19-05-2025
KXAN wins 5 regional Edward R. Murrow awards, most in Texas
AUSTIN (KXAN) — KXAN won five regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, more than any other station in Texas, the Radio Television Digital News Association announced Monday.
The Edward R. Murrow Awards, named after the famed broadcaster, are prestigious awards that honor 'outstanding achievements in broadcast and digital journalism.' RTDNA has given out these awards since 1971.
KXAN received awards in the Digital, Excellence in Innovation, Excellence in Video, News Series and Podcast categories.
Regional winners advance to the national competition, whose winners are announced in August.
Excellence in Innovation and Podcast: KXAN's project 'A Hanging on Backbone Creek' was recognized for its Excellence in Innovation while the accompanying podcast won in that category. The investigation delved into the mysterious death of a quiet, young girl that haunts the town of Marble Falls, Texas, nearly 60 years after her body was discovered hanging by a jump rope in a shed behind her family's home along Backbone Creek. Quickly ruled an accidental strangulation by a local justice of the peace, questions linger not only about this case and others nearby — but also an antiquated process still used in most Texas counties, giving certain elected officials the power to determine cause and manner of death with scant training and often without autopsies or forensic expertise. KXAN investigates efforts underway to strengthen and modernize this system, as our discoveries also reveal potential gaps in its oversight and prompt a new review of the last day Daynon Lewis was alive.
Excellence in Video: The video for KXAN's coverage of 'A Fatal Fall: The Treysuhr Carter mystery' was recognized for its Excellence in Video. The investigation explored what happened the night Treysuhr Carter was found lying in the road, and her family's insistence that she didn't accidentally fall off her push scooter. Police initially closed her case, but after KXAN investigated, the medical examiner's office amended its report, and police said they would review her case.
News Series: KXAN's initial 'Preventing Disaster' project — and continuing coverage that has led to changes — was recognized in the News Series category. When a car slammed into an Austin emergency room in early 2024, killing the driver and injuring five others, KXAN investigators dug into the safety concerns surrounding a hospital without security barriers at its entrance. Our team traveled to dozens of hospitals across Central Texas, analyzed similar crashes across the state and broadened the scope of our research nationwide. We discovered hundreds of crashes at medical centers in the last decade, and also learned there is no legal requirement or industry standard for security barriers that could stop them from happening.
Digital: The digital category recognized KXAN's investigative work on including the following projects:
A Hanging on Backbone Creek
Preventing Disaster
A Fatal Fall: The Treysuhr Carter Mystery
Austin Stitched Together
The Untouchables
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