Jackson Hole Community Radio (KHOL 89.1 FM) wins numerous journalism awards, including two prestigious Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards and eight distinctions from the “Top of the Rockies” contest through the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ).
These awards build on the recognition KHOL has received regionally and nationally over the past few years. At a time when many local news outlets are struggling to survive, KHOL is proud to be investing in more local reporting in western Wyoming and eastern Idaho. That investment is only made possible through community support for independent media in the Tetons.
The RTDNA Edward R. Murrow Awards are among the most prestigious in broadcast and digital news. KHOL won two 2023 Region 3 Edward R. Murrow Awards for:
- News Documentary: Facets: Voices of Mountain Life, Episode 2: Preserving a Teton Icon – Reported and produced by Will Walkey, with editorial and production support from Kyle Mackie and Emily Cohen
- News Series: The Housing Crisis in Jackson Hole – A series of roughly 10 stories reported and produced throughout 2022 by Will Walkey, Kyle Mackie and Hanna Merzbach
In the SPJ contest, KHOL was recognized with eight awards overall with first, second and third-place awards in the following categories:
- Best Solutions Journalism – Second Place: Effort to diversify National Park Service hosts orientation at Grand Teton – Kyle Mackie
- Extended Coverage – Second Place: The Housing Crisis in Jackson Hole – Will Walkey, Kyle Mackie, Hanna Merzbach
- A&E and Food: News or Feature – First Place: 10 years in, Treefort Music Festival is evolving on its own terms – Will Walkey
- Feature: Long form – Third Place: Mexican government to open immigrant resource center in Jackson to help reunite families – Hanna Merzbach
- Ag and Environment: News – Third Place: ‘They Gotta Get it Somewhere. It’s Here.’ Wyoming at Crossroads Over Federal Oil and Gas Leasing – Will Walkey
- Podcast – Second Place: Facets: Voices of Mountain Life – Emily Cohen, Kyle Mackie, Will Walkey
- Education: Feature – Second Place: Jackson high school students visit Tlaxcala, Mexico for inaugural exchange – Emily Cohen
- Business Feature – Second Place: As airport shuts down, local businesses prepare for more of the same – Will Walkey
The Murrow Awards are the embodiment of the values, principles and standards set forth by Edward R. Murrow, a journalism pioneer who set the standards for the highest quality of broadcast journalism. Murrow Award-winning stories put public interest above all else, provide a catalyst for public discussion, and adhere to the RTDNA Code of Ethics.
Similarly, the Society of Professional Journalists aims to further the ethics and ideals of the profession; to advance, develop and formally recognize higher standards of journalism; to stimulate social and intellectual exchange between members of the press; to raise public awareness of the profession; to promote the development of future journalists from the ranks of high school and college students; and to promote the spirit of fellowship among journalists and civic responsibility to the community. The SPJ Colorado chapter was founded in 1949, holding most of its meetings at the historic Denver Press Club.
In both the RTDNA Edward R. Murrow Awards and the SPJ “Top of the Rockies” contests KHOL competes against stations of similar market size in Colorado, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Wyoming.
