A team of Boyle Heights Beat youth journalists that produced a story for KCRW’s 7th annual Radio Race last month has won the competition’s Social Butterfly Award.
Reporters Noemí Pedraza and Andy García produced the story about a tour of Boyle Heights haunted history led by historian Shmuel Gonzales, best known as Barrio Boychick, for his Boyle Heights History Tours. The reporter’s work was documented on social media under the guidance of recent Boyle Heights Beat graduate Carmen González.
Announcing the award in a story published Aug. 30, KCRW said “these student producers stepped up to the plate as they documented the Radio Race on Twitter every step of the way.” For their effort, the BHB team gets a cash award of $100 plus KCRW swag.
The Radio Race is an annual competition for independent producers. Teams and individual compete during a 24-hour period, inspired by a theme announced at the start. This year’s race took place Aug. 10-11 and the theme was “Where the Sun Don’t Shine.”
This is the second consecutive year that Boyle Heights Beat competes in the Radio Race. Boyle Heights Beat youth reporters have contributed to KCRW stories in the past, but the radio station said that had no bearing on the award, which was judged independently of any existing relationship.
Take a listen to the story, produced under this year’s theme:
Here are some of the Twitter posts that earned our reporters the award:
