Connecticut Public Radio Wins a Gracie
Sound Partners grantee WNPR Connecticut Public Radio was recently awarded a prestigious Gracie Award by American Women in Radio and Television for its series Day In, Day Out. This national award, named after radio star Gracie Allen, recognizes excellence in radio and television programming by women, for women and about women.
WNPR and the Yale School of Nursing collaborated on the year-long series of news features that explored the quality of life for elderly chronically ill people in Connecticut. The stories aired as a monthly feature of Morning Edition and All Things Considered. Nancy Cohen, an award-winning science reporter who has worked for National Public Radio, CBS and The Wall Street Journal, served as producer.
Day In, Day Out featured stories of real people, primarily elderly women and their caregivers, whose experiences are not often represented in the media. The series covered the changing attitudes about chronic illness, the elderly and the profession of nursing. It concentrated on telling stories of chronic illness among the elderly from the caregiver's and patient's point of view.
John Dankosky, WNPR News Director, was pleased with the recognition and how the project worked for the station. "Awards like the Gracie are great because they improve our visibility in the community, and that helps when we're seeking money for future projects," he said. "The support from Sound Partners was important because it gave us the resources and the time to really focus on an issue," he added.