WOSU Public Media Wins Regional Edward R. Murrow Award for “State of Religion” Series
Columbus, OH (May 21, 2025) — WOSU Public Media’s 89.7 NPR News team has been honored with a prestigious Regional Edward R. Murrow Award in the Radio - Large Market category for its original news series, “State of Religion.”
The four-part series—reported and hosted by Renee Fox, Debbie Holmes, Matthew Rand and Allie Vugrincic—offers an in-depth exploration of Ohio’s religious landscape. Through compelling storytelling and rigorous journalism, State of Religion examines the intersections of faith traditions, legislation and cultural transformation across the state.
“Our staff did thoughtful and excellent work on the ‘State of Religion’ project, which brought to light religion’s influence on Ohio politics—both now and in the future,” said Mark Ferenchik, News Director at WOSU.
The Edward R. Murrow Awards, presented by the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA), have recognized outstanding achievements in electronic journalism since 1971. These awards embody the values and integrity of Edward R. Murrow, a pioneer of broadcast journalism who set enduring standards for journalistic excellence.
“We’re ecstatic and very proud of our Best Series Edward R. Murrow Award,” said Debbie Holmes, Host & News Producer. ‘State of Religion’ was a newsroom collaboration to bring context around religion and politics, and how and why they come together in Ohio. We hope we’ve helped our audience better understand the state’s unique role in both.”
As a regional winner, WOSU automatically advances to the national round of the competition. National winners will be announced in August and celebrated at the Edward R. Murrow Awards Gala in New York City in October.
Listen to the full State of Religion series at: https://www.wosu.org/stateofreligion.
About WOSU Public Media
The mission of WOSU Public Media is to engage, inform and inspire our diverse community. An NPR and PBS affiliate licensed by The Ohio State University, WOSU is a noncommercial multimedia organization serving over two million citizens in Central Ohio through broadcast, digital, programming, public engagement, and education experiences.
About The Radio Television Digital News Association
The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) is the world's largest professional organization devoted exclusively to broadcast and digital journalism. Founded as a grassroots organization in 1946, RTDNA’s mission is to promote and protect responsible journalism.