UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — WPSU-FM is the recipient of multiple state and national awards for outstanding work in radio journalism, including honors for use of sound and environmental reporting.
The station received a 2025 Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters award and three awards from the Public Media Journalists Association (PMJA), reflecting WPSU-FM’s commitment to high-quality, community-centered reporting.
Among the PMJA honors, news director Emily Reddy earned first place for her use of sound, which is an essential element in radio journalism where audio must carry the full weight of storytelling.
“One of my favorite things about radio reporting is being able to pull listeners into a story by using natural sound and interviewees speaking in their own voices. Listeners get to hear from people in their natural environments, their excitement, frustration, anger and hope,” Reddy said. “It's also an intimate format, and, if it's done well, it can seem like the reporter is speaking directly to each listener.”
The PMJA also awarded second place for reporter Anne Danahy’s feature story that explored climate and environmental themes at the PA Firefly Festival. Reddy pointed out that natural sound from a firefly was not an option, so Danahy had to find other ways to engage listeners.
“We know that fireflies don't make sound, so we had to brainstorm about where we might find some alternative sound,” Reddy said. “The sound for that story came from the people at the festival reacting to the fireflies, describing what the fireflies are doing, walking through the woods to see the fireflies, and, in one instance, a woman stopping to protect fireflies on the ground.”
Reddy’s team also collaborates with Penn State students to teach the art of storytelling through sound and other media. Erell Williams was an intern at WPSU and a student in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications when she worked on an award-winning story with Reddy and WPSU Reporter Sydney Roach. In this instance, it was their use of photos and video on social media that won an award from the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters for Outstanding Radio Use of Digital Media.
“We talk the students through the details of what they should collect in the field and how. What interesting sound will be available? Who should they interview? Is there a way to add context to the story? And how to capture the clearest audio possible,” Reddy said. “Since visual elements are possible for social media, they also need to think through what the best opportunity for photos and video would be.”
Details about the stories and journalists receiving accolades from Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters and Public Media Journalists Association are listed below:
2025 Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters Awards
Outstanding Radio Use of Digital Media
"Presidential candidate Donald Trump rallies voters in State College"
Sydney Roach, reporter
Erell Williams, radio news intern
Emily Reddy, editor
2025 Public Media journalists Association Awards
Use of Sound – First Place: WPSU-FM
“Worried about gas stoves? State College induction cooking class explores an alternative”
Emily Reddy, reporter
Climate/Environment Feature – Second Place: WPSU-FM
“At PA Firefly Festival in Forest County, visitors and researchers experience synchronous fireflies”
Anne Danahy, reporter
Interview – Second Place: WPSU-FM
“John Sanchez on growing up an 'urban Indian,' learning his culture and bringing it to State College”
Emily Reddy, reporter
WPSU-TV, a PBS member station, serves 24 counties in central Pennsylvania and reaches 515,000 households, and WPSU-FM is accessible to more than 450,000 listeners in 13 counties. The public media station also includes WPSU Digital Studios, which offers original web series that explore science, arts and culture.
WPSU is a service of Penn State Outreach.