KBIA wins 9 regional Murrow Awards
COLUMBIA, Mo. (May 29, 2026) — KBIA-FM, the Missouri School of Journalism’s NPR-member station, has won nine regional Murrow Awards for the second year in a row. KBIA is in Region 5, which includes Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska.
No other station in the “small market” category matched KBIA’s performance in the prestigious competition. Among stations of all sizes, only Boston’s WBUR — which serves one of the largest radio markets in the country — won more with 10.
“KBIA continues to set the standard for excellence in community reporting that keeps mid-Missouri informed and connected,” said David Kurpius, dean of the School of Journalism. “The stories recognized speak to the power of public radio and to the talent and dedication of the team at KBIA.”
A total of 10 stories from five different reporters were honored across a wide range of categories, from News Documentary and Excellence in Sound to Investigative Reporting. The station’s website also won the Digital category, which it has won for 13 of the last 14 years (the category was originally known as Best Website before transitioning to Multimedia in 2017 and Digital in 2021).
“KBIA continues to set the standard for excellence in community reporting that keeps mid-Missouri informed and connected. The stories recognized speak to the power of public radio and to the talent and dedication of the team at KBIA.”
David Kurpius, dean, Missouri School of Journalism
The station’s regional wins now advance to the national competition, which will announce winners in August.
Stan Jastrzebski, KBIA’s news director, said the station’s strong record of regional and national Murrow Awards reflects the effort involved in putting together meaningful stories.
“It’s never easy to win a Murrow, and the work that won this year shows how much time KBIA puts into a story,” Jastrzebski said. “Our ‘Dumped in Berger’ series took six months and meant combing through 11 pounds of documents we obtained. ‘A Night at the Inn’ involved a year of familiarizing ourselves with the unhoused community before our journalists spent a full day embedded in those experiences.”
Indeed, “Dumped in Berger” (Investigative Reporting) and “A Night at the Inn” (News Documentary) reflect the variety of work honored by the Murrow Awards.
The former, reported by Harshawn Ratanpal, BJ ’24, in collaboration with The Beacon’s Ceilidh Kern, BJ ’24, was a series of stories examining how large amounts of toxic powder ended up stored in Berger, Missouri, and tracing the impacts on residents and state taxpayers.
“A Night at the Inn” also looked at an important community issue — homelessness — but did so in the form of an audio documentary presenting a typical night in the lives of people staying at Columbia’s Room at the Inn homeless shelter. Accompanied by a long-form article on KBIA’s website, the documentary was reported by Ratanpal, Rebecca Smith and Anna Spidel, with photography by Bailey Stover, BJ ’24.
Jastrzebski added that the awards carry extra weight coming after steep cuts to federal funding for public media, which have created new challenges for sustainability in the industry.
“At a time when public radio is financially threatened, this is just the latest example of what a good investment it’s always been,” he said. “We’re thankful for this validation of both our work and the work of public radio newsrooms across the country.”
The winners
- Digital: KBIA Digital.
- Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: “Experts: Executive orders redefining biological sex attempt to erase intersex people.” Reported by Anna Spidel.
- Excellence in Sound: “Columbia’s ‘Mobile Funk Unit’ finds an audience, delivers funk and fun.” Reported by Jana Rose Schleis.
- Excellence in Writing: Harshawn Ratanpal
- Feature Reporting: “In Hannibal, Mark Twain’s legacy lives on through Tom & Becky program.” Reported by Rebecca Smith.
- Investigative Reporting: “Dumped in Berger.” Multi-part series reported by Harshawn Ratanpal and The Beacon’s Ceilidh Kern.
- News Documentary: “A Night at the Inn.” Reported by Harshawn Ratanpal, Rebecca Smith and Anna Spidel. Photography by Bailey Stover.
- News Series: “One Small Bite.” Multi-part series reported by Rebecca Smith.
- Sports Reporting: “’A rivalry unlike any other’: Renewal of MU-KU rivalry extends beyond the football field.” Reported by Rebecca Smith.
Updated: May 29, 2026