KQED News Wins Big at the Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards

The station receives seven awards across a range of categories

KQED News is honored to win seven 2025 regional Edward R. Murrow Awards from the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA). The Murrow awards annually recognize the most outstanding journalism from broadcast and digital news organizations across a breadth of categories. Each of the regional winners are now entered into consideration for the National Murrow Awards, which will be announced in August. 

Mark Nieto’s inspiring coverage of ultramarathoner Hebah Hefzy, the first hijab-wearing athlete to compete in the 100-mile Western State Endurance Run (WSER), was awarded the Murrow for Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Focusing on Hefzy’s experience, Nieto also investigated some of the barriers that make running races like the WSER inaccessible to people from underrepresented communities like hers.

KQED News’ reporting in “The Last Days of the Oakland A’s” won the Murrow for Continuing Coverage. The contentious departure of the A’s from Oakland has been a topic in our community for well over a decade, with KQED extensively covering the saga since 2011. The winning entry focused on the perspectives of local A’s fans processing the departure of their beloved baseball team. It includes reporting about the announcement of the A’s temporary move to Sacramento and the team’s emotional final home game at the Oakland Coliseum. The coverage was made possible by editors Alexander Gonzalez and Ted Goldberg and producer Nina Thorsen, with news anchors Ariana Proehl, Ted Goldberg and Brian Watt; KQED reporters Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman, Dan Brekke, and Joseph Geha; writers Dan Moore of The Ringer and Melissa Lockard of The Athletic; and many Oakland A’s fans.

KQED’s one-of-a-kind new podcast The Latest won in the category for Excellence in Innovation. Hosted by Bianca Taylor, The Latest is a unique local news podcast that is regularly updated throughout the course of the day with breaking stories and information from KQED.

KQED reporter Azul Dahlstrom-Eckman’s immersive feature about the Bay Area’s ‘fix-it’ culture took home the Murrow in the category of Feature Reporting. The story highlights a thriving Bay Area community of fixers excited by the passing of a “Right-to-Repair” law that will make repairing items like electronics and appliances more accessible.

Tyche Hendricks’ story on drug crackdowns in San Francisco was recognized in the category of Hard News. Hendricks’ reporting synthesizes different perspectives on increased federal law enforcement against street drugs, and their implications for immigrants. Hendricks brings together viewpoints from a variety of San Francisco residents, including parents living in the Tenderloin, immigration advocates and a District Attorney – all conveying different sides of a complex issue.

A story from The California Newsroom, a statewide collaboration of public media outlets led by KQED, won the Investigative Reporting Murrow. The team investigated the prevalence of deaths caused by police officers holding people face down, despite warnings going back as far as 1995 about the danger of the prone restraint position. This collaborative report investigates and interrogates this disturbing and pervasive trend.  

Lisa Morehouse’s reporting with KQED and the Food & Environment Reporting Network was recognized in the News Documentary Murrow category for “The Railroad’s Surprising Impact on Food and Civil Rights in California.” Part of her California Foodways series about food and farming in each of California’s 58 counties, Morehouse’s audio piece weaves together the history of the Central Pacific Railroad and its deep connection to food and racial segregation.

To find a complete list of the 2025 RTDNA regional winners visit rtdna.org.

About KQED

KQED serves the people of Northern California with a public-supported alternative to commercial media. An NPR and PBS affiliate based in San Francisco, KQED is home to one of the most listened-to public radio stations in the nation, one of the highest-rated public television services and an award-winning education program helping students and educators thrive in 21st-century classrooms. A trusted news source and leader and innovator in interactive technology, KQED takes people of all ages on journeys of exploration — exposing them to new people, places and ideas. www.kqed.org