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CT Public Among Top Public Media Newsrooms in U.S., Winning 7 PMJA National Awards

HARTFORD [July 2, 2025] - Connecticut Public has received seven national awards from the Public Media Journalists Association (PMJA), marking a new record for the organization and establishing it as one of the most recognized public media newsrooms in the country.

Competing against some of the largest public media stations nationwide, Connecticut Public was honored across various categories, including newscasts, spot news, narrative/produced programs, interviews, arts features, and sports features. This recognition showcases the contributions from a diverse team within the newsroom and underscores its commitment to excellence in public service journalism.

This year’s honors included:

Arts Feature, First Place: Diane Orson was recognized for her profile of composer Sawney Freeman, featured in Connecticut Public’s Unforgotten: Connecticut’s Hidden History of Slavery series.

Newscast, Second Place: A Morning Edition newscast anchored by Lori Mack, produced by Jeni Ahrens, and featuring reporting from Eddy Martinez and intern Terell Wright, was honored for its coverage of a winter storm and local news. This marks Connecticut Public’s third consecutive year of earning a newscast award from PMJA.

Sports Feature, Second Place: Eddy Martinez received honors for “Give Them Hope,” a story about a pickleball program inside a Connecticut prison that helps incarcerated individuals build self-worth. The feature also received Best Sports Feature from the Connecticut chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Spot News, First and Second Place included:
First Place: Sujata Srinivasan for “At a Connecticut playground, a new art exhibit calls attention to gun violence, one name at a time.”

Second Place: Chris Polansky and Mark Mirko for “‘Sick of it’: After killings of mother and infant, Hartford advocates call for an end to violence.” This is Polansky’s second consecutive year placing in the spot news category.

Narrative/Produced Program, Second Place: “In Absentia: Wiretapped” was honored for its excellence in long-form storytelling, featuring Bria Lloyd, Kate Seltzer, Meg Dalton, Cassandra Basler, and Jim Haddadin.

Interview, Second Place: CT Public talk show “Disrupted” was recognized for “The Power of Books in Prison,” an interview with poet Reginald Dwayne Betts, featuring host Khalilah Brown-Dean and a producing team of Kevin Chang Barnum, Robyn Doyon-Aitken, Meg Dalton, and Meg Fitzgerald. This is Disrupted’s second consecutive year receiving honors in the interview category.

“I’m so thrilled that colleagues across the newsroom are getting this recognition from PMJA, which honors the best in local public media," said Eric Aasen, Connecticut Public's executive editor. Connecticut Public’s talented journalists are channeling their energy and creativity into serving our audiences with meaningful, high-quality journalism, from daily coverage to in-depth conversations and storytelling. Our listeners, readers, and viewers benefit from their exceptional work.”

“I love how our journalists and storytellers show up for our communities day in and day out,” said Vanessa de la Torre, Chief Content Officer for Connecticut Public. “I’m in constant appreciation of their dedication and skill, and grateful to PMJA for recognizing their efforts as among the best that local public media journalism has to offer.”

The PMJA awards recognize excellence in local journalism produced by public media newsrooms across the United States. The contest offers first- and second-place awards across various editorial categories and is regarded as one of the most prestigious honors in public media news.

About Connecticut Public
Connecticut Public is home to Connecticut Public Television (CPTV) and Connecticut Public Radio (WNPR). Together, Connecticut Public serves more than one million people each week through Connecticut Public Radio and Connecticut Public Television, as well as through our many digital and online platforms, including ctpublic.org. Through our mission to inform, educate, and inspire the people of Connecticut, we connect people of all ages to high-quality journalism, storytelling, education, and experiences, and amplify the voices of our diverse communities.  Connecticut Public’s main offices are located in Hartford, CT, with studios at Gateway Community College in New Haven, CT, as well as Fairfield University in Fairfield, CT. Connecticut Public is also the sole owner of the for-profit MediaVision Creative agency in Norwalk, CT. Connecticut Public is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, with a $22 million annual budget, funded primarily through community support from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors.