KSAT is honored to be recognized by the Radio Television Digital News Association Edward R. Murrow Awards for our special digital project “One Year In: Uvalde.”
The awards are among the most prestigious in broadcast and digital news, honoring outstanding electronic journalism since 1971.
“Award recipients demonstrate the spirit of excellence that Murrow set as a standard for the profession of broadcast and digital journalism,” the organization states.
The project was dedicated to telling the story of the Uvalde community one year after a tragedy changed its identity forever. KSAT 12 interviewed survivors and families of victims from the Robb Elementary School shooting as well as policymakers and residents.
Our newsroom's continued commitment to Uvalde is showcased in this special, award-winning interactive website- https://t.co/AxPdDuRie0 pic.twitter.com/yQjDUKpNFH
— KSAT 12 (@ksatnews) June 4, 2024
This recognition is in addition to other awards KSAT has been honored with for continued coverage of Uvalde, including:
- Best Multimedia/Digital Storytelling from the Texas Association of Broadcasters
- Silver Showcase Award for Enterprise and Innovation in Journalism in the Storytelling category from the Texas Headliners Foundation
- Lone Star Emmy, News Special
- General-News & Feature: One Year In: Uvalde Special from Telly Awards
- Digital-News & News Feature: One Year In: Uvalde
‘We put our heart and soul into this project’
Some of the members of the project team shared what the award meant to them.
“This project was more than just an assignment for our team. Our commitment to ‘Remember Their Names’ drove us to put together this memorial to the 21+1 and safe space for the families and our neighbors in Uvalde who are still healing,” said Andrew Wilson, digital journalist at KSAT.
“We put our heart and soul into this project, because the victims, survivors and people of Uvalde deserve the best storytelling. As we approach May 24, this award should again remind us of how important our job is,” said Rebecca Salinas, digital journalist at KSAT.
“When we committed to keep covering the tragedy at Robb Elementary, we made it with the intention to get to know the families most impacted and how this would change Uvalde as a whole. For more than a year, we grew to love the 21 families, and the survivors from classrooms 111 and 112. The bonds that we formed will last a lifetime and it’s an incredible honor to have that work recognized in this way. Our hope is that by continuing that promise we made on May 24, 2022, we can keep the memories of those taken alive. Remember their names,” said Leigh Waldman, former reporter at KSAT.
“Winning this award gives a form of validation for the work we have done in Uvalde, I am proud of the small group of people who shared a common love and compassion for these families. We love them, we love their fight for change, and we love how strong they are. Remember the names of those lost and remember the dreams they had. They will always be names to stand for,” said Gavin Nesbitt, photojournalist at KSAT.
“This piece was put together by a team dedicated to sharing the stories of the families in Uvalde who have suffered incredible pain and loss. This is the work I’m proudest of and I hope it continues to help in their mission to make sure we always remember their names,” said Valerie Gomez, video editor at KSAT.
“I am honored to be part of the team that put this project together. While design played a role, the dedication and sensitivity of the journalists who worked on this truly deserve the recognition. Our hearts are with the victims of the tragedy we covered, and we hope our work contributes positively to their memory and the ongoing dialogue surrounding such events,” said Henry Keller, graphic artist at KSAT.
“The tragedy and its aftermath were heartbreaking to cover. Uvalde and these families will stay with us forever,” said Stephania Jimenez, anchor at KSAT.
“We made a commitment on our newscast the day of the Robb Elementary Tragedy to focus on and remember those innocent lives lost that day. This was a huge part of that effort and I’m honored the effort was recognized. Edward R. Murrow is a hero of mine and as great as it is to be recognized in his name, I accept the award in the name of the 21 lost at Robb,” said Steve Spriester, anchor at KSAT.
“The journalists in our newsroom have displayed integrity, professionalism and thoughtfulness in the coverage of this tragedy. This award exemplifies our dedication to serving the community with the best journalism we can produce on all platforms,” said Kolten Parker, digital executive producer at KSAT.
“Reporting on the tragedy in Uvalde has been some of the most difficult and important work we’ve done as a station,” said Mario Orellana, KSAT 12 news director. “This project marks a year of teamwork and innovation, and it showcases the multi-platform, community-focused reporting that KSAT prides itself on.”
‘Remember Their Names’
- Tess Mata
- Jacklyn Cazares
- Uziyah Garcia
- Amerie Jo Garza
- Xavier Lopez
- Annabell Guadalupe Rodriguez
- Makenna Lee Elrod
- Jayce Carmelo Luevanos
- Eliahna “Ellie” Garcia
- Alexandria “Lexi” Rubio
- Layla Salazar
- Eliahana Torres
- Rojelio Torres
- Jaliah Nicole Silguero
- Alithia Ramirez
- Jose Flores Jr.
- Maranda Mathis
- Maite Rodriguez
- Nevaeh Alyssa Bravo
- Eva Mireles
- Irma Garcia
About KSAT 12:
KSAT12 is San Antonio’s #1 rated news station, owned and operated by Graham Media Group. KSAT12 is one of the top ABC affiliates in the country and delivers breaking local news and information 24 hours a day. By delivering more news and information than any other station in town, KSAT12 is set apart from the competition. The KSAT team is known for an aggressive reporting style in our top-rated newscasts and for a daily, fast-paced lifestyle program, “SA Live”, that is number one in the market.
About Graham Media Group:
Graham Media Group is comprised of seven local media powerhouses, plus Graham Digital, Omne and Social News Desk – all delivering local news, programming, advertising solutions and digital media tools for television, online, mobile, streaming, podcasts and audio devices. We are dynamic, local brands that extend well beyond traditional broadcast television. Our work helps inform, celebrate and knit together the communities we serve. Headquartered in Detroit, GMG operates in four states: KPRC–Houston, WDIV–Detroit and WSLS–Roanoke (NBC); KSAT–San Antonio (ABC); WKMG–Orlando (CBS); WJXT–Jacksonville (fully local), and WCWJ–Jacksonville (CW). Graham Digital is a digital media and technology development group widely recognized as a top industry innovator. Omne is a leader in results-driven marketing solutions. Social News Desk provides its 2500+ worldwide newsroom-customers with a single dashboard to publish, measure, curate and monetize local news content on social platforms. Graham Media Group is a subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC).