By Ball State Communications—
MUNCIE, IN — Ball State Public Media has earned three national awards from the Public Media Journalists Association(PMJA) in recognition of its work in local journalism and community programming.
Indiana Public Radio (IPR), a service of Ball State University, received two first-place awards. In the News Feature category, reporter Thomas Ouellette was honored for his coverage of an apartment complex in Anderson that had been abandoned by its owner.
The story examined the poor living conditions tenants faced after the property’s management office was physically sealed and the State of Indiana filed suit against the owner.
IPR also received first place in the Newscast category for a local segment of “Morning Edition” hosted by Stan Sollars, senior lecturer of media at Ball State, who has served as the program’s anchor for 30 years.
“Like public radio stations around the country, IPR’s news team takes our mission for local news seriously, especially in this time of local news deserts,” said Stephanie Wiechmann, IPR managing editor.
Ball State PBS earned a second-place award in the Audience Engagement category for Health is Wealth, a digital series hosted by Paul Brown. The program featured local experts discussing topics related to fitness, mental health, nutrition, and preventive care. The series aimed to provide viewers with expert insights and personal stories to support informed health decisions.
PMJA represents more than 130 local public radio newsrooms across the United States. This year’s entries were evaluated by more than 70 public media professionals.
“We are always excited to be able to honor the great journalism at local public radio stations across the country,” said Christine Paige Diers, PMJA executive director. “This year, more than 1,450 entries competed for these honors.”
About Ball State
Founded in 1918 and located in Muncie, Ball State University is one of Indiana’s premier universities and an economic driver for the state. Ball State’s 20,000 students come from all over Indiana, the nation, and the world. The 790-acre campus is large enough to accommodate first-rate facilities and 19 NCAA Division I sports, but our welcoming campus is small enough to ensure the friendliness, personal attention, and access that are the hallmarks of the University. We Fly!
About Ball State Public Media
Ball State PBS and Indiana Public Radio are licensed to Ball State University and serve East Central Indiana and western Ohio with sound educational content, important public safety communications during natural disasters, professional development and resources for teachers, music and cultural programming, unparalleled local news and so much more. Ball State Public Media connects people to educational experiences and trusted stories and strives to be a leader in innovation, education and diverse perspectives.
About PMJA
The Public Media Journalists Association (PMJA) is a professional association for public media journalists in the United States. Membership includes over 130 local public radio newsrooms across the country. PMJA’s programs provide professional development, career support and networking opportunities to the over 1,800 journalists working at its member stations.
