WDET Receives 21 Excellence in Journalism Awards from the Society of Professional Journalists

The awards recognize coverage ranging from COVID-19 updates, to documenting protests against police brutality, to providing critical election and census information and a wide breadth of cultural coverage.

WDET has received 21 Excellence in Journalism awards from the Society of Professional Journalists Detroit Chapter.

The awards recognize coverage including COVID-19 updates, documenting protests against police brutality, providing critical election information, and sharing Detroit’s stories through a wide breadth of cultural coverage.


Community/Local News Reporting

Second Place: “Highland Park Residents Knock on Doors to Get People to Fill Out the Census” — Laura Herberg
Third Place:  “Grassroots Muslim Volunteer Effort Delivers Food to Metro Detroiters Doorsteps” — Laura Herberg


Consumer/Watchdog/Investigative Reporting

First Place: 2020 Voter Information Center — WDET


Education Reporting

Second Place: “Home For Weeks, Families Adjust to New Reality” — Laura Herberg, Sascha Raiyn


Environment Reporting

First Place: “Metro Detroit Reacts to ‘Green Ooze’ Contaminant With Humor, Concern” — Laura Herberg, Russ McNamara


Feature Reporting

Second Place: “The Art of Losing Someone” — Ryan Patrick Hooper


General News Reporting

Second Place: “The DIA Millage Is Up For Renewal. Here’s What Students, Seniors Who Benefit Think” — Laura Herberg
Third Place: “Tlaib vs. Jones: 13th Congressional Primary Pits ‘Squad’ Member Against City Council President” — Quinn Klinefelter
Fourth Place: “For Michigan Voters, Historic Election Is About the Man In the White House” — Quinn Klinefelter


Health Reporting

First Place: COVID Survivors Series — Laura Herberg
Second Place: “Homeless During COVID-19: ‘I Wash My Hands If I Can Find Water. I Don’t Want to Die.'” — Laura Herberg


News Special and Documentary

Second Place: Whitmer Kidnapping Plot Special — WDET News


Newscast

First Place: WDET News 6 a.m. 3/11/20 — Pat Batcheller
Second Place: WDET News 5 a.m. 6/1/20 — Pat Batcheller
Third Place: WDET News 5 a.m. 7/24/20 — Pat Batcheller


Racial Justice Reporting

Second Place: “‘Kneel With Us’: Four Nights In, Detroit Protestors, Police Fight For Narrative” — Eli Newman


Sports Reporting

Second Place: “Tigers Enter Spring Training With High Expectations for 2020” — Pat Batcheller


Spot or Breaking News Coverage

Second Place: Plot Discovered to Kidnap Governor Whitmer — WDET News


Digital Media Presentation

First Place: COVID Diaries — David Leins, Shiraz Ahmed, Meta Stange
Fourth Place: 2020 Voter Information Center — WDET


Engagement Driven Coverage

Third Place: As Census Wraps, These Michigan Women Won’t Let Their Communities Go Uncounted” — Sascha Raiyn, Nargis Rahman, Shiraz Ahmed


Social Media Strategy

Third Place: Great Lakes Now Facebook Watch Parties — Detroit Public Television with Annamarie Sysling


Related:
WDET Wins 10 Awards from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters
WDET Wins 15 Awards from the Michigan Associated Press Media Editors

Author

  • Meta Stange
    Meta Stange is the Digital Content and Engagement Manager for 101.9 WDET, overseeing the station's digital editorial content. She enjoys reading, making bad jokes, and hanging out with her dog, Salmon.