The National Headliner Awards recognized WBUR in Boston for excellence in radio journalism in two categories. Investigative reporters Christine Willmsen and Beth Healy won first place for their series on healthcare in county jails and medical masks amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
The investigative series, Dying On The Sheriff’s Watch, won first place in the “Radio Stations News Series” category. The series was lauded as “a compelling piece that covers topics that don’t often get enough discussion including a prisoner’s right to health care.” Dying on a Sheriff’s Watch marked the first series by WBUR Investigations.
WBUR coverage, Inside the Frenzied Pandemic Market for Medical Masks, won first place in the “Radio Stations Pandemic Coverage/Project” category. When reviewing the series, the National Headliner judges noted that “WBUR uncovers and chronicles a disturbing and heretofore black market rife with price-gouging, fraudulent deals and opportunism in two riveting, well-documented pieces about Covid protection gear and masks.”
Founded in 1934 by the Press Club of Atlantic City, the National Headliner Awards program is one of the oldest and largest annual contests recognizing journalistic merit in the communications industry.
