Rádio Universitária wins 1st place in the MPRN Journalism Award

Rádio Universitária FM (FMU) of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) won first place in the Radiojournalism category of the 10th Journalism Award from the Public Ministry of Rio Grande do Norte (MPRN). The event took place last Thursday, December 12, at the headquarters of the state Attorney General's Office. The highlight was the result of a report on traffic awareness and the impact of motorcycles on the local health system.
The Rádio Universitária team addressed the increase in the number of accidents involving motorcycles. During the production of the material, UFRN journalism student and radio volunteer, PH Dias, brought to light the project Trânsito Cidadão, an MPRN initiative that carries out awareness-raising actions and seeks to reduce traffic deaths through collaboration between municipalities, the state and the Union.
According to the journalist responsible for producing the article, Maralice Freitas, the process was intense, involving around 45 days of work from initial research to post-production. “The challenge was great, as it involved several sources, some very sensitive, such as the report of a character who suffered a serious accident”, he commented. The report had the collaboration of an integrated team, made up of PH Dias, who was the field reporter; Samuel Ferreira, journalism student and responsible for doing the voiceover; and Sarah Ellen, audiovisual student who stayed in sound design. Maralice produced, reviewed and edited the content.
The award ceremony was also attended by the MPRN Attorney General, Elaine Cardoso. Participants also had the opportunity to attend the lecture Introduction to Artificial Intelligence, given by professor Márcio Carneiro dos Santos, from the Federal University of Maranhão (UFMA).
Recognition
This is just one of four awards won by FMU in 2024. Two of them were in the student category. For team members, the award is a validation of the work done with seriousness and dedication. “Receiving this recognition from such a qualified jury gives us the certainty that we are fulfilling our mission of informing with precision and quality, especially in one of the most popular means of communication in Brazil, such as radio”, says Maralice Freitas.
The University Radio team seeks to encourage the participation of scholarship holders, interns and volunteers, promoting a learning and development environment for students. “These opportunities are essential for the training of future journalists, who have the chance to apply their knowledge in real situations, with rigorous investigation and quality research”, highlighted the journalist.
Samuel Ferreira and PH Dias, representatives of Rádio Universitária at the awards ceremony held by MPRN. Photo: Personal archive/Samuel Ferreira