KBIA wins three Gracie Awards for second straight year
COLUMBIA, Mo. (April 16, 2024) — KBIA-FM, the NPR-member station at the Missouri School of Journalism, has earned three Gracie Awards for its reporting. The prestigious awards from the Alliance for Women in Media match KBIA’s performance from last year, when the station also took home three honors.
“It’s great to see the excellent local reporting coming out of KBIA continue to see national recognition,” said David Kurpius, dean of the School of Journalism. “This is more evidence that the collaborative, community-focused work from students and staff at the station and throughout the Missouri News Network creates meaningful impacts for the people they serve and for the industry as a whole.”
The winners, including students and professional staff, will accept their awards on Tuesday, June 18, at a luncheon in New York.
“The Gracie awards are a truly exciting program celebrating journalism by and for people identifying as women and working across multiple platforms, including high-profile documentary, radio, print, television, and even comedy work,” said Janet Saidi, assistant professor and the long-form audio producer at KBIA. “For our team and students to be recognized with three awards this year and within this competitive arena is exciting.”
“Naloxone aids harm reduction amid opioid epidemic,” a story credited to senior Bailey Stover and staff reporter/producer Rebecca Smith, was recognized in the crisis coverage and breaking news category. In addition to investigating the benefits of over-the-counter naloxone, a life-saving treatment for opioid overdoses, the story explored how the opioid impact has impacted a range of community members and public health officials.
“I had only ever hoped this story would resonate with mid-Missourians, so it’s beyond my wildest dreams that people at a national level are connecting with the individuals who were willing to let me into their lives to share their stories,” Stover said. “Additionally, knowing that the Gracies recognize work by, for and about women and non-men, I am thrilled that equitability of authorship in breaking news and crisis coverage is increasing.”
Smith approached Stover, a photojournalism student, to turn what began as a photo story into a radio piece.
“Bailey was excited and energetic and took to radio right away — I think there are more similarities between photojournalism and radio than people think,” said Smith. “It turned into a beautiful and powerful multimedia work.”
The Gracies also honored former students and staff who have since made leaps in their careers. Halle Jackson, BJ ’23, now a producer of KCUR talk show “Up to Date,” won in the sports interview feature category for “Very few disc golfers are women.” Kassidy Arena, who was named a Rising Star in Public Media last year as KBIA’s engagement producer before becoming a senior reporter for Nebraska Public Media, earned an award for outstanding reporter or correspondent.
“I’m so proud of these amazingly talented women,” Smith added, “and thankful that we get to continue to do this important work in mid-Missouri.”
About the Missouri News NetworkTM
The Missouri News Network encompasses the Missouri School of Journalism’s professional news organizations: KBIA-FM, KOMU-TV, The Columbia Missourian, Vox Magazine, Missouri Business Alert and coverage from the School’s Statehouse Reporting Program. Students and leadership from each of these outlets work together to plan stories and put each outlet’s strengths and resources to use across platforms, delivering news coverage to people in Mid-Missouri and throughout the state.
Updated: April 19, 2024