As someone in Corporate Development at Indiana Public Media, I spend much of my time working with businesses and organizations that choose to support WFIU and WTIU. Those conversations often center on community impact and shared values. That’s one reason I was especially proud to learn that WFIU/WTIU News recently received two 2026 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards, which is among the most respected honors in broadcast and digital journalism.
The awards recognized the Rush to Kill bonus episode and Red, White, and Righteous, Indiana Public Media's digital investigative reporting series. As regional winners, both entries now advance to national competition. As regional winners, both entries now advance to national competition.
While I wasn’t involved in producing these projects, I see firsthand every day the dedication our journalists bring to their work. This recognition offers an opportunity to reflect on something larger than the awards themselves: why trusted local journalism matters, what it means to meet the highest standards of the profession, and why support from businesses and organizations across our region remains so important.
The Murrow Awards recognize excellence in journalism, but excellence is about more than strong storytelling. It’s about accuracy, integrity, accountability, and a commitment to serving the public. At a time when people have access to more information than ever, trusted local journalism helps communities stay informed, connected, and engaged.
The reporting recognized this year reflects that commitment. Rush to Kill, which examines the federal government’s rapid series of executions carried out in Terre Haute in 2020 and 2021, is a powerful example of in-depth journalism that helps audiences better understand complex issues and their real-world impact. Alongside Indiana Public Media’s recognized digital journalism efforts, it reflects a broader commitment to informing the public through careful, thoughtful reporting.
One of the most rewarding parts of my role is working with businesses and organizations that choose to invest in their communities. Their support helps make this kind of journalism possible. While awards recognize the talent and dedication of journalists, strong local journalism also depends on a community that believes it is worth supporting.
That’s why advancing to national competition is worth celebrating. It recognizes the outstanding work of our journalists and digital teams while also reinforcing the value of local journalism itself. It demonstrates that the work being produced here in Indiana meets the highest standards of the profession and shows what can be accomplished when communities invest in trusted public service journalism.
Recognition like this belongs first to the journalists who earned it, but it also reflects a community that values and supports the work behind it.
Congratulations to the journalists, producers, editors, and digital teams whose work earned this honor. Their achievement reflects the very best of public media and the communities that make that work possible.