KOSU, StateImpact Oklahoma and Focus: Black Oklahoma picked up 25 awards from the Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists, Professional Chapter for stories that aired during 2022.
KOSU reporters won a wide array of awards for stories on a multitude of topics including state politics, Indigenous affairs and water issues.
Longtime Morning Edition host Michael Cross was named top ‘Radio Outstanding Host’ for 2022.
In the ‘Radio Outstanding Discussion Program’ category, KOSU’s This Week in Oklahoma Politics took first place thanks to the work of Cross, and panelists Neva Hill and Ryan Kiesel. In that same category, the StateImpact Oklahoma team of Catherine Sweeney, Logan Layden, Robby Korth and Beth Wallis received honorable mention for their conversation recapping the 2022 midterm election.
In the ‘Radio Outstanding News Story’ category, KOSU Indigenous affairs reporter Allison Herrera took first place, while former KOSU rural affairs reporter Xcaret Nuñez took second.
- Herrera: 'It was 12 years of hell': Indian boarding school survivors recount painful memories
- Nuñez: Rural Oklahoma needs more veterinarians, but low pay and student debt make choice difficult
Focus: Black Oklahoma won first place for 'Radio Outstanding Documentary.' Judges were complementary of the podcast, saying, "Strong conversations make for a very compelling program."
In the ‘Radio Outstanding Feature’ category, Nuñez won first place for a story about agritourism. Then-StateImpact education reporter / current KOSU News Director Robby Korth won both second place and an honorable mention for features about a Yukon graduation ceremony and an alumni event for graduates of Northeast High School in Oklahoma City.
- Nuñez: Farms welcoming tourists now make up a $1 Billion industry of corn mazes and pumpkin patches
- Korth: Before getting their diplomas, these Yukon High School seniors go back to elementary school
- Korth: Alumni gather at Oklahoma City’s old Northeast High School to honor 1970 student activism
In the ‘Radio Outstanding Investigative Reporting’ category, KOSU and StateImpact won several awards. KOSU’s Graycen Wheeler took first place for her story about water in Altus. Judges said of Wheeler's reporting, "This story showed direct impact as illustrated by the color of the water instead of told us that there was an issue." In that same category, Korth took home third, and StateImpact’s Beth Wallis received an honorable mention.
- Wheeler: After a month of yellow drinking water, Altus officials say they’ve addressed high manganese concentrations
- Korth: How property tax protests are hurting Oklahoma schools
- Wallis: What more can be done to save the Lesser Prairie Chicken?
The ‘Radio Outstanding Online Reporting’ was a clean sweep for KOSU. Wheeler and Herrera won first and second place for stories they did about Altus water and a fact check of Gov. Kevin Stitt, respectively.
- Wheeler: After a month of yellow drinking water, Altus officials say they’ve addressed high manganese concentrations
- Herrera: FACT CHECK: Oklahoma Gov. says convicted drunk driver could go free
In the ‘Radio Outstanding extended form news story or series,’ KOSU and StateImpact swept the category, with former StateImpact reporter Catherine Sweeney winning first place, KOSU’s Herrera winning second place, Wallis winning third place and KOSU’s Korth and Kateleigh Mills taking an honorable mention.
- Sweeney: The Adderall shortage has made its way to Oklahoma
- Herrera: Coverage of Castro-Huerta
- Wallis: Sustaining Sustainability: The waste problem in Oklahoma’s cannabis industry
- Mills & Korth: Youth in Conversation
In the ‘Radio Outstanding Editing Audio’ category, StateImpact’s Wallis won first place for a story about nuclear waste. Second place went to Herrera for her story about Indian Boarding Schools.
- Wallis: Where should we put our country's nuclear waste? StateImpact Oklahoma goes underground to find out
- Herrera: 'It was 12 years of hell': Indian boarding school survivors recount painful memories
In the Radio Outstanding Use of Sound category, KOSU’s Wheeler won second place for her work related to water in Altus.
In the ‘Radio Outstanding Interview’ KOSU’s Mills and Matthew Viriyapah won second place for their StoryCorps One Small Step project.
- Mills & Viriyapah: One Small Step: Terri and Emily
KOSU also won second place for ‘Radio Outstanding Newscast’ for the September 26 newscast featuring Cross, Herrera, Korth and Wheeler.
StateImpact reporters Wallis and Korth took home second and third place, respectively, for “Radio Outstanding Reporter Portfolio.”
KOSU has won more than 170 awards from Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists, Professional Chapter since 2011.
