WTOP wins 2 national Edward R. Murrow Awards

WASHINGTON — WTOP has won two national Edward R. Murrow Awards, given by the Radio Television Digital News Association to reward excellence in broadcasting and digital journalism.

Goose Creek Stone Bridge – Upperville, Va. In a prelude to Gettysburg, Union forces claimed victory at the bridge on June 24, 1863. The stone bridge is within the Mosby Heritage Area. John Singleton Mosby fought for the Confederacy and was nicknamed "the grey ghost" by President Abraham Lincoln. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)

WTOP won the 2017 Murrow Award for overall excellence among large-market radio stations, its third such award since 2009. WTOP.com won the Murrow for best website, its fifth such award since 2002.

“Our team works hard every day to provide the community with the news it needs both on air and online,” said Mike McMearty, WTOP’s director of news and programming. “We are so proud and honored to be recognized with an award that bears the name of the great Edward R. Murrow — truly the gold standard for excellence in our industry.”

Some of the station’s highlights for the previous year included the Crumbling Capital series, which examined the problems with D.C.’s infrastructure, and features on the D.C. Divas women’s football team, the new Giant on Wisconsin Avenue and a vintage game room in the District.

Some of the website highlights for the year included Neal Augenstein’s minute-by-minute account of the last night of University of Virginia student Hannah Graham’s life; Dave Dildine’s photo feature on rusting, forgotten “ghost bridges” in Maryland and Virginia; and WTOP’s continuing coverage of Metro’s 24/7 track work and of the 2016 election.

WTOP also won the overall excellence award in 2009 and 2011. WTOP.com also won the top website award in 2002, 2003, 2008 and 2009. Taking all categories together, WTOP has now won 20 national Murrows since 2002.

You can hear the broadcast stories and read the web stories that won the awards for WTOP — our contest entries — below, and in this gallery:

Goose Creek Stone Bridge – Upperville, Va. 
In a prelude to Gettysburg, Union forces claimed victory at the bridge on June 24, 1863. The stone bridge is within the Mosby Heritage Area. John Singleton Mosby fought for the Confederacy and was nicknamed "the grey ghost" by President Abraham Lincoln. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)
Hidden in Maryland and Virginia are rotting, rusting bridges lost to time and encroaching woods. How did they end up like this? WTOP’s Dave Dildine unearthed the answers in photos and stories. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)
At 1:18 a.m., after leaving Tempo, Hannah Graham and Jesse Matthew walked north on 4th Street, captured by surveillance video at Red Pump Kitchen, 401 E. Main Street. As they left the view of the video camera, Matthew paused for about 10 seconds, as indicated by his shadow. It's unclear whether Graham also stopped. (WTOP/Neal Augenstein)
WTOP’s Neal Augenstein put the reader in University of Virginia student Hannah Graham’s shoes with a minute-by-minute account of her whereabouts the night she disappeared. (WTOP/Neal Augenstein)
WTOP has kept readers and listeners informed of the overarching safety findings, planned fixes and, most importantly, alternative routes for travelers impacted by a year-plus of 24/7 Metro track work. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)
A boom is in place Tuesday morning at the Great Falls intake on the Potomac River, to divert water with the petroleum sheen from entering the Washington Aqueduct system. (WTOP/Neal Augenstein)
The water crisis in Flint, Michigan, has gripped news headlines since 2014. But more than a decade before Flint, D.C. had its own water crisis that was 20 to 30 times worse. Neal Augenstein used photos, video and audio to paint the picture of what went wrong in D.C. and how the city turned the crisis around. (WTOP/Neal Augenstein)
Steve Mittendorff and Nicole Mittendorff
When Fairfax County firefighter Nicole Mittendorff went missing in April, anonymous bloggers began circulating crude and embarrassing rumors about her past. When the medical examiner determined the cause of death as suicide, the family decided not to speak to the press. Weeks later, when they were ready to talk, they came exclusively to WTOP, revealing new details about bullying allegations, the suicide note, and the effects of Nicole’s death on her family. (Courtesy Facebook/Jennifer Clardy Chalmers)
Omama Altaleb went beyond the Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts to find the DC area’s coffeehouse gems, and used an interactive graphic to showcase their interesting characteristics. (WTOP/Omama Altaleb)
Since the beginning of 2016, WTOP staff planned for continuous and multidimensional election coverage. From the primaries and caucuses to election night and beyond, WTOP rolled out informative voter guides for Virginia, Maryland and D.C. residents. And as results were announced on election night, WTOP provided readers with the most comprehensive local and national election results through articles, Facebook Live chats, mobile push notifications, email alerts, and updates on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 21:  Fireworks explode during the Closing Ceremony 2016 Olympic Games at Maracana Stadium on August 21, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
As the Summer Olympics came to a close, WTOP’s Noah Frank said it was time to face a larger truth about the Olympics: The so-called Olympic mission is long dead, and its system is in desperate need of reform. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
When Eulalio Tordil went on a killing rampage in Montgomery County, Maryland, it became national news. WTOP reporters deployed across the region to provide the latest information on the shooter, who was still at-large. Photos, videos and maps gave the reader a full picture of the fateful day. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Eater DC examined some of the most popular pizza spots in the city. Which pie gives the most bang for your buck? (Thinkstock)
What is the D.C. area’s favorite pizza joint? Which bar has the best vibe? WTOP’s annual Top 10 contest allows readers to vote for their favorite local businesses in 10 categories. (Thinkstock)
When Kanye West released his album in 2016, music reviewer Marcus Moore decided to write Yeezus an open letter with some free advice. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP, File)
(1/11)
Goose Creek Stone Bridge – Upperville, Va. 
In a prelude to Gettysburg, Union forces claimed victory at the bridge on June 24, 1863. The stone bridge is within the Mosby Heritage Area. John Singleton Mosby fought for the Confederacy and was nicknamed "the grey ghost" by President Abraham Lincoln. (WTOP/Dave Dildine)
At 1:18 a.m., after leaving Tempo, Hannah Graham and Jesse Matthew walked north on 4th Street, captured by surveillance video at Red Pump Kitchen, 401 E. Main Street. As they left the view of the video camera, Matthew paused for about 10 seconds, as indicated by his shadow. It's unclear whether Graham also stopped. (WTOP/Neal Augenstein)
A boom is in place Tuesday morning at the Great Falls intake on the Potomac River, to divert water with the petroleum sheen from entering the Washington Aqueduct system. (WTOP/Neal Augenstein)
Steve Mittendorff and Nicole Mittendorff
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - AUGUST 21:  Fireworks explode during the Closing Ceremony 2016 Olympic Games at Maracana Stadium on August 21, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
Eater DC examined some of the most popular pizza spots in the city. Which pie gives the most bang for your buck? (Thinkstock)
June 20, 2017 | WTOP's award-winning stories (WTOP staff)

WTOP also won six Regional Edward R. Murrow awards in April.

“Now more than ever, it is important to recognize the outstanding journalism being done by newsrooms across the country and around the world,” RTDNA Chairman Vincent Duffy said in a statement. “We’re proud to highlight the great work of dedicated, hardworking, professional journalists who serve a critical role in our society.”

Rick Massimo

Rick Massimo came to WTOP, and to Washington, in 2013 after having lived in Providence, R.I., since he was a child. He's the author of "A Walking Tour of the Georgetown Set" and "I Got a Song: A History of the Newport Folk Festival."

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