While NBC News wins the Overall Excellence award from the RTDNA, ABC News takes home three top awards for some of the biggest stories of 2011. ABC wins the Video Breaking News award for their coverage of the killing of Osama Bin Laden and the Continuing Coverage award for the shooting and recovery of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. ABC’s Giffords coverage culminated in November when Giffords and her astronaut husband Mark sat down with Diane Sawyer for a look at her nine months of recovery.
“In this past year of extraordinary news events at home and around the world, the people of ABC News have proven once again they will go to the greatest lengths to bring our audience the whole picture,” says ABC News president Ben Sherwood.
The Hard News reporting award was also won by ABC News for a report a world away: the famine in Somalia. “World News” weekend anchor David Muir traveled to the frontlines of the crisis in July and again in September.
“It is humbling to be recognized by our peers,” Muir tells TVNewser.” But more importantly, this Edward R. Murrow Award will serve as a powerful reminder that our viewers do care about the famine and fight for survival still playing out a world away.”
Last July the New York Times highlighted “the pivotal role the media plays in spurring fund raising after disasters.”