, race and religion, movies and medicine. For more information on Midday, visit: https://www.wypr.org/programs/midday. Midday can be found on Twitter at @MiddayWYPR.
