Gray Media announced today that the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) awarded eight National Edward R. Murrow awards for excellence in journalism to five local stations and Gray’s national investigative unit, InvestigateTV.

• The national award for Overall Excellence in the small market category went to WRDW in Augusta, Georgia.

• Gray earned two national awards for Hard News reporting. At the national network level, InvestigateTV, in partnership with ProPublica, was honored for an investigative series called “Railroaded,” which exposed the dangers created by trains stalled on railroad crossings nationwide.   The large market local station award went to WANF in Atlanta, Georgia, for a report called “Shoot the Hostage,” which revealed how law enforcement may be allowed to shoot a hostage without facing liability.

• Gray also earned two national awards for Investigative Reporting. WANF Atlanta was again awarded in the large market local station category for “In ‘Plane’ Sight,” an undercover investigation of Drug Enforcement Task Force Agents searching innocent passengers at airport gates, looking for cash and keeping the money they seized.   The small market local station award went to WSAZ in Charleston-Huntington, West Virginia, for “The Secret Next Door”—the surprise construction of a home for the criminally ill in a residential neighborhood.

• WAFB in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, won the national award for News Series in the small market category.   “The Brave Cave” exposed an unauthorized interrogation facility used by local police.

• The national Podcast award in the large market category was earned by WSMV in Nashville, Tennessee, for “Monster Coming Out,” an investigation of a long-haul truck driver suspected of being a serial killer.

• WANF Atlanta picked up a third national award in the large market category for its Digital/Online Coverage, “Shielded”—a four-part investigative series into special treatment for police officers suspected of committing violence against their own families.

“We are honored by these awards and proud of the recognized news teams who exemplify our company’s culture of excellence and commitment to the viewers we serve,” said Gray Chairman and CEO Hilton H. Howell Jr.

“At Gray, we create content that makes an impact and celebrate journalism that makes a difference in our communities,” Gray’s Chief Operating Officer Sandy Breland said.   “Congratulations to all of our honored newsrooms.”

In May, RTDNA awarded a combined 78 2024 Regional Edward R. Murrow awards for excellence in journalism to 35 of Gray’s local stations.   RTDNA has been honoring outstanding achievements in electronic journalism with the Edward R. Murrow Awards since 1971.