WUOT News Mission
We will educate and inform our listeners with well-produced stories and interviews that apply a human perspective to the important regional issues of the day.
We will pursue them with integrity, responsibility and a commitment to accuracy.
Matt Shafer Powell
News Director
974-9354
matt.shafer.powell@wuot.org
Dialogue
is WUOT's monthly, call-in program that features issues and guests of interest
from East Tennessee. The show is hosted by Matt Shafer Powell and airs the
first Wednesday of every month at 1:00pm. The call-in number is 974-5050.
Listen to "Dialogue" podcasts.
If you are aware of an event or issue that might make an interesting
feature story or topic for Dialogue, please send us a detailed
message at wuotnews@utk.edu. Make
sure you include your name and the best way to contact you. We are not able
to respond to every request, but each one will be carefully considered.
Feature Story - June 26, 2008
If you travel northeast from Knoxville, through Maynardville and into the rolling pastureland of Union County, you may just stumble upon something that takes you back to another time. It’s the Helm’s ferry boat and it’s one of the last working car ferries in Tennessee. The Union County Road Department has operated the ferry for more than 20 years at no cost to its riders. WUOT’s Matt Shafer Powell recently spent some time on the ferry with one of its captains.
Click here to listen to the feature.
View an aerial location map.
For photos, click here.
Feature Story - June 19, 2008
WUOT's News Director Matt Shafer Powell speaks with Karen Vail, Ph.D, Program Co-Chair, National Conference on Urban Entomology and U.T. Professor and Extension Urban Entomologist. We bid farewell to the 17-year cicada. This year we've seen the emergence of Brood XIV, one of the two largest Magicicada broods. This 17-year brood ranges across many Appalachian and northeastern states.
Listen to the feature.
Click here to see a composite map of all brood ranges.
Listen to the "songs" of the Magicicada by clicking here.
Feature Story -May 5, 2008
There are millions of unexploded landmines, bombs and grenades buried, often forgotten, around the world. Typically, military personnel clear these deadly hazards. But now civilians are being trained to detect them at an Oak Ridge facility. Meet the latest class of Unexploded Ordinance Technicians.
Listen to the feature.
Click here for photos.
Feature Story
At midnight on May 1st, the Tennessee Department of Transportation completely closed down a one-mile section of I-40 just east of downtown Knoxville. The strip of highway between Hall of Fame Drive and the James White Parkway will be completely rebuilt over the next 14 months. WUOT’s Matt Shafer Powell sat down with TDOT’s Travis Brickey to discuss the challenges that lay ahead.
Click here for detour maps provided by TDOT.
Click here for Frequently Asked Questions regarding the project.
Finding Life in the ShadowsKnoxville photographer David Habercom's portraits of homeless people have established him as an innovative and creative voice in the discussion about homelessness. Click here to see photos of Faith and Michael, the subjects who appear in the story.
Listen to WUOT's feature story about Habercom's work.
Click here to read about "The Other Side of the Street," heard Wednesdays, Nov. 7 - Dec. 26, during Morning Edition and All Things Considered.
2007 AWARDS
PRNDI (Public Radio News Directors Inc) held July 2007:
Soft Feature- First place "Finding Life in the Shadows"
News Feature- Second Place "Last Stop at Deer Lodge"
Writing- First Place "Santa's Knife and Gun Shop"
Writing- Second Place "Finding Life in the Shadows"
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2007- Tennessee Associated Press Broadcasters Association
First Place - "Dialogue" - Best Radio Talk Show
First Place - "Public Notice" - Best Hard News Story
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Society of Professional Journalists
Award of Excellence - General Reporting - "Fontana Lake"
Award of Merit - General Reporting - "Amendment One"
Award of Merit - Features - "Finding Life in the Shadows"
Award of Merit - Documentary/Public Affairs Programming - "Dialogue"
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April 2007 -- WUOT received a 2007 regional Edward R. Murrow Award from the Radio-Television News Directors Association for "Best Writing" in the Small Market Radio category for a region that includes Tennessee, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Kentucky. The winning entry is a compilation of three different features stories that aired on WUOT during 2006: "Finding Life in the Shadows," "Santa's Gun and Knife Shop" and "Last Stop at Deer Lodge." Click here to listen to the feature.
2006 AWARDS
July 2006 -- WUOT won four awards at the PRNDI (Public Radio News Directors Inc) Awards Banquest held Saturday, July 22nd. The awards, small newsroom category, went as follows:
1st Place (Documentary)--- Oak Ridge: In the Shadow of the Atom
1st Place (Series)--- Lost to War
1st Place (Writing)--- The Body Farm
2nd Place (Soft Feature)--- The Body Farm
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May 2006 - WUOT came away with several awards at the East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists Awards gathering Friday night, May 12, in Knoxville. The Golden Press Card Awards recognize Excellence in Journalism in East Tennessee.
The awards were as follows:
First Place- Award of Excellence (Radio Investigative Reporting): Ann Lloyd "Mold in Morristown Schools"
First Place- Award of Excellence (Radio Documentary/Public Affairs Programming): Matt Shafer Powell "Oak Ridge: In the Shadow of the Atom"
First Place- Award of Excellence (Radio Feature Reporting): Matt Shafer Powell "Lost to War"
Second Place- Award of Merit (Radio News Reporting): Ann Lloyd "Mold in Morristown Schools"
Second Place- Award of Merit (Radio Feature Reporting): Matt Shafer Powell "The Body Farm"
Second Place- Award of Merit (Radio Documentary/Public Affairs Programming): Matt Shafer Powell "Lost to War"
Third Place- (Radio News Reporting): Matt Shafer Powell "Tennessee Theatre Re-opens"
Honorable Mention- (Radio Feature Reporting): Ann Lloyd "Bat Boy the Musical"
August 2005 - WUOT's New Department had another excellent showing in the Tennessee AP Awards this year. WUOT came away with FIRST PLACE- OVERALL EXCELLENCE, as well as awards in the following catagories:
2004 Tennessee Associated Press Broadcaster's Association (TAPBA) Radio News Competition
WUOT
Honorable Mention for Use of Sound: "Guitar Camp"
2004 Tennessee Associated Press Broadcaster's Association (TAPBA) Radio News Competition
WUOT
First Place for Breaking News: "Five Points"
2004 Tennessee Associated Press Broadcaster's Association (TAPBA) Radio News Competition
WUOT
First Place for Talk Show: "Dialogue," WUOT's monthly live call-in program
2004 Tennessee Associated Press Broadcaster's Association (TAPBA) Radio News Competition
WUOT
First Place- News Excellence/Writing: "Prom of the Stars"
2004 Tennessee Associated Press Broadcaster's Association (TAPBA) Radio News Competition
WUOT
First Place- Enterprise: "Prom of the Stars"
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(Public Radio News Directors Inc) awards at the annual conference in Chicago. This is the only national contest that recognizes "outstanding public radio news reporting at local stations". Here are the winners:
First Place (Best Writing) "Wilma Dykeman profile"
First Place (News Feature) "Autism in Schools"
Second Place (Best Use of Sound) "Acoustic Camp"
2004 Golden Press Card award from the East Tennessee Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
News Reporting: Award of Excellence- Matt Shafer Powell "Five Points"
2004 Golden Press Card award from the East Tennessee Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
News Reporting: Award of Merit- Ann Lloyd "Austin Homes"
2004 Golden Press Card award from the East Tennessee Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
News Reporting: Third Place- Matt Shafer Powell "Autism in Schools"
2004 Golden Press Card award from the East Tennessee Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
Feature Reporting: Award of Excellence- Matt Shafer Powell "Prom of the Stars"
2004 Golden Press Card award from the East Tennessee Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
Feature Reporting: Award of Merit- Ann Lloyd "Diversity Prom"
2004 Golden Press Card award from the East Tennessee Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
Feature Reporting: Third Place- Matt Shafer Powell "New Market Train Wreck"
The Arc of Tennessee
Media Excellence Award 2005
Matt Shafer Powell
"Prom of the Stars"
2005 Regional Edward R. Murrow Award from the Radio-Television News Directors Association -
Best Feature in the Small Market Radio category.
Matt Shafer Powell
“Prom of the Stars”
2006 Regional Edward R. Murrow Award from the Radio-Television News Directors Association - Best News Series in the Small Market Radio category.
Matt Shafer Powell
"Lost to War: the Fallen Remembered."
2004 Communicator Award of Distinction
Matt Shafer Powell
"Zero Tolerance"
2003 Tennessee Associated Press Broadcaster's Association
(TAPBA) Radio News Competition
WUOT
First place for Enterprise:"Two Flags, One City"
2003 Tennessee Associated Press Broadcaster's Association
(TAPBA) Radio News Competition
WUOT
Honorable Mention for Overall Excellence
2003 Tennessee Associated Press Broadcaster's Association
(TAPBA) Radio News Competition
Matt Shafer Powell
First Place for Writing (State-wide)
"Two Flags, One City"
2003 Tennessee Associated Press Broadcaster's Association
(TAPBA) Radio News Competition
Matt Shafer Powell
First Place for Writing (Knoxville market)
"Two Flags, One City"
2003 Tennessee Associated Press Broadcaster's Association
(TAPBA) Radio News Competition
Ann Lloyd
Honorable Mention for Writing (Knoxville market)
"Elkmont"
2003 Tennessee Associated Press Broadcaster's Association
(TAPBA) Radio News Competition
Matt Shafer Powell
First place for Sound Excellence (Knoxville market)
"Knoxville's Lost Vets"
2003 Tennessee Associated Press Broadcaster's Association
(TAPBA) Radio News Competition
Ann Lloyd
Honorable Mention for Sound Excellence (Knoxville market): "Cerebral Palsy Therapy"
“Battle of Fort Sanders”,
oil on canvas painting by N. Jordan, 1891.
Used by permission of East Tennessee
Historical Society Museum.
On November 29th, 2003, WUOT aired a special, half-hour documentary to commemorate the 140th anniversary of the Battle of Fort Sanders. "Two Flags, One City: Knoxville's Civil War" was produced by Matt Shafer Powell and features insights, perspective and commentary from some of East Tennessee's most-respected authorities on the Civil War. Click here to listen to "Two Flags, One City".
STATION TOUR
Take a photographic tour of WUOT's studio
If you missed a local feature story that aired recently on WUOT, you might
be able to find it in our News Feature Archives.
CLICK HERE to read or listen to the stories.
