Michigan Radio, the public radio service of the University of Michigan, has been recognized for excellence in broadcast journalism by the Radio-Television News Directors Association. The station received a National Edward R. Murrow Award for Best Radio News Documentary for Ashes to Hope: Overcoming the Detroit Riots. The news series looked at how the 1967 Detroit riots affected people, neighborhoods and even music in the Motor City, and explored the long term consequence of the riots on both the city and the state of Michigan.

The 2008 award represents the first National Edward R. Murrow Award that Michigan Radio has received, though the station’s sister organization, The Environment Report, received a National Murrow Award in 2002. Michigan Radio was the only television or radio station in the state of Michigan to receive a 2008 National Edward R. Murrow Award.

The Radio-Television News Directors Association has been honoring outstanding achievements in electronic journalism with the Edward R. Murrow Awards since 1971. Award recipients demonstrate the spirit of excellence that Edward R. Murrow made a standard for the broadcast news profession. The Murrow Award recognizes the “best of the best”, and is considered the most prestigious award in electronic journalism. 2008 National Murrow winners will be honored at the RTNDA Awards Dinner on October 13 at the Grand Hyatt New York.

Congratulations to producer Tamar Charney; host Christina Shockley; editors Vincent Duffy and Lester Graham; reporters Steve Carmody, Dustin Dwyer, Vincent Duffy, Jennifer Guerra, Sarah Hulett, and Tracy Samilton; segment producers Richie Duchon, Jennifer Guerra, Maria Howes, and Jack Lessenberry; and production assistants Zoe Clark, and Katherine Gorman.

2008 Clarion Award from Women in Communications
Best Documentary: Ashes to Hope
Best Documentary Series: Grading Michigan Schools

2007 Sigma Delta Chi Award from The Society of Professional Journalists
Public Service in Radio Journalism: Grading Michigan Schools

Michigan Radio, the public radio service of the University of Michigan, has been recognized by the National Society of Professional Journalists. The station was awarded the 2007 Sigma Delta Chi Award for Public Service in Radio Journalism for Grading Michigan Schools, Michigan Radio's multi-part series of reports about education in the state. The Public Service in Radio Journalism Award recognizes a radio news organization that renders public service through extensive coverage of an issue facing the community it serves.

The Sigma Delta Chi Awards recognize the best in professional journalism in 48 categories, covering print, radio, television, newsletters, photography, online and research. This year's winners were chosen from more than 1,000 entries from across the country. The only other public radio organizations to be recognized were Chicago Public Radio and "The World", the national program from Public Radio International.

Congratulations to Sarah Hulett, Tracy Samilton, and Samara Freemark along with Vincent Duffy, Lester Graham, and Kaomi Goetz for their work on this award winning series.

2008 Region 7 Edward R. Murrow Winners
Best Continuing Coverage: Michigan's Budget Crisis
Best Feature: Turning Around A Troubled School
Best News Documentary: Ashes to Hope