Raney Aronson-Rath Receives the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s Edward R. Murrow Award
FRONTLINE Editor-in-Chief and Executive Producer recognized for her contributions to journalism and public media
April 11, 2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 11, 2024) – The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) has awarded FRONTLINE Editor-in-Chief and Executive Producer Raney Aronson-Rath the Edward R. Murrow Award, recognizing her outstanding contributions to journalism and public media. The award was presented at a CPB Board dinner Wednesday night in Washington, D.C.
“Raney Aronson-Rath represents the pinnacle of public media journalism, with her commitment to producing high-quality, trusted news and information, including the acclaimed documentary, 20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL, which won the Academy Award last month,” said Laura Ross, chair of the CPB Board of Directors, who presented the award. “As a visionary leader, Raney has led FRONTLINE to award-winning journalism and expanded FRONTLINE’s work in advocating for journalism transparency into multiplatform reporting and formats that reach all audiences.”
“I’m honored to be recognized by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting with the CPB Edward R. Murrow Award,” said Raney Aronson-Rath. “CPB’s steadfast commitment to delivering accessible, trustworthy media to the American public allows for all of us at FRONTLINE to do our best work — that is, to produce investigative journalism that informs and educates audiences all around the world. Thank you for believing in our storytelling and my direction for the series today, as it continues to expand and grow in an ever-changing media landscape.”
Aronson-Rath oversees FRONTLINE’s exceptional reporting and directs the series’ editorial vision. She has expanded FRONTLINE’s reporting capacity and guided its evolution from a longstanding documentary series to a multiplatform journalism organization, with efforts such as The FRONTLINE Dispatch podcast, FRONTLINE Short Docs on YouTube, and the award-winning multimedia installation “Un(re)solved,” which examined a federal effort to grapple with America’s legacy of racist killings.
Building on FRONTLINE’s tradition of transparency, Aronson-Rath started the FRONTLINE Transparency Project, which provides video source material behind the documentary series’ reporting that is searchable and sharable. Under Aronson-Rath’s leadership and with CPB support, FRONTLINE launched the Local Journalism Initiative, a project to boost local news. FRONTLINE also partnered with The Associated Press to document war crimes in Ukraine; and FRONTLINE and the AP went on to produce the documentary 20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL, which won an Oscar last month.
“Raney Aronson-Rath and FRONTLINE have consistently brought groundbreaking news to the American people,” said Patricia Harrison, President and CEO of CPB. “Her personal vision, creativity, editorial integrity, and journalistic rigor have made FRONTLINE the gold standard for journalism and documentaries. The Oscar-winning 20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL is yet another outstanding FRONTLINE achievement, which has brought worldwide recognition to the power of public media’s fact-based journalism.”
“The best journalism tells stories that matter, and the most powerful storytelling can change the world,” said Susan Goldberg, President and CEO of GBH. “Raney Aronson and the entire team at FRONTLINE do that by delivering fact-based, courageous journalism that moves hearts, gets action and helps us understand the events that shape our lives every day. Congratulations to Raney on this recognition from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.”
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has presented the Edward R. Murrow Award since 1977. This award honors individuals or organizations whose work has fostered the growth, quality, and positive image of journalism, on broadcast and digital platforms. Previous award winners include NPR founding mothers Nina Totenberg, Cokie Roberts and Susan Stamberg; and William Siemering, creator of “All Things Considered” and the author of NPR’s mission statement.
About CPB
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private, nonprofit corporation authorized by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government’s investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of more than 1,500 locally managed and operated public television and radio stations nationwide. CPB is also the largest single source of funding for research, technology and program development for public radio, television, and related online services. For more information, visit cpb.org, follow CPB on Facebook and LinkedIn and subscribe for email updates.
About FRONTLINE
FRONTLINE, U.S. television’s longest running investigative documentary series, explores the issues of our times through powerful storytelling. FRONTLINE has won every major journalism and broadcasting award, including an Academy Award®, 106 Emmy Awards and 31 Peabody Awards. Visit pbs.org/frontline and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to learn more. FRONTLINE is produced at GBH in Boston and is broadcast nationwide on PBS. Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Additional support for FRONTLINE is provided by the Abrams Foundation, Park Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Heising-Simons Foundation, and the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund, with major support from Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation, and additional support from Koo and Patricia Yuen.