WHYY News wins 17 Professional Keystone Media Awards for 2025

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Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association awarded WHYY News 17 Professional Keystone Media Awards, including six first-place finishes.

“These honors celebrate more than journalistic excellence, they recognize a steadfast commitment to serving our communities with reporting that is accurate, thoughtful and impactful,” said Bill Marrazzo, WHYY president and CEO.

Among the winning entries are stories that focus on ongoing issues including the debate over SEPTA’s budget shortfall and the indictment – and its subsequent dismissal – of New Jersey power broker George Norcross. The association also recognized WHYY News coverage of the Eagles’ Super Bowl LIX win and the parade that followed.

The Pulse, a WHYY-produced podcast, was recognized for a Veterans Day episode on healing for soldiers returning from combat. The episode explored a psychedelic treatment in Mexico as well as therapy through making ceramic mugs. The Pulse audio program is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Sutherland Family.

“I’m incredibly proud of our journalists, editors and producers, whose work strengthens civic life and helps our audiences better understand the issues shaping our region,” Marrazzo said. “We are especially grateful to our audiences, and those who have become members of WHYY, who make this public service possible.”

The awards come in the association’s Radio 1 category, a division for large radio markets such as Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

The Professional Keystone Media Awards recognize journalism that “provides relevance, integrity, and initiative in serving readers and audiences.”

The goal of the awards program is to “stimulate journalists to improve their craft and ultimately improve their community.”

“Winning 17 Keystone awards is a profound honor that underscores our news team’s dedication, journalistic integrity and doggedness for telling the stories that matter most to our local communities,” said Sarah Glover, WHYY vice president of news and civic dialogue. “Thank you for trusting WHYY to be a reliable source of news and information.”

Below is the list of WHYY award recipients. All of the award winners can be found online.

First-place

• Best Continuing Coverage: George Norcross: Power and Consequence | P. Kenneth Burns
• Best Series: SEPTA’s $230 budget deficit and planned cuts to service puts Greater Philly transit riders in a tailspin | Cory Sharber
• Best Documentary:  How Veterans Find Healing After War| The Pulse at WHYY
• Best Reporter/Anchor: Kenny Cooper
• Best Sports Coverage: The Eagles’ Road to Victory | Jennifer Lynn
• Podcast: MOVE at 40 | Tom MacDonald, Charlie Kaier, Mark Eichmann and Sarah Glover

Second-place

Best Newscast: The Philadelphia Eagles command Super Bowl LIX | Jennifer Lynn and Cory Sharber

• Best Spot News Coverage: 7 killed, at least 22 injured in fiery Northeast Philly plane crash | Kenny Cooper, Phil Davis and Emily Neil
• Best Investigative Reporting: Delaware County residents plagued with longer ambulance rides, emergency room waits | Kenny Cooper
• Best Enterprise Reporting: Pennsylvania residents, firefighters support legislation to ban toxic firefighting foam | Zoë Read
• Best Feature: Curbside Happy Hour | Kenny Cooper
• Best Reporter/Anchor: Tom MacDonald
• Best Digital Presence: WHYY News Digital News Coverage | WHYY News Digital & Reporting Teams
• Best Use of Photography: 2025 Visual Coverage | Kenny Cooper

Honorable Mention

• Best Spot News Coverage: Active shooter report at Villanova University was a ‘cruel hoax,’ no injuries reported | Cory Sharber and Kenny Cooper
• Best Sports Feature: Suburban Philadelphia skaters find community in roller derby: ‘The harder you hit them, the more you love them’ | Kenny Cooper and Emily Neil
• Best Use of Photography: Scenes from the Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl 59 victory parade | Emma Lee, Kimberly Paynter, Tom MacDonald and Meir Rinde