MCLEAN, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr. 13, 2017--
TEGNA Inc. (NYSE: TGNA) and WXIA were honored today with a President’s
Special Award by the National Association of Broadcasters Education
Foundation (NABEF). The award is part of NAB’s Celebration of Service to
America Awards, recognizing outstanding community service by local
broadcasters. The President’s Special Award was established in 2008 and
is given periodically to recognize historic and extraordinary
achievement by broadcasters.
The Atticus Team, TEGNA Media’s digital investigative unit out of WXIA
in Atlanta, won for their digital episodic investigation “Charlie
Foxtrot”, which uncovered the reasons behind the national spike in
service member suicides. Shortly after the series ran, the Fairness for
Veterans Act, which addressed many of the issues raised in “Charlie
Foxtrot”, was passed and signed into law.
“I am incredibly proud of the work being done by our Atticus Team and
our journalists across the country that brings awareness to causes and
important issues impacting our communities,” said Dave Lougee,
president, TEGNA Media. “What our journalists do everyday matters and it
is more important than ever that we be an advocate for those in need.
Quality, empowering and innovative journalism, like ‘Charlie Foxtrot’,
makes a difference. Congratulations to our Atticus Team on this
well-deserved honor.”
“Charlie Foxtrot” examined the impact of war, the mental health of
soldiers returning home from battle and the military policy that kicks
service members out when they attempt to take their own life. The
multi-part series debuted across TEGNA Media’s digital platforms. Every
station also ran a portion of the series on-air, with many localizing
the story and showing the direct impact government policies are having
on service members in their community.
In December, the Atticus Team and TEGNA held an event on Capitol Hill
where “Charlie Foxtrot” was screened and members of Congress and
participants in the series spoke about the need to safeguard veterans’
mental health. Shortly after the event, Congress passed, and the
President later signed, the National Defense Authorization Act, which
included the Fairness for Veterans Act.
As a result, the military is now required to consider mental health
conditions for troops who receive less than honorable discharges giving
tens of thousands of former service members access to life-saving
medical treatment. If a service member does something the military
considers undesirable, their mental health will now factor into any
discharge review.
In addition to the President’s Special Award, WXIA’s Atticus Team was
also named a finalist for NAB’s Service to Community Award for their
digital investigation, “The
Triangle”, which uncovered a more than 4000 percent increase in
heroin-related deaths in the Atlanta suburbs over the past five years.
“The Triangle” was TEGNA Media’s first digital, episodic investigation.
About TEGNA
TEGNA Inc. (NYSE: TGNA) is comprised of a dynamic portfolio of media and
digital businesses that provide content that matters and brands that
deliver. TEGNA offers highly relevant, useful and smart content, when
and how people need it, to make the best decisions possible. TEGNA Media
includes 46 television stations and is the largest independent station
group of major network affiliates in the top 25 markets, reaching
approximately one-third of all television households nationwide. TEGNA
Digital is comprised of Cars.com, the leading online destination for
automotive consumers, CareerBuilder, a global leader in human capital
solutions, and G/O Digital, a customized local digital marketing
company. For more information, visit www.TEGNA.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170413005804/en/
Source: TEGNA Inc.
TEGNA Inc.
For media inquiries, contact:
Steve Kidera
Manager,
Corporate Communications
703-873-6434
skidera@TEGNA.com
or
For
investor inquiries, contact:
Jeffrey Heinz
Vice President,
Investor Relations
703-873-6917
jheinz@TEGNA.com
