TEGNA’s WUSA, WKYC, WCNC and WBIR Win Six Alliance for Women in Media Foundation Gracie Awards
Tysons, VA – TEGNA Inc. (NYSE: TGNA) today announced that WUSA, WKYC, WCNC and WBIR, TEGNA’s CBS affiliate in Washington, D.C. and NBC affiliates in Cleveland, Ohio, Charlotte, North Carolina and Knoxville, Tennessee, respectively, have won six Gracie Awards from the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation. The Gracie Awards shine a spotlight on women in media and recognize individuals who have made inspirational contributions to the industry.
“We are very proud of the work our journalists do to shine a light on important news and issues in their local communities,” said Lynn Beall, executive vice president and COO of media operations, TEGNA. “We congratulate all of the Gracie Award winners who are making positive changes and creating new opportunities for women in media.”
WUSA’s Gracie Awards:
- Grace Chimel, winner of the Director (TV – Local) award for her purpose-driven and creative directing of the WUSA9 News at 11 p.m. newscast.
- Jasmine (JC) Whittington, a multi-platform video producer and the winner of the Soft News Feature (TV – Local) award for her profile of 92-year-old activist Daisy Fields, who marched alongside civil rights legends Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks, and shares stories most have read about in history books. Today, Chandler Baxter, Fields’ 24-year-old granddaughter, continues her legacy as a Black Lives Matter activist.
- WUSA9 News at 11 p.m. is the winner of the Frontline – Special Report (TV – Local) for the station’s special coverage of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ Inauguration Day on January 20, 2021. The newscast gave a unique look at the ceremony and was led by a trio of female news leaders and addressed the year’s challenges, including the pandemic and civil unrest.
- Weeknight Anchor Lesli Foster is the recipient of an Honorable Mention in the On-Air Talent category. For more than 20 years, she has pursued truth and equity in the Washington, D.C. community. As the coronavirus pandemic brought uncertainty in 2020, she sought to be a reassuring voice to viewers across the region.
WKYC’s Gracie Award:
- Jessica Miller, a supervising producer, is the winner of the Producer – Scripted / Edited / Live (TV – Local) award for “A Turning Point: The Healing Power of Poetry,” which features an emotional interview with Cuyahoga County poet laureate Honey Bell-Bey. The story was captured in the wake of the killing of George Floyd and in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic and aired as part of the station’s “A Turning Point” series, which examines whether the concerns raised about systemic racism are resulting in any structural social changes.
WCNC’s Gracie Award:
- Ashley Stoehlein, is the winner of the Sports Feature (TV – Local) award for her coverage of a Charlotte Hornet’s dance team member’s battle with Stage 2 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Kelsea Roussell shares her journey in “Dancing Through the Fight of a Lifetime.”
WBIR’s Gracie Award:
- Robin Wilhoit and Elizabeth Sims are the winners of the Hard News Feature (TV – Local) for their inside look of “What it’s like to be part of a Covid-19 vaccine trial.” The piece is a first-hand report of Wilhoit volunteering for the vaccine trial.
More information about the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation and the Gracie Awards is available at https://allwomeninmedia.org/.
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, Twist and Quest. TEGNA 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.
For media inquiries, contact:
Anne Bentley
Vice President, Corporate Communications
703-873-6366
abentley@TEGNA.com
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Doug Kuckelman
Head of Investor Relations
703-873-6764
dkuckelman@TEGNA.com