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Two ENC newsrooms win 2026 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for local reporting

PRE News & Ideas | By Annette Weston
Published May 29, 2026 at 5:26 AM EDT

Two Eastern North Carolina newsrooms secured prestigious 2026 Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards for their local reporting. The Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) announced the Region 8 winners, honoring both WITN-TV and Public Radio East (PRE) for outstanding broadcast journalism.

Public Radio East won the Best News Series award for small market radio. PRE’s news team was recognized for "The Camp Lejeune Water Crisis," an extensive investigative series probing the ongoing health fallout and legal battles surrounding toxic water exposure at the local military base.

WITN-TV captured the Hard News Honor for small market television. News Anchor Dave Jordan and Chief Videographer Brandon Hardison won for their deep-dive report detailing how regional healthcare facilities face multimillion-dollar losses due to federal Medicaid cuts.

Both regional victories mean WITN and PRE automatically advance to the national competition, where they will represent Eastern North Carolina against winners from 13 other regions. The RTDNA will announce the national Murrow Award winners in August 2026.
Annette Weston
Annette is originally a Midwest gal, born and raised in Michigan, but with career stops in many surrounding states, the Pacific Northwest, and various parts of the southeast. An award-winning journalist and mother of four, Annette moved to eastern North Carolina in 2019 to be closer to family – in particular, her two young grandchildren. It’s possible that a -27 day with a -68 windchill in Minnesota may have also played a role in that decision. In her spare time, Annette does a lot of kiddo cuddling, reading, and producing the coolest Halloween costumes anyone has ever seen. She has also worked as a diversity and inclusion facilitator serving school districts and large corporations. It’s the people that make this beautiful area special, and she wants to share those stories that touch the hearts of others. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.
See stories by Annette Weston