AUSTIN, Texas – April 25, 2016 – A “Texas Standard” story on disabled workers earning pennies per hour working for the state won a Barbara Jordan Media Award in recognition of work that accurately and positively reports on individuals with disabilities.
“State Pays Some Workers with Disabilities Pennies per Hour,” reported by Alain Stephens, won in the radio category in the 33rd annual Barbara Jordan Media Awards sponsored by the Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities.
The story, which aired Jan. 30, 2015, examined the practice of sheltered work-shopping – a type of labor where individuals with intellectual disabilities are employed a sub-minimum wage – common at state-supported centers. Many of the contracts awarded to these centers come from government agencies and some lawmakers are working to end the practice and bring wages up.
Winners were chosen by a panel of judges, including journalists, professionals in the field of disabilities and people with disabilities.
About “Texas Standard”
“Texas Standard” sets the bar for broadcast news coverage, offering crisp, expansive coverage of politics, lifestyle and culture, the environment, technology and innovation, and business and the economy — from a distinctly Texas perspective. Hosted by award-winning journalist David Brown, the hour-long daily news magazine is grounded in the best traditions of American journalism: fact-based, independent and politically neutral reporting.
“Texas Standard,” which airs on 24 public radio stations across Texas, is a project of KUT Austin, KERA North Texas, Houston Public Media, and San Antonio’s Texas Public Radio, as well as news organizations across Texas.
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Media contact: Erin Geisler, KUT Public Radio, (512) 475-8071
