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KGW wins two Regional Murrow Awards for innovation, social media

KGW competed with large-market television stations in Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Idaho and Montana. The regional awards will now be entered into a national competition.

PORTLAND, Ore. — KGW has won two Regional Edward R. Murrow awards for excellence in journalism.

The awards were announced Wednesday and reflect journalism created in 2017.

KGW’s documentary, “Tent City U.S.A,” won the excellence in innovation award. The documentary explores who Portland’s homeless tent campers are and what led to the proliferation of tent camps across the city. “Tent City, U.S.A” was reported and produced by KGW's investigative team across broadcast, digital and social platforms.

The media group’s coverage of the Eagle Creek Fire won the excellence in social media award. KGW chronicled the timeline of the first days of the fast-moving fire that stranded hikers, closed Interstate 84 and burned 10,000 acres in 16 hours.

The station used extensive coverage on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube to keep community members informed and share important updates on the fire. The social media platforms were also used extensively to thank first responders, provide evacuation information and show the scope of the damage.

KGW competed with large market television stations in region one, which includes the five states of Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Idaho and Montana.

A year ago, the station also received two Murrow Awards in 2017 - for best website and for excellence in social media.

The Regional Edward R. Murrow awards are conducted by the Radio Television Digital News Association. The Radio Television Digital News 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 Murrow set as a standard for the profession of broadcast and digital journalism.

KGW’s work will now advance to the National Murrow Award competition. The national awards are announced in June 2018.

“We’re honored that the RTDNA has recognized both our efforts to provide in-depth coverage on a major issue and our commitment to breaking news,” said DJ Wilson, president and general manager of the KGW Media Group.

About KGW

KGW is the NBC affiliate in Portland, Oregon serving Oregon and Southwest Washington. The station has been honored as station of the year by the Oregon Association of Broadcasters for 13 of 14 years for its community service. KGW’s award-winning website, KGW.com, and its mobile app KGW News, provide breaking news, traffic and weather information to consumers on demand. KGW also operates a low-power station, KGWZ. KGW is owned and operated by TEGNA Inc. (NYSE: TGNA) a broadcasting, digital media and marketing services company. TEGNA and KGW serve the greater good of Oregon and Southwest Washington, across platforms, by telling empowering stories, conducting impactful investigations and delivering innovative marketing solutions. For more information, visit www.TEGNA.com.

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