Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) announced today that WTIP is among the winners of a 2020 regional Edward R. Murrow Award.

The Murrow Awards are the embodiment of the values, principles and standards set forth by Edward R. Murrow, a journalism pioneer who set the standards for the highest quality of broadcast journalism.

In the small market radio category, WTIP won for the Best Podcast for the original “Boundary Waters Podcast.” The award is for overall series content based on the submission of Episode 18, the story of Erik Dickes from Omaha, Neb., who recorded an audio diary on a trip to the BWCAW in May 2019, to commemorate his late father, and tell the story of a canoe trip they had planned to take together in 2018.

Joe Friedrichs, WTIP news director, and founder and co-host of the WTIP Boundary Waters Podcast, said, “We started this podcast three years ago to create a platform for sharing stories from this amazing region. To have the series recognized with an Edward R. Murrow Award is among the highest honors I can imagine. This is a tremendous achievement for WTIP listeners and supporters of our Boundary Waters podcast and the paddling community."

Podcast co-host Matthew Baxley added, “This podcast is all about tapping into the diversity of people who have been transformed by the wilderness and allowing their stories to be experienced by the listener any time and place. This award really reflects that.”

More than 750 awards in 14 regions represent more than 350 local radio and television news outlets from 49 states and four countries.

The winning work includes 36 podcasts, a new category for 2020, along with nearly 50 investigative reports and more than 100 examples of excellence in innovation, social media and multimedia.

WTIP Executive Director Matthew Brown, who congratulated the producers, said “WTIP is very proud to host this wonderful podcast. Joe Friedrichs and Matthew Baxley have taken their love for this national treasure and created a monthly podcast that is introspective, nostalgic, informative and honors this amazing wilderness area that is located here in the Superior National Forest of northern Minnesota.”

For complete episodes and more information about WTIP’s Boundary Waters Podcast, click here.