April 23, 2014
The KCSN News team took home its 34th regional Edward R. Murrow Award from the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) for best newscast in small market radio.
KCSN won the award for the Nov. 18, 2013, episode of “The Evening Update” that aired on KCSN-HD2.
“The Evening Update” is KCSN’s nightly half-hour news program that airs at 6 p.m. The winning program was anchored by Faryar Barzin and covered several topics impacting the San Fernando Valley, Santa Clarita Valley and Los Angeles County, according to KCSN News Director Keith Goldstein.
Competitors for the region two Edward R. Murrow Awards include all professionally staffed radio stations in California, Arizona and Hawaii in both small and large markets.
Professor Linda Bowen, chair of the Journalism Department, said this award continues the tradition that includes dozens of other awards won by student journalists, including the recent Golden Mikes.
“The students compete against professional journalists,” Bowen said. “While many college-based public radio stations exist in the region, you won't hear students doing the news.”
Journalism Professor Julio Ortiz received the writer of the year award for large market television for his work for Univision 34 KMEX.
Ortiz won the award for his story, “Medalla de Deportacion,” or “Deportation Medal,” which covered the harsh reality of permanent resident veterans of the U.S. armed forces after they are deported to Tijuana, Mexico.
“I teach my journalism students at CSUN that anybody can film great video, anybody can ask a great question and anybody can find a great angle, but only a great news writer can blend the video, the question and the angle into a great story,” Ortiz said.
The Edward R. Murrow Awards have honored the best in electronic journalism since 1971, highlighting outstanding achievements in both regional and national broadcast journalism.
“Murrow’s pursuit of excellence in journalism embodies the spirit of the awards that carry his name,” RTDNA states. “Murrow Award recipients demonstrate the excellence that Edward R. Murrow made a standard for the electronic news profession.”
RTDNA is the world’s largest professional organization that exclusively serves the electronic news profession.