The Alabama Associated Press honored two University of Alabama media affiliates, Alabama Public Radio and WVUA 23, with multiple awards at an event in late June.
Alabama Public Radio, also known as APR, won Most Outstanding News Operation for the sixth year in a row while having two interns win the Best Student Journalism awards. Katie Willem came in first place and Allison Mollenkamp came in second.
The AP Awards were a continuation of success for APR, which won multiple awards for its coverage of life after the devastating tornados of April 27, 2011, and for investigative reporting on the Alabama prison system. The four-member team of APR consists of Pat Duggins, Stan Ingold, Alex AuBuchon and Mackenzie Bates.
WVUA 23 won several awards, including Best TV Sports Feature and Best News Feature. WVUA 23 is a commercial news station operated by UA that competed in the small market television category against other stations of similar market size.
The piece that won first in Best Sports Feature, “Too Many Trophies: Hidden Gems of the Bryant Museum,” explored the parts of the Paul W. Bryant Museum that have gone unnoticed by most visitors. The piece was entirely produced by students Jack Royer, Reagan Wells and Brooke Lowery with help from the Center for Public Television.
Royer is the son of 40-year news veteran Mike Royer, who has worked for organizations such as NBC 13 in Birmingham and now is the managing editor for WVUA 23.
