SPOKANE, Wash. -- The Radio Television Digital News Association announced its regional award winners on Tuesday and KREM 2 News was awarded three 2017 Edward R. Murrow Awards.
KREM.com won the award for Best Website. KREM Digital Director Samantha Kubota and the rest of the KREM 2 Digital Team worked hard to provide consistent, timely and reliable content for visitors throughout 2016-2017. KREM.com was acknowledged for their team coverage of the North Idaho pastor shooting and wildfire coverage, as well as feature reporting on a ghost tour of Spokane and Jeffrey Harrison, a local man who is Michael Jordan's number one fan.
KREM.com also won the regional award for Best Website in 2016, 2015 and 2013. In 2015, KREM 2 won the national Murrow for Best Website.
KREM 2 evening anchor Jane McCarthy and photographer Brett Allbery won the award for Hard News with their story “Heroin Rising: Rachel’s Story.” This story tells of one father’s hope that his daughter’s death from drugs will cause a change in Washington state laws.
KREM 2 Sports’ Evan Closky won the Murrow award for Excellence in Writing with a three-story composite entry. “Heart of an Ironman” highlights local athlete Amy Thorne and the physical, as well as mental challenge of running the extensive triathlon. Closky’s “It's Bigger Than Football” tells the story of Washington State University football’s Riley Sorenson, who suffered loss and extreme hardship, but was comforted by the support of his teammates. “What Local Sports Fans Should Be Thankful For” is a poetic reflection, written on Thanksgiving, on the wonderful sports community right here in the Inland Northwest.
All three of these winners will now move on to the national competition in June.
KREM 2’s sister stations in Seattle, Boise and Portland were also winners this year. KING 5 in Seattle won nine awards, KTVB in Boise won four and KGW in Portland won two.
