VPR's Charlotte Albright Wins A 2013 Gracie Award

We're thrilled to announce that VPR has won a 2013 Gracie Award®. Upper Valley and Northeast Kingdom Reporter Charlotte Albright was recognized in the outstanding hard news feature category for her story, "Female Veterans Share Experiences at New Women’s Center at VA Hospital."

The Gracies are presented by the Alliance For Women In Media and honor outstanding national and local work "created for women, by women and about women, as well as individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the industry."

The Comprehensive Care Center for Women at the VA Hospital in White River Junction was fairly new last fall when Albright decided to profile the center. In doing so, she discovered there were some compelling stories to tell about the women who were using the new center.

The Gracies strive to encourage the realistic and faceted portrayal of women in entertainment, commercials, news, features and other programs. You can browse a full list of 2013 Gracie Award winners here.

Congratulations, Charlotte!

VPR's Expanded Legislative Coverage

The Legislature convenes this week, and VPR News will bring you broader and deeper coverage throughout the 2013 session.

The session begins on Wednesday, and Vermont Edition will broadcast live from the Statehouse at noon. Jane Lindholm will speak with House and Senate leaders about the goals and priorities for the session.

On Thursday, January 10, VPR News will carry live coverage of Gov. Peter Shumlin’s inaugural address at 1:30 p.m., hosted by Jane Lindholm and Bob Kinzel.

VPR’s audio stream from the Vermont House and Senate goes live beginning a 10 a.m. on Wednesday. The stream can be heard online at VPR.net or via VPR’s iPhone and Android apps, allowing listeners to tune in to proceedings anytime, anywhere.

Listen throughout the session for expanded legislative coverage. Reporters Bob Kinzel and John Dillon will continue their in-depth coverage of day-to-day developments, trends, and features, with a greater concentration on breaking news.

On Saturdays at 9:30 a.m., host Peter Biello will interview Bob Kinzel about the developments of the past week and a preview of the coming week.

In addition, reporter Kirk Carapezza will spend several days a week in Montpelier covering the Legislature for VPR’s digital reports. He’ll keep a legislative blog, post photos from the Statehouse, and update followers via Twitter (@KirkCarapezza) and VPR’s Facebook page.

You can keep up with all of VPR’s Legislative coverage at VPR.net.

VPR Expands Service In Brattleboro & Southern Vermont

88.9 Coverage Map

We are thrilled to announce that Vermont Public Radio has expanded its service in Brattleboro and southern Vermont!

You can now listen to VPR News on a new full-power station at 88.9 FM. 88.9 can be heard from Bellows Falls in the north to Greenfield, Mass., in the south, and from Marlboro in the west to Keene, NH in the east; covering a total population of about 145,000.

Next week, Brattleboro's former translator station in Brattleboro at 94.5 FM will move to 94.3 FM, increase power from 10 to 190 watts, and begin broadcasting VPR Classical throughout Brattleboro and surrounding towns, including Vernon and Guilford.* About 22,000 people will be able to hear that station.

VPR Classical is also available on 88.9-HD 2 with an HD radio.

94.3 Coverage Map

The addition of 88.9 drastically improves reception in Brattleboro and Windham County. It’s an area of Vermont that has never been able to receive VPR well, and this new station fulfills VPR’s long-time goal of serving the Brattleboro area with a stronger broadcast signal. The station also provides “first service” to more than 18,000 people who do not have reliable access to public radio at all. The addition of VPR Classical at 94.3 brings VPR’s 24-hour classical music network to the Brattleboro area for the first time.

We hope you will try out the new stations and let us know how they are sounding in your area!

*Update 11/12/12: VPR Classical is on on the air at 94.3 in Brattleboro as of this morning!

The Brock-Shumlin Debate

You’ve probably heard the on-air messages referring to VPR’s  Brock and Shumlin debate, and if you’ve been listening closely, you know there’s quite a bit going on behind the scenes.

The planning for VPR governor’s debate began many weeks ago when we set the date of September 12 for the debate. But the Progressive Party primary ended in a cliffhanger on August 28, with candidate Martha Abbott receiving one vote more (371 votes) than Annette Smith (370 write-in votes). A recount is scheduled to determine the winner. However, the results of the recount are not expected until after the VPR debate.

So we will proceed with the debate with the two candidates and get the Progressive candidate on the air soon after the results are in.

Sometimes, we receive questions about the debate process on VPR. VPR invites major party candidates to debates leading up to the General Election. Major parties are those political parties in which at least one candidate has received five percent of the vote in any statewide office in the previous General Election. We use this definition for debate participation to provide listeners an opportunity to hear a meaningful back-and-forth among the leading candidates. In this format, listeners can draw clear distinctions between the candidates and hear them challenge each others' views.

However, debates are only one part of VPR’s election coverage. There are independent and minor party candidates who may not be as well known, and VPR includes candidates who do not have major party status in news coverage through interviews or news stories in order to get their issues before the public as well.

Six National PRNDI Awards For VPR News

VPR News was recognized last weekend by our peers in public radio for our extensive coverage of Tropical Storm Irene's aftermath.

VPR News received four 1st Place awards and two 2nd Place honors at Public Radio News Directors Inc.'s annual conference. PRNDI singles out the best work in public radio each year in four categories. VPR competes in the large station category, which includes major metro stations WNYC, WBUR, and KPLU.


Here are the awards that VPR won:

First Place - Continuing Coverage. Coverage of Tropical Storm Irene.
First Place - Best Multi-Media Presentation. The Irene Effect: Responding to a Tropical Storm's Destruction.
First Place - News/Public Affairs Program. Vermont Edition: Update of Storm Devastation.
First Place - Commentary. April Doherty: First Days.
Second Place - News Feature. Plymouth Rallies Around Residents Who Lost Homes To Irene.
Second Place - Use of Sound. Tapping Backyard Maples.

We appreciate the recognition, of course, but it's bittersweet, considering that we were reporting on the worst disaster to hit our region in decades. We are dedicated to covering the story of Irene recovery for as long as necessary. Thank you for putting your trust in VPR News.

"Generation Gap," Is Now An iBook

The VPR News series, Generation Gap, is now available in the iTunes store as an iBook.

You can download the book for free from the Apple Store.  It can be viewed using iBooks 2 on an iPad with iOS 5.

The book looks at how young people ages 20-34 continue to leave Vermont in search of jobs and how it affects the economic and cultural well-being of the state.

We're considering releasing additional E-books in the future and we welcome your suggestions and feedback on this first offering!

Help VPR Win A Knight News Challenge Grant

Knight Foundation News Challenge

Each year, the Knight Foundation makes grants to support, among other causes, Journalism & Media Innovation. This year, the Knight News Challenge is being issued in three rounds, and your vote can help us get to the semi-finals: here's how!

VPR has applied for this first round of funding to expand our local news service, Public Post. Public Post leverages the network of Vermont city & town meeting minutes to create a tool for journalists as well as a hub for discussion and sharing among citizens. It allows anyone - reporters, bloggers, town officials, and citizens - to search across town meeting minutes for key themes as well as to comment on, share, and embed the minutes. The goal of the Post is to identify local news stories and themes of concern to Vermonters, in an open online space.

We're applying for the Knight Challenge Grant to expand the service to many more cities and towns and to enhance the data journalism tools. Currently, the Post includes the minutes from more than 70 cities and towns across the state; with improved tools for collecting government minutes, we plan to increase the number of towns represented in the Post. With improved tools for computer-assisted reporting, we will leverage the index of records to automatically identify news stories, topics, and trends being discussed at local government meetings.

How YOU Can Help

The Knight folks have stated that the five Applications receiving the most Likes, Re-blogs, Tweets, and Comments will automatically become semi-finalists. We want YOU to show your support. Here's how:

• Do you use Tumblr? If so, visit the VPR Application (it's posted on Tumblr) here and Re-blog, Like, or Comment on our application to show your support.
• Do you use Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo, Google, Disqus, or OpenID? If so, visit the VPR Application and scroll down to the Disqus Comment box and "Like" it there and/or leave a comment. You can login with your Facebook, Twitter, Disqus, Yahoo, Google, or OpenID logins.
• If you do use Twitter, Tweet your support of the Public Post grant. Please include the Knight Foundation's Twitter handle @knightfdn and the #VPR hashtag.
• Spread the word! Share this blog post on Facebook, Twitter, and with your email contacts and ask your friends to support this local journalism effort.

Thank you in advance. Taking these quick and simple steps will really help spread the word and show the Knight Foundation that you and your fellow Vermonters support local journalism with impact.

The News Is Very Serious Business.

But that doesn't prevent the VPR News team from writing silly songs to entertain and thank our loyal volunteers during our membership drive. We've heard pledge drive-themed songs based on the theme from Three's Company, Do-Re-Mi, and the theme from Gilligan's Island...and let's not forget Mitch Wertlieb's funky beats.



We take our responsibility to provide essential news, information, music, and conversation very seriously, but sometimes we just need to show a little love for the listeners and members that make VPR thrive! Do you have a public radio-themed ditty to share? Let us know and it may make the rounds at our next fundraiser. Also, donations of funny hats are welcomed and encouraged!

VPR News Honored In State House Resolution

Vermont Public Radio was honored last month in a Resolution of the Vermont Legislature for VPR's news coverage of Tropical Storm Irene.

The Resolution specifically honors Vermont Edition "for its extraordinary community service in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene," and for its "factual and reassuring voice, enabling Vermonters to comprehend the extent of the storm-related damage...".

It also recognizes the efforts of the VPR staff for keeping people informed via VPR.net and social media.

(Photo: Vermont Edition Managing Producer Patti Daniels, Producer Ric Cengeri, and Host Jane Lindholm with the resolution.)

VPR News Special Calculates “The Irene Effect”

From Senior Reporter Steve Zind:

Just below me on my Braintree road, there’s a strip of land where a neighbor’s house stood before being destroyed in Tropical Storm Irene. For me that spot, empty but for some scattered household belongings, is a daily reminder of the incredible loss some Vermonters experienced in the storm and how, months afterward, many people are still living with the devastating floods of August 28th.

That ongoing struggle is one of the messages of “The Irene Effect” airing on VPR next Wednesday, December 14th at noon and 7 p.m. Producer Lynne McCrea and I have been visiting individuals and communities changed by the storm and we’ve been listening to the dozens of stories VPR reporters have done in the past several months, tallying the effects and the lessons of Irene.

“The Irene Effect” tells many stories: The young couple whose lost farm can’t be replaced, a mother who found the strength to speak out on behalf of mobile home owners after her own home was inundated, and a community that discovered it could take care of its own when Irene cut it off from the outside world.

We also take you out on our roads and rivers, to see how they’ve been rebuilt and reshaped, and find out if we’re better protected from future storms.

“The Irene Effect” takes stock of where Vermont stands nearly four months after the historic flood. I hope you can check it out Wednesday, December 14th at noon and 7 p.m. on VPR, Saturday December 17th at 4 p.m., Wednesday the 28th at 9 a.m., and online at VPR.net.

Photo Credits: AP/Tony Talbot,

Remembering 9/11

Like so many others, I’m reflecting this week about the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

I didn’t work at VPR back then, in fact, I had only recently moved to Vermont. Without cable or internet in the old Shoreham schoolhouse that was my new home, VPR was my only link to what happened that day. I didn’t even see video footage of the attacks until a week later. Ten years on, I am still grateful to VPR for being both my source of information and of comfort in the days that followed.

The 9/11 terrorist attacks and Tropical Storm Irene are very different events, of course, but as we have received comments and calls from listeners about our coverage of the storm and its aftermath, I can’t help but draw comparisons. It is a big responsibility to be your lifeline and a source of comfort in times of crisis, but it is one we take very seriously.

This week, VPR is remembering 9/11. Listen for interviews, stories, commentaries, and an audio “memory quilt” of your reflections, which was produced in partnership with the Vermont Folklife Center. On Friday, join a conversation about 9/11 on Vermont Edition at noon and 7 p.m. And on Sunday, listen beginning at 8 a.m. for special coverage from NPR.

You can explore our coverage and share your reflections online here.

VPR News' Irene Blog

VPR has been receiving a lot of information from VPR listeners, state agencies, and others in the aftermath of Irene. Much of it makes it on the air and VPR.net, but much of it doesn’t. So we've created a new news blog as an outlet for that information as a means to share it with anyone interested.



Freelancer Neel Tandan (at left) is helping us post content to the blog. If you have news to contribute please send it to news@vpr.net.

Thank you for being part of this important community effort.

Tropical Storm Irene Coverage

"Vermonters need each other. You are our conduit."

That was what one listener wrote to us about our coverage of Tropical Storm Irene and its aftermath. As the damage is assessed and the recovery continues, VPR will continue to provide the information and resources people need during this difficult time as well as the opportunity to share their stories and connect with one another.

During Sunday's storm, VPR broadcast hourly news updates with reports from across Vermont from our news team as well as the Eye on the Sky at the Fairbanks Museum. Additionally, we had a dynamic map on VPR.net that allowed Vermonters to follow the track of the storm and links to key services, road closure information and shelter locations.

Our coverage this week has been comprehensive with significant updates, interviews, and news stories throughout the day. Vermont Edition has been airing live at noon and 7 p.m., focusing on recovery efforts around the region and first-hand reports from listeners and regional officials.

We've also created a special section of VPR.net with aggregated news, photos, and links to important resources like road closures and volunteer opportunities. Listeners are also connecting on our Facebook page and sharing their photos and videos of the storm.

Here is a look at our news coverage plan for the next several days:

Vermont Edition will continue to be live at noon and 7 p.m. through Friday, and will focus on the state's recovery from Irene. We'll also be on the air live at noon on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Let us know what's happening in your town, what efforts are underway and what questions you have about cleanup efforts. Email your questions or comments to vermontedition@vpr.net.

We'll continue broadcasting hourly local newscasts at :04 after the hour between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. through Friday, in addition to longer reports during Morning Edition and All Things Considered. We have reporters, producers, and audio engineers spread out throughout the affected areas, including Bob Kinzel in central Vermont, Melody Bodette and Nina Keck in Rutland County, John Dillon in the Deerfield Valley, Nancy Cohen of WNPR along Route 9, Susan Keese in Newfane and Brattleboro, Patti Daniels in Manchester, Betty Smith in the Upper Valley, and Matt Laslo in Washington D.C.

You'll find all of our coverage plus resources and photos online at VPR.net.

The aftermath of Irene is a fast-moving developing story and the recovery will be a long process, and you can count on VPR will continue reporting on the clean-up and rebuilding efforts ahead.

A Memory Quilt of 9/11 Reflections

Vermont Public Radio will be at four locations around the state this Saturday, August 20, collecting Vermonters’ thoughts and memories of September 11^th.

VPR reporters will be stationed in the following locations to record reflections for an audio "memory quilt" that will be broadcast the week of September 5^th in commemoration of the 10^th anniversary of 9/11:

• Barton: Orleans County Fair, in the far corner of the parking lot, 1-4 p.m.
  
• Brattleboro: Farmers Market, Rte. 9 near the Creamery Covered Bridge, 10 a.m. – noon
• Burlington: City Hall Park near Church Street, 10 a.m. – noon.
  
• Rutland: Farmers Market at the northwest corner of Depot Park, 10 a.m. – noon.

Reporters will ask participants about their experience of September 11, 2001, and how the events of that day changed their daily lives and the way they view the world.

VPR is also working with the Vermont Folklife Center, which is making arrangements to record people at its office in Middlebury.

Watch for details next week about more ways to participate in this project. All of the audio will be posted at VPR.net. And all the comments will be collected and preserved in the archive at the Vermont Folklife Center.

Photo credit: AP Photo/Shawn Baldwin

VPR News Wins Three PRNDI Awards

I had the honor over the weekend to accept three from our peers in public radio at the annual conference of Public Radio News Directors Inc.

VPR competes in the large station category for PRNDI and won two first-place awards and one second.

Jane Lindholm won first in the Use Of Sound category for one of the Summer School pieces on Vermont Edition. Jane taught us how to milk a cow. There's nothing like hearing the milk hit the bottom of the pail or the cows bellowing to sonically take you to the barn.

Commentator Madeleine Kunin took a first for her commentary "Requiem." She told of hearing a performance of Verdi's Requiem in Burlington on the anniversary of a similar performance at the Theresienstadt Nazi concentration camp outside Prague. I won't give away the ending, except to say it's worth listening to this poignant piece.

And, finally, VPR News took a second place for spot news coverage of the 2010 election when Brian Dubie conceded in the governor's race.

These awards may have been won by individuals, but they represent the hard work of the entire team of reporters, producers and hosts who bring you VPR News every day. And we hope they also demonstrate how valuable our listeners' support is in producing meaningful reporting.

VPR Wins Three National Edward R. Murrow Awards

We were thrilled to learn today that Steve Zind and VPR's news and programming team has been honored with three 2011 national Edward R. Murrow Awards for excellence in electronic journalism.

VPR was recognized for the documentary “Afghanistan’s Other War,” use of sound in a report on night patrol with the Vermont National Guard and the Afghan National Police, and for the writing in An Appreciation of the Cluster Fly.

The Murrow Awards are presented by the Radio-Television News Directors Association (RTNDA). VPR won three of 13 national awards in the small market radio category. Earlier this year, VPR was recognized with six regional Murrow Awards for outstanding news coverage. The award will be presented to VPR during a ceremony in New York City in October. A full listing of national Murrow Award winners is available here.

Afghanistan’s Other War was produced by John Van Hoesen. Lynne McCrea produced the night patrol story. Zind’s reporting from Afghanistan was made possible by the VPR Journalism Fund, which covered the expenses associated with the coverage.

Congratulations to Steve and the VPR News team! And thank you for making VPR your source for essential, trusted, and in-depth news and information.

VPR Examines the Future of Big Wind

There has been a lot of talk about whether industrial-scale wind energy projects should be built on Vermont's ridgelines. But so far, that's been about it: A lot of talk and very little construction.

So what is the future of wind energy in this state that prides itself on its dedication to renewable energy and preservation of the environment?

We may begin to find out in the next year. The Public Service Board will begin considering in early February the largest project yet proposed, on Lowell Mountain. And the U.S. Forest Service likely will rule on a project in Searsburg and Readsboro that would be the first commercial wind project in a national forest.

VPR News goes behind those headlines to explore the issue in a series, Big Wind's Future. What divides communities where projects are proposed? Are they capable of producing as much electricity and reducing greenhouse gases as much as supporters contend? How are they financed? And where do the profits from them flow?

Tune in to Morning Edition and All Things Considered on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to learn the answers.

Listener Feedback: Gubernatorial Debate

A lot goes on behind the scenes to prepare for a live broadcast debate with the candidates for governor. The format needs to be clearly thought out, the hosts' questions need to be researched in advance, listener questions are sought and incorporated, the candidates themselves need to agree to the date involved, microphones need to be wired in place and checked for proper audio levels, media coverage needs to be considered, and more.

It's no small job but it's a great public service and very exciting to be able to provide a statewide opportunity for Vermonters to hear a one-on-one debate.

So it was especially heartwarming after the debate when a listener wrote in and said this:

"You put some needed and clear pressure on, grilled them, did not let them slide endlessly around the park and tried to get the treasured goods. The candidates responded. The result was 90 minutes of quality."

He also said in his note: "Who won? I think Kinzel and Lindholm won."

Thank you! A few other comments we received:

"Job well done last night with the questions and keeping at these two who continue to wiggle around answering straight on. It is clear that Dubie and Shumlin are not fond of one another. I think they are testy with eachother and you both do a good job of defusing the heat." - Amy Robb, Pomfret

"That was the best political debate by miles I ever saw. Bob's and Jane's preparation was super outstanding. The candidates were easy to appreciate for who they are. VPR did a fantastic job informing the public, so Democracy can perform its miracle. I could not be more pleased." - Dan Allen, Montpelier

"Thank you very much for hosting the debate this evening. I was very impressed with the way both Jane and Bob managed the evening and keeping the candidates "on task" to answer the question at hand and allowing the opportunity for the public to participate." - Mei Mei Brown, Brandon


We're so glad our preparation came through! Jane and Bob did their very best to help you draw clear distinctions between the candidates, the VPR staff behind the scenes were the broad shoulders of the debate, and you, the listeners, made it possible to begin with. If you missed the debate, you can listen to it online here.

Covering the Primary

Vermont moved up the date of the primary election. But it still seems like it’s been a long time coming, doesn’t it?

Just think about it. Five Democrats running for Governor (pictured at left during their live debate last week on VPR). Two apiece competing for Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of State. There’s a pair of Republicans going for Lieutenant Governor and two more in the Secretary of State’s race.

Plus there’s a contest among three Republicans who want to challenge Rep. Peter Welch. And there’s a fellow Democrat who’s challenging Sen. Patrick Leahy.

For news junkies, an election doesn’t get much better than this, does it?

VPR News is hoping to help fill your news junkie appetite this week. We’ll update you on Monday with all of the last-minute election preparations during our newscasts in Morning Edition and All Things Considered. (Need a schedule of when our newscasts air? Check it out here.)

Next Tuesday on primary day itself, we’ll keep you posted throughout the day in our newscasts and online about anything that comes up. And then it’ll be the long wait for the votes to be counted.

This is a primary, so it’ll take a long time to tally it all. We’ll air brief newscasts at 9 and 10 p.m. Tuesday so listeners will know everything we know. And we’ll post summaries online of the vote count as it comes in.

Finally, tune in to Morning Edition on Wednesday for the results (if all the races are decided by then!) And at noon we’ll have a reporters’ roundtable on Vermont Edition to analyze the outcome.

Oh, right. And then get ready to do it all over again for November!

Accepting VPR's PRNDI Awards

VPR News was recognized over the weekend by our public radio news colleagues for some of our best work in 2009.

Public Radio News Directors Inc. met in Louisville, Ky. The conference was capped by an annual awards banquet, where VPR News took home three honors in the large-station category.

VPR’s Lynne McCrea took a first place for “Homeless family puts down roots.” It was the final installment in a moving series that followed a family’s search for a home. Listen to the winning story and the entire series here.

VPR’s Nina Keck won second place in the spot news category for “Olympian Andrea Mead Lawrence Succumbs To Cancer.”

And VPR commentator Jay Parini also got a second place for his thoughts “On Cosmic Ambiguity.”

We also want to congratulate our neighbors and friends across Lake Champlain, North Country Public Radio, for three awards: NCPR took a first place for enterprise/investigative reporting: “Hackett's Underwater;" second place for interview: "Dede Scozzafava on the Heart and Soul of the GOP;" and second place for continuing coverage: "A Year of Hard Choices."

Photo: NCPR News Director Martha Foley and me at the awards banquet.