BPR News Director Laura Lee awarded top honor by Public Media Journalists Association
By Anna Douglas
May 6, 2025 at 4:14 PM EDT
This month, Blue Ridge Public Radio News Director Laura Lee won the 2025 Editor of the Year Award – the top recognition from the Public Media Journalists Association.
Lee, who led BPR News throughout Hurricane Helene, has been with the station since late 2023. Since joining BPR, Lee oversaw the expansion of the news staff to include five reporters; spearheaded the news division’s rapid adoption of innovative technology; and cultivated important philanthropic partnerships with key organizations such as Report For America and Grist.
Every year, PMJA asks newsrooms nationwide to nominate colleagues who foster “a culture of journalistic integrity, innovation, and collaboration within their station.”
Lee, after winning the award, said of all the ways the news team’s work is recognized by the public and within the industry, the PMJA honor was especially meaningful as the nomination is initiated by her own cadre of reporters.
BPR General Manager Ele Ellis pointed out that the news team – and the public across western North Carolina – are the beneficiaries of Lee’s leadership and outstanding journalism.
“Laura is an incredible editor every year, and I am so glad to see her recognized this year after the amazing work that she and the entire news team did in the wake of Hurricane Helene. BPR's listeners are impacted by Laura's great work every day,” Ellis said.
In nominating Lee, reporters from BPR wrote to PMJA:
“She has been a bold, tireless advocate for her team and a steady voice of truth in moments of crisis. That was never more evident than in 2024, when she led BPR’s news team through one of the deadliest disasters in Western North Carolina’s history … Laura ensured BPR reporters across the region were supported. She opened BPR’s doors to other journalists, helped launch a text-only website for accessibility, made the Voices of Helene podcast, added Spanish translations to news coverage and reshaped the station’s on-air format to serve a community in crisis — all while editing, mentoring, and leading coverage.”
Lee is a North Carolina native, a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and holds a master's degree from from the University of Maryland and a law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to joining BPR, she worked for NPR as a producer and booker. She later joined WUNC to manage The State of Things and has previously served as EdNC’s managing editor and news editor of Carolina Public Press.
PJMA’s Editor of the Year award will be presented in June during the organization’s annual conference, held this year in Kansas City.
Lee, who led BPR News throughout Hurricane Helene, has been with the station since late 2023. Since joining BPR, Lee oversaw the expansion of the news staff to include five reporters; spearheaded the news division’s rapid adoption of innovative technology; and cultivated important philanthropic partnerships with key organizations such as Report For America and Grist.
Every year, PMJA asks newsrooms nationwide to nominate colleagues who foster “a culture of journalistic integrity, innovation, and collaboration within their station.”
Lee, after winning the award, said of all the ways the news team’s work is recognized by the public and within the industry, the PMJA honor was especially meaningful as the nomination is initiated by her own cadre of reporters.
BPR General Manager Ele Ellis pointed out that the news team – and the public across western North Carolina – are the beneficiaries of Lee’s leadership and outstanding journalism.
“Laura is an incredible editor every year, and I am so glad to see her recognized this year after the amazing work that she and the entire news team did in the wake of Hurricane Helene. BPR's listeners are impacted by Laura's great work every day,” Ellis said.
In nominating Lee, reporters from BPR wrote to PMJA:
“She has been a bold, tireless advocate for her team and a steady voice of truth in moments of crisis. That was never more evident than in 2024, when she led BPR’s news team through one of the deadliest disasters in Western North Carolina’s history … Laura ensured BPR reporters across the region were supported. She opened BPR’s doors to other journalists, helped launch a text-only website for accessibility, made the Voices of Helene podcast, added Spanish translations to news coverage and reshaped the station’s on-air format to serve a community in crisis — all while editing, mentoring, and leading coverage.”
Lee is a North Carolina native, a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and holds a master's degree from from the University of Maryland and a law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to joining BPR, she worked for NPR as a producer and booker. She later joined WUNC to manage The State of Things and has previously served as EdNC’s managing editor and news editor of Carolina Public Press.
PJMA’s Editor of the Year award will be presented in June during the organization’s annual conference, held this year in Kansas City.