KYUK, along with public radio partners Alaska Public Media and KNBA, have been honored with a national Edward R. Murrow award for their collaborative coverage of the impact of ex-typhoon Halong on the people of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta — those who remain in their villages, and the hundreds who remain displaced.
The award, presented by the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA), is one of the most prestigious professional radio awards for outstanding achievement in broadcast journalism.
KYUK, Alaska Public Media, and KNBA were eligible for consideration for this national honor after winning a regional award for the same Typhoon Halong reporting in late May. KYUK was also honored in May with a regional Murrow award for its “A Changing Trail” series.
Every award KYUK receives is shared with our community. That is especially true in this case, where the award is for work documenting the upheaval, devastation, and persistent hope of the villages in our region in the wake of ex-typhoon Halong. Quyana cakneq for trusting us with your stories.
The award is also a reminder of the responsibility and commitment that KYUK has to serve the communities of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. Our work is not over.
KYUK last won a national Murrow award in 2020 for the video “The Legacy of Maryann Sundown and Agnes Aguchak,” produced after the 2019 Cama’i Dance Festival.
KYUK, Alaska Public Media, and KNBA will be honored along with other 2026 national Murrow award winners and nominees at a banquet in New York City on Oct. 12, one year to the day after the devastating storm.
KYUK News Director Evan Erickson and reporter Samantha Watson will remain in Bethel for the anniversary of Typhoon Halong. Former news director Sage Smiley will accept the award on their behalf.
Read KYUK’s ongoing coverage of the far-ranging effects of ex-typhoon Halong below.
