CapRadio Wins National Murrow Award for News Documentary
Sacramento, CA - August 24, 2023: The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) announced that CapRadio is the recipient of a 2023 National Edward R. Murrow Award in the News Documentary category (Large Market Radio) for the investigative reporting project BURNED. The Edward R. Murrow Awards recognize the best journalism produced by radio, television and digital news organizations around the world.
BURNED investigates how the U.S. Forest Service failed to protect the residents of Grizzly Flats from a devastating wildfire scenario that they predicted 20 years earlier.
In the early 2000s, the Forest Service held a town meeting to discuss fire models that warned of a high-risk wildfire scenario in Grizzly Flats. In response, the agency developed a large forest management plan — the Trestle Project — to protect the town of Grizzly Flats. The target completion date was set for 2020.
However, due to regulatory delays, poor planning and resource shortages, the agency finished only 14% of the Trestle Project before the 2021 Caldor Fire ignited. The Caldor Fire destroyed more than 400 homes in Grizzly Flats — most of the town — after burning across Forest Service land.
Reporters from CapRadio and The California Newsroom constructed this story by conducting extensive interviews and combing through troves of documents and datasets that were obtained from nearly two dozen Freedom of Information Act requests.
These requests forced the agency to release critical documents related to the Trestle Project, including the “Fire and Fuels Analysis.” The report demonstrated how the Trestle Project could have substantially protected Grizzly Flats from high intensity wildfire — if only the agency completed the work. One former Forest Service official, who helped design the project, said “it could’ve meant survival” for Grizzly Flats.
The BURNED investigation had an immediate impact, prompting a bipartisan group of U.S. Congress members — including Senators Alex Padilla and Diane Feinstein — to call for answers from the Forest Service’s top official and condemn the agency’s “egregious” shortcomings.
“We are honored to be recognized by RTDNA for the exceptional work that went into this investigative reporting effort,” said Tom Karlo, interim general manager at CapRadio. “This project illustrates how important independent local journalism is in elevating the voices of our communities, keeping the public informed and holding those in power accountable.”
“This award is a well-earned acknowledgement of the excellent work produced by this organization,” said Andrea Clark, board chair at CapRadio. “It reinforces the impact that CapRadio makes in our community every day as a local mission-driven nonprofit.”
BURNED was reported by CapRadio’s Scott Rodd and KCRW’s Caleigh Wells, with additional reporting by George LeVines (The California Newsroom) and Emily Zentner (CapRadio). The radio documentary was hosted by CapRadio’s Vicki Gonzalez, edited by Adriene Hill and Mike Kessler of The California Newsroom and engineered by Mark Jones of CapRadio.
Read or listen to the full investigation. A complete list of National Edward R. Murrow Awards winners can be found at rtdna.org.
About CapRadio
CapRadio serves California’s Capital Region, Central Valley and Sierra Nevada as a public-supported alternative to for-profit media. As the NPR Member station based in Sacramento, CapRadio connects with communities through seven broadcast stations, live streaming, podcasts, digital communities, live experiences and more. Known for its award-winning newsroom, CapRadio is recognized as a leader in state government reporting and community-engaged journalism, and CapRadio Music is the exclusive broadcast source of classical and jazz in the region. As the managing operators of NSPR in Chico and KHSU in Humboldt, more than 550,000 people each week choose CapRadio as a valued source of news, storytelling, music and events. CapRadio is a Sacramento State auxiliary and operates under the University’s broadcasting license.
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CONTACT:
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