The Public Media Journalists Association named BPR’s Western North Carolina Rural Communities Reporter Gerard Albert III the first-ever Public Media New Voices Award recipient.
Albert, who joined BPR News in summer 2024 as a Report For America Corps member, took the lead on several important parts of the station’s recent Hurricane Helene coverage. The disaster struck as Albert entered just his third month on the job.
He spent many nights sleeping on the studio floor while providing critical information to listeners experiencing washed-out roads, downed power and cell lines and flooded homes and businesses, BPR News Director Laura Lee told PMJA in her nomination of Albert.
“Gerard blends a soft, patient, and approachable interview style with a tenacious and aggressive pursuit of truth,” Lee wrote. “His work on misinformation in the storm uncovered how a high-profile relief group misconstrued the death toll and rescue efforts for their own gain.”
The PMJA New Voices Award seeks to “celebrate rising stars who exemplify the values of public service journalism, excellence and innovative storytelling,” according to the organization.
This year, BPR picked up two PMJA’s top honors, with Lee being announced as Editor of the Year. Both Lee and Albert will be honored during PMJA’s annual conference and awards ceremony, being held in June in Kansas City.
Albert said he is honored and thankful to PMJA for “recognizing the work of young reporters who will have to navigate a career field whose future can, at times, seem dark.”
Prior to moving to Western North Carolina, Albert worked with WLRN Radio in Miami, where he earned national awards for his coverage of the Parkland shooter trial.
“My tenure in public radio has been marked by several tragedies, including the Marjory Stoneman Douglas school shooter trial and Hurricane Helene. Events like these shape communities, and it is the role of public radio to tell the stories and share the voices of those most affected with precise detail and genuine compassion,” Albert is quoted in a recent PMJA news release.
While covering Hurricane Helene, Albert taught himself data analytics skills to analyze FEMA housing data, producing an in-depth, comprehensive look at who accepted or rejected FEMA aid. He also showcased the personal stories of loss and resilience, interviewing displaced residents across the region, including in Spanish.
