KRWG Public Media received several honors in the 2023 New Mexico Press Women Communications Contest. This year, KRWG students shined in the contest. Student employee Kienna Rodriguez won first place for her interview on the Las Cruces Farmer’s Market ranking top in the state. Also, KRWG Public Media Scholar Noah Raess won first place for a prepared report for television on pecan farmers facing big challenges with drought. Raess also took second-place honors in the professional division for his in-depth report on residents and business owners in Las Cruces voicing concerns about public safety. Raess and Rodriguez have moved on to compete in nationals, where winners will be announced on June 24th at the National Federation of Press Women annual conference in Cincinnati, Ohio.
KRWG Public Media’s production team took home third-place honors for the television talk show “Fronteras- A Changing America” for a program focusing on mental health. Television production manager Christian Valle and Senior Television Producer Evelyn Sandoval shared the honors.
In radio, All Things Considered, host/reporter Scott Brocato took home third place for his interview with Rabbis from across the country, who visited the border last year to learn more about the humanitarian issue happening in El Paso, TX and Cuidad Juárez.
Also, in radio, Intermezzo host Leora Zeitlin won third place for a prepared report for radio for a tribute to Dr. William Clark, band maestro, and longtime NMSU professor and former chair of the music department who passed away last year. Zeitlin also won an honorable mention for her interview with tubist, author, and inspirational speaker Richard Antoine Wells. Fiesta host Emily Guerra won honorable mentions for her interviews with deported U.S. Army Veteran, Ivan Ocón, about his return home to Las Cruces and her interview with Carol McCall with the Mesilla Valley Film Society about the historic Fountain Theatre in the Town of Mesilla.
KRWG Public Media also won first place for the sweepstakes award as an organization.