The Radio Television Digital News Association [RTDNA] awarded WGLT, Bloomington-Normal’s Public Media and part of the NPR Network, a national Edward R. Murrow Award. This is the station’s sixth National Murrow Award, having most recently won in 2015.
WGLT won the 2025 small market radio category for Investigative Reporting honoring “Where Orders of Protection Fail,” a series by Lauren Warnecke, Ryan Denham, and Charlie Schlenker.
In the series, the WGLT newsroom examined the structural challenges that exist in McLean County courts when victims try to protect themselves from their attackers. WGLT’s deep dive into orders of protection [OPs] revealed that OP filings are abundant and, in many cases, violators face few consequences. In fact, less than one-third of police reports filed led to a conviction or guilty plea. WGLT felt this was an issue of vital importance to the community that required a significant time investment from experienced journalists.
The RTDNA Edward R. Murrow Awards are among the most prestigious in broadcast and digital news. The RTDNA has been honoring outstanding achievements in electronic journalism with the Edward R. Murrow Awards since 1971. Award recipients demonstrate the spirit of excellence that Murrow set as a standard for the profession of broadcast and digital journalism. In the last 20 years, WGLT has amassed 40 Regional Murrow Awards and six National Murrow Awards.
The WGLT series on OPs previously won the 2025 Regional Murrow Award and advanced to the national competition.
“The WGLT newsroom is second to none, and this recognition is extremely well-deserved,” said WGLT Executive Director R.C. McBride. “Trusted journalism is under continuous attack. Public media has been defunded by Congress. Accolades like this are a timely reminder to stay focused on our public service mission providing our community with the highest quality news and programming that is freely accessible to all. We will not waver in this commitment.”
