WFYI, IPB win journalism awards from Indiana Society of Professional Journalists

WFYI and Indiana Public Broadcasting news staff earned 11 awards Friday from the Indiana Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, recognizing outstanding work across radio, television, online and multiplatform reporting.

Award-winning stories covered topics including arts and culture, education, health care and Medicaid, the 2024 election, and environmental issues.

The honors went to reporters, editors and producers at WFYI, Side Effects Public Media — the station’s regional health reporting collaborative — and Indiana Public Broadcasting, a collaboration among the state’s nine public media newsrooms. Entries were judged by out-of-state journalists selected by SPJ.

Awards

Radio Continuing Coverage Category (Radio), first place
IPB's Abigail Ruhman for reporting on Medicaid, five stories honored:

• Policymakers call for FSSA to pause proposed Medicaid cuts after budget shortfall
• Families 'welcome and beg' for discussion with governor on attendant care issue
• Family caregivers: FSSA has thrown another '11th hour curveball' in Medicaid program transition
• Medicaid officials outline forecasting changes, update lawmakers on waitlist progress
• FSSA says it may not have Medicaid waiver slots for everyone on waitlists, shares more on dashboard

Best Radio Feature Story (Radio), second place
Elizabeth Gabriel for Wheelies look fun, but they're a serious skill for kids in wheelchairs

Best Environmental Reporting (Television - Indianapolis Market), second place
Lee Gaines, Chris Elberfeld and Aric Hartvig for Indiana high school students offer up ideas to combat climate change

Best Environmental Reporting (Television - Indianapolis Market), third place
Kyle Travers, Aric Hartvig, Chris Elberfeld and Sam Oliver for The Everglades of the North

Best Environmental Reporting (Television - Outside Indianapolis Market), third place
IPB's Rebecca Thiel and Alan Mbathi for the video in this piece, reported and produced by the statewide public media collaboration for Indiana aims to make the outdoors more accessible for people with disabilities

Best Coverage of Race and Diversity Issues (Television - Any Indiana Station), third place
Kyle Long, Aric Hartvig, Chris Elberfeld and Sam Oliver for Our Existence is Resistance

Election and Campaign Coverage (Television - All Indiana Stations), second place
IPB's Brandon Smith and Alan Mbathi for the video in this piece, reported and produced by the statewide public media collaboration for: Indiana candidates for governor offer sharply different visions for future of state

Best Online Multimedia (Online/Multimedia), third place
Zak Cassel for Nearly 1 in 5 Indiana students don’t attend their home school district. Here’s the impact of school choice

Best Podcast (Online/Multimedia), third place
Kyle Long for Cultural Manifesto

Coverage Of Children’s Issues (Publication Circulation above 10,000, news services and digital media), second place
Dylan Peers McCoy for Indiana has a truancy problem, four stories honored:

• Indiana students and families could face prosecution for school truancy. Here's why
• Indiana lawmakers want early intervention for student truancy, shift away from courts
• Indiana schools have new requirements when students are truant
• Indiana has a school attendance problem. Hundreds gathered to find a solution

Best Medical or Science Reporting (Publication circulation above 10,000, news services and digital media), third place
Farah Yousry for Her colonoscopy should cost her $0 per federal law. Why was she asked to pay $765?