The Illinois Associated Press Broadcasters Association has honored GLT for journalistic excellence with seven awards, including individual staff honors and stationwide recognition for Outstanding News Operation.
The awards were announced Saturday at the Illinois News Broadcasters Association spring convention in Uptown Normal, where Gov. JB Pritzker delivered the keynote address. The seven awards were the most for any radio station outside Chicago and St. Louis.
GLT’s seven awards include:
- Outstanding News Operation. “A clear winner in an otherwise difficult category to judge,” the judges wrote.
- Best Investigative Report (first place): Ryan Denham and Mary Cullen, Police Diverge on Approach to Speeding Tickets
- Best Reporter (first place): Ryan Denham
- Best Series or Documentary (second place): Skipping School: Illinois’ Teacher Shortage
- Best Newscast (second place): Charlie Schlenker
- Best Sports Report (second place): Eric Stock, Friday Night Lights Out: Football’s Uncertain Future
- Best Digital Presence (second place): Recognizing overall excellence in online content, including reporting, writing, and photography, at WGLT.org, and on social media.
GLT, a public service of Illinois State University, has received 103 Illinois AP journalism awards since 1997. Thirty broadcasters submitted 273 entries in the contest, which featured news, sports ,and investigative reporting as well as features, documentaries, and newswriting from 2017. The AP is a not-for-profit news cooperative representing 1,400 newspapers and 5,000 broadcast stations in the United States.
“GLT is proud to serve our community with talented journalists and pleased that our peers in other states have recognized our efforts,” said News Director Charlie Schlenker.
Also honored Saturday were student journalists from Illinois State’s School of Communication and its TV-10 and WZND radio station.
WGLT public radio is an NPR member station licensed to Illinois State and has been a part of the School of Communication since 1997. The station has been honored with scores of regional and national awards for excellence by the AP, Kaleidoscope, Public Radio News Directors, Inc., and the prestigious Edward R. Murrow awards from the Radio Television Digital News Association. Over the decades, support from the University and the community has allowed GLT to become a full service public radio station, serving a Central Illinois audience approaching 30,000 listeners a week at 89.1 FM, as well as a growing digital presence with users all over the world via WGLT.org, social media channels, and NPR One app.
