Eyewitness News was honored with six first place awards from the Louisiana Associated Press Broadcasters Association over the weekend, including top awards for best website, best investigative reporting and best breaking news coverage in the region.
WWL-TV won more first place awards than any other local TV station. The awards were presented Saturday at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans.
WWLTV.com was honored as the best website in the contest, named tops in the state among entries from TV stations in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Shreveport.
Investigative reporters David Hammer, Katie Moore, Mike Perlstein and photographer/editor T.J. Pipitone earned first place honors in the investigative reporting category for their series “NOPD: Call Waiting.” The same series, which was produced in conjunction with The New Orleans Advocate, also earned a first place award for in-depth series and a second place award for continuing coverage. Earlier, the series also won the 2016 Sigma Delta Chi award for best non-deadline news reporting of the year and earned a regional Edward R. Murrow award.
Also in the AP awards contest, Eyewitness News Meteorologist Dave Nussbaum earned the first place award for best weathercast. Meteorologist Alexandra Cranford was awarded second place in the same category.
Eyewitness News was also honored with a first place award in the public affairs category. Anchors Karen Swensen and Mike Hoss, photographer/editor Brian Lukas and Executive Producer Dominic Massa won the award for their documentary, “Katrina: 10 Days, 10 Years” marking the tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
WWL also earned the first and second place awards for spot news coverage. Former reporter/anchor Tania Dall and photographer Neil Giurintano were awarded first place for their coverage of the Lafayette movie theater shooting. Northshore Bureau chief Ashley Rodrigue and photographer Tom Moore won second place in the same category.
Additionally, Eyewitness News producer Carrie Champagne earned a third place award for best newscast for Eyewitness News at Six.
