TYSONS, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 9, 2021--
TEGNA Inc. (NYSE: TGNA) today announced that stations WFAA (Dallas, Texas) and KING 5 (Seattle, Washington) have received 2021 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards, among the highest honors given for excellence in journalism. WFAA was honored for “VERIFY Road Trip: Climate Truth,” which took a climate change skeptic on a journey through Texas and Alaska to meet experts and witness first-hand the effects of global warming. KING 5 won for their documentary “Bob’s Choice,” chronicling the final months of a 75-year-old terminally ill cancer patient who chose to end his life under Washington’s Death with Dignity Act.
“Each of our station recipients represent the power of local journalism to inform and inspire the communities we serve,” said Lynn Beall, EVP and COO for media operations, TEGNA. “Through empathetic and impactful reporting, WFAA and KING 5 helped audiences gain a better understanding of issues that affect our lives at both the highly personal and global levels. Congratulations to the teams at WFAA and KING 5 for these well-earned honors.”
In “VERIFY Road Trip: Climate Truth,” senior reporter David Schechter set out to explore the facts of climate change in a once-in-a-lifetime road trip to separate opinion from science. Schechter’s idea for the one-hour documentary was simple: help viewers understand not only what we know about climate change, but how we know it. In “VERIFY Road Trip: Climate Truth,” Schechter began by leading a climate change skeptic across Texas to interview leading scientists about rising levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, how CO2 levels have changed throughout history, and how humans have contributed to rising carbon emissions in modern times. After meeting with experts in Texas, they then travel to Alaska to explore melting glaciers and witness firsthand the evidence of the effects of climate change on our planet.
In “Bob’s Choice,” KING 5 tells the story of Bob Fuller, a longtime Seattle resident who was diagnosed with carcinoma of the tongue and oral pharynx. Rather than suffer or have others remember him suffering, Fuller chose to use the Death With Dignity Act, a Washington State law that allows terminally ill patients with less than six months to live to legally request medication that would end their lives. “Bob’s Choice” follows Fuller through his last several months and shares his life story, including his passion for music, his activism in the LGBTQ community and how he sponsored more than 100 recovering alcoholics. The documentary provides a poignant and emotional look into Fuller’s last days and hours, culminating with a party with his closest friends on the day of his death and his injecting the medications that ended his life.
About TEGNA
TEGNA Inc. (NYSE: TGNA) is an innovative media company that serves the greater good of our communities. Across platforms, TEGNA tells empowering stories, conducts impactful investigations and delivers innovative marketing solutions. With 64 television stations in 51 U.S. markets, TEGNA is the largest owner of top 4 network affiliates in the top 25 markets among independent station groups, reaching approximately 39 percent of all television households nationwide. TEGNA also owns leading multicast networks True Crime Network and Quest. TEGNA Marketing Solutions (TMS) offers innovative solutions to help businesses reach consumers across television, digital and over-the-top (OTT) platforms, including Premion, TEGNA’s OTT advertising service. For more information, visit www.TEGNA.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210209006244/en/
For media inquiries, contact:
Demetrios Karoutsos
Director, Corporate Communications & Media Relations
703-873-6327
dkaroutsos@TEGNA.com
For investor inquiries, contact:
Doug Kuckelman
Head of Investor Relations
703-873-6764
dkuckelman@TEGNA.com
Source: TEGNA Inc.
