WOUB Newsroom recognized for Newswatch special episode on sexual assault

WOUB Newsroom recognized for Newswatch special episode on sexual assault

ATHENS, Ohio – The WOUB Public Media Newsroom has received a 2019 Student Production Award from the Ohio Valley Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) in the Newscast category. The award recognized a special episode of WOUB TV’s Newswatchcentered around the sexual assault issues that were impacting the Ohio University campus.

“This news special was created to address the Athens community’s response to the reports of sexual assaults on and around Ohio University’s campus,” said WOUB News Editor-in-Chief Allison Hunter. “The WOUB News Media Lab team worked hard to report beyond the data; they talked with a rape survivor, students, local authorities, business leaders and a nurse examiner to demystify the rape kit procedure. Through the production process students learned how to address important issues with sensitivity.”

NATAS Ohio Valley is one of 19 regional chapters of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences which is headquartered in New York City. The mission of the chapter is to encourage excellence in the television community by presenting the regional EMMY® and other awards, by providing and developing leadership, by building community in television through camaraderie, and by providing networking opportunities, education and resources. High school and college students are recognized for exemplary work each year by NATAS Ohio Valley. The 2019 awards were announced during a special presentation in Louisville, Kentucky.

Hunter and Multimedia Content Editor Atish Baidya advised the group of nine students throughout the production of the special. Hunter said it was great to watch the students learn and grow throughout the process.

“This award serves as ideal reinforcement for the hardworking students and our newsroom’s public media values,” said Hunter. “As journalists we aren’t just telling stories, we are sharing important information about issues that affect lives in and around our communities.”

About WOUB Public Media

As a member station of both NPR and PBS, WOUB Public Media is a trusted source of news, local content and educational resources that have proven to be worthy of the time, effort and support of our users. WOUB, an administrative unit of the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University, is a non-profit, community-supported multimedia organization which provides online and broadcast services, along with non-broadcast educational services and student professional development. WOUB serves 55 counties throughout southeastern Ohio, northern West Virginia and eastern Kentucky with its broadcast signals. WOUB Radio’s FM Network has transmitters in Athens, Chillicothe, Ironton, Zanesville and Cambridge, while WOUB AM serves the immediate Athens area. WOUB TV is made up of six television channels (WOUB HD, WOUB Classic, WOUB World, WOUB Create, WOUB Ohio and WOUB Kids) which are broadcast from two transmitters.

Through its support of public service, teaching, research and administrative missions, along with its high-quality local content and programming, WOUB enriches, enhances and expands the lives and horizons of the people in the communities it serves, as well as Ohio University faculty, staff and students.