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Alabama Public Radio honored during 75th anniversary of oldest regional journalism award competition in the U.S.

Alabama Public Radio | By APR Staff
Published July 12, 2025 at 6:00 AM CDT
Voter rally in Mobile ahead of the first ever election for Alabama's newly redrawn U.S. House seat in District 2
Pat Duggins
Voter rally in Mobile ahead of the first ever election for Alabama's newly redrawn U.S. House seat in District 2

Alabama Public Radio was among the news organizations to be recognized during the Society of Professional Journalists “Green Eyeshade Awards,” which observed its seventy fifth anniversary as the nation’s oldest and largest regional competition to judge the best journalism in the southeast. APR received a First Place for “Best Documentary” for its eight month investigation into Alabama’s newly redrawn U.S. House Seat in District two, in the state’s impoverished Black Belt region. The news team competed alongside stations in Atlanta, Miami, and News Orleans during the judging. Alabama’s new Congressional District was also the subject of the latest episode of “APR Notebook.”

The work of the APR news team about the new Congressional District also received a First Place for Special Election Coverage from The Public Media Journalists Association, and two regional Edward R. Murrow Awards from the Radio Television Digital News Association, for Best Documentary and Best Coverage of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The staff of Blue Ridge Public Radio, in Asheville, N.C., received The Green Eyeshade Award, the competition's Best of Show honor, for its Hurricane Helene coverage in a package titled “Hell or High Water.” The Green Eyeshade judging panel said: "As Hurricane Helene (North Carolina's worst natural disaster on record) ravaged the state, Blue Ridge Public Radio became a lifeline to its community with integrated real-time analysis, investigative reporting, fact-checking, communications innovations and wide audience reach. This work exemplifies the power of integrating feature reporting with storytelling, data analytics, and compelling photography in a multimedia platform. Especially impressive was BPR's post-Helene coverage holding community leaders accountable."

Best of Division winners include

  • Print & Digital Writing: South Florida Sun Sentinel – Cindy Krischer Goodman, Carline Jean & Mike Stocker, Born to Die series
  • Graphics & Photography: Tallahassee Democrat – Alicia Devine, The Sports Shots of Alicia Devine
  • Video / Television: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution – Fraser Jones, Finding his mom after deadly Hurricane Helene strands thousands in North Carolina
  • Audio / Radio: Blue Ridge Public Radio – Staff, Hell or High Water: BPR's coverage of Hurricane Helene
  • Digital / Online: WABE – Stephannie Stokes & WABE Online Staff, Division of Families
  • Students: Caplin News Staff, Florida International University, Reporting Collection

Since 1950, the Green Eyeshade Awards—hosted by Region 3 and Region 12 of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ)—have honored exceptional journalism. Net profits are reinvested into training, programs and advocacy for journalists.

Journalists from 12 southeastern states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia) as well as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are eligible to enter.

This year, in honor of the competition's 75th year, organizers expanded its coverage area and revamped its categories to reflect the evolving media landscape—changes that resulted in a 57 percent increase in entries over last year.
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News Shomari FiguresAPR NotebookAlabama Public Radio.gerrymanderinggerrymanderingCongressional Black CaucusVoting Rights Act
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