Blue Ridge Public Radio has been named a finalist in three award categories judged by the world’s largest digital journalism association, the Online News Association.
All three honors – in public service, breaking news and public engagement on social media – pertain to BPR’s coverage of Hurricane Helene, starting in September 2024. During the disaster, BPR’s news coverage stood as a lifeline to thousands of listeners, many of whom lost communication and access to information through other channels.
In September, BPR will join other news media professionals in New Orleans for the 2025 Online News Association annual conference (ONA25) and awards ceremony.
Finalists for the Knight Award for Public Service (funded by the Knight Foundation) are:
- Blue Ridge Public Radio for “Hell or High Water”
- The New York Times/The Baltimore Banner for coverage of Baltimore’s Overdose Crisis
- NBC News/Noticias Telemundo for “Dealing With The Dead”
- El Timpano for “Poisoned Pipes and Painted Walls: Oakland’s pervasive lead problem”
In the Excellence in Social Media Engagement (small newsroom) category, BPR is one of four finalists. Contenders include: Mississippi Today, Capital B, and Borderless Magazine.
During the awards ceremony on Sept. 12, judges will reveal the winner of these categories and other ONA honors.
Prior to the event, the winner of the breaking news award (small and medium newsroom category) will be announced. The Philadelphia Inquirer is also a finalist in that category for its coverage of the fatal medical plane crash that killed eight people on Jan. 31, 2025.
Being a finalist for multiple ONA awards is among the many honors BPR has received from industry groups in recent months. Just this month, BPR won two national Edward R. Murrow Awards from the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA), one of the most prestigious recognitions in broadcast and digital journalism. In July, the news station took home The Green Eyeshade journalism competition’s top award.
