Scripps stations win two Peabody Awards for investigative reporting

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Two Scripps (NASDAQ: SSP) television stations have been awarded prestigious Peabody Awards for their investigative reporting. WTVF, Scripps' CBS station in Nashville, won for "Confronting Hate," an investigation into political extremism in Tennessee that led to a criminal probe by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. This marks WTVF's fourth Peabody Award.

KNXV, Scripps' ABC station in Phoenix, received recognition for "Policing Phoenix," a 32-part series examining the U.S. Department of Justice's report on the Phoenix Police Department. This is KNXV's fifth Peabody Award and third in five years. Additionally, Scripps News was named a finalist for "Inside Story," a project focused on bringing news to prisons and jails.

Positive

• Recognition of journalistic excellence with two prestigious Peabody Awards
• WTVF's investigation led to a criminal probe by Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
• KNXV's investigation influenced DOJ's investigation into Phoenix Police Department
• Strong track record of awards (4th Peabody for WTVF, 5th for KNXV)

Negative

• None.

CINCINNATI, May 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Two local television stations owned by The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) have won prestigious Peabody Awards for their high-impact local investigations.

WTVF, Scripps' local CBS station in Nashville, won for its 2024 investigation, "Confronting Hate," which probed the rise of political extremism in Tennessee.  

In a series of over two dozen reports, NewsChannel 5 Chief Investigative Reporter Phil Williams confronted the activities of neo-Nazi groups, white Christian nationalists and QAnon conspiracy theorists targeting communities across the state. Those reports led to a criminal probe by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation into misconduct inside a local police department headed by a QAnon-aligned assistant police chief. The TBI's criminal investigation continues, as does the NewsChannel 5 investigation.

This is the second year in a row WTVF has won a Peabody Award for its local journalism. It is the fourth Peabody Award for WTVF and Williams' fifth.

KNXV, Scripps' local ABC station in Phoenix, won for its groundbreaking video series, "Policing Phoenix," which broke down the U.S. Department of Justice's "historic" report on the Phoenix Police Department. The unprecedented local journalism project took federal investigators' 126 pages of written findings and turned them into a comprehensive volume of video reports. The DOJ investigation was launched because of ABC15's original reporting, and much of its final report is based on the station's reporting.

The 32-part winning series exposed systemic failures of the Phoenix Police Department and brings anonymized DOJ findings to life through real cases, footage and people. The project was reported and produced by a three-person team of ABC15 Investigators: Chief Investigator Dave Biscobing, Senior Investigator Melissa Blasius and Investigative Producer Kelsie Blazier. The team also received a first place National Headliner Award for the investigation.

This is KNXV's fifth Peabody Award and its third in the last five years. 

"These prestigious Peabody Awards are a testament to the unwavering commitment and transformative power of local journalism," said Dean Littleton, executive vice president of media broadcast operations at Scripps. "The impactful investigations by WTVF and KNXV are not just stories; they are catalysts for change and vital contributions to the public discourse. Their work reinforces our responsibility to serve as the watchdogs in our communities, fostering transparency and integrity of those in power. We are incredibly proud of our teams and their dedication to making a meaningful difference in the lives of the people they serve."

Chosen each year by a diverse board of jurors through unanimous vote, Peabody Awards are given in the categories of entertainment, documentary, news, podcast/radio, arts, children's and youth and public service programming. The annual Peabody winners are a collection of stories that "powerfully reflect the pressing social issues and the vibrant emerging voices of our day."

Winners will be honored at an awards ceremony on June 1 in Los Angeles.

Scripps News, in partnership with The Marshall Project, was named a finalist for a 2025 Peabody Award for "Inside Story." Scripps News served as the distribution partner for the series, which was created to engage with and bring information to one of America's largest news deserts — its prisons and jails.

Media contact: Molly Miossi, The E.W. Scripps Company, 513-977-3713, molly.miossi@scripps.com

About Scripps
The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) is a diversified media company focused on creating connection. As one of the nation's largest local TV broadcasters, Scripps serves communities with quality, objective local journalism and operates a portfolio of more than 60 stations in 40+ markets. Scripps reaches households across the U.S. with national news outlets Scripps News and Court TV and popular entertainment brands ION, Bounce, Grit, ION Mystery, ION Plus and Laff. Scripps is the nation's largest holder of broadcast spectrum. Its Scripps Sports division serves professional and college sports leagues, conferences and teams with local market depth and national broadcast reach of up to 100% of TV households. Founded in 1878, Scripps is the steward of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, and its longtime motto is: "Give light and the people will find their own way."

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SOURCE The E.W. Scripps Company

FAQ

What did Scripps (SSP) stations win Peabody Awards for in 2025?

Scripps stations WTVF won for 'Confronting Hate,' an investigation into political extremism in Tennessee, and KNXV won for 'Policing Phoenix,' a series about the DOJ's investigation of the Phoenix Police Department.

How many Peabody Awards has Scripps' KNXV station won?

KNXV has won five Peabody Awards in total, with three of them received in the last five years.

What impact did WTVF's 'Confronting Hate' investigation have?

The investigation led to a criminal probe by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation into misconduct inside a local police department headed by a QAnon-aligned assistant police chief.

What was the significance of KNXV's 'Policing Phoenix' investigation?

The investigation broke down the DOJ's 126-page report on Phoenix Police Department into a 32-part video series, and the DOJ investigation was launched because of ABC15's original reporting.