KISU Radio Hosts and ISU Students Receive Idaho Press Club Awards

In addition to the awards, KISU reporter and Bengal Newspaper Editor-in-Chief Hadley Bodell was this year’s recipient of the Idaho Press Club Don Watkins Memorial College Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to graduates of Idaho high schools who have completed at least one year of college and wish to pursue a career in journalism or communications. She was presented with the scholarship at the May 3 awards ceremony.

Other scholarships received by Bodell this year include the Janet Billmeyer Hansen Scholarship, the Mike and Luci B. Willits Leadership Scholarship, and the Sunbelt Broadcasting Scholarship. She will begin her senior year at ISU this fall.

Recent ISU School of Journalism graduate Jodie Schwicht earned first place in the Student TV or Radio Division – Public Affairs Program category for a three-part Sustainable Idaho series examining the environmental and social impacts of fast fashion. Schwicht also received second place in the Watchdog category for two investigative pieces on Idaho Senate Bill 1245 and House Bill 653—legislation aimed at limiting Idahoans' ability to sue pesticide manufacturers.

Hosts Dr. Leif Tapanila and Peter Pruett of The Nature of Idaho received third place in the Audio Division – General Excellence category, which evaluates the overall quality and consistency of a program throughout the year. 

KISU-FM’s The Nature of Idaho and Sustainable Idaho are two of the station’s longest-running and most frequently recognized programs. KISU General Manager Jamon Anderson, who nominated and assisted with award submissions, credited the station’s success to the dedicated volunteerism of program hosts and coordinators.

“These awards reflect the exceptional talent and dedication of KISU’s student content creators, the invaluable volunteer contributions of campus and community leaders, and the excellence of Idaho State University’s School of Journalism.”

The Nature of Idaho is a weekly half-hour program hosted by Peter Pruett, Superintendent of Zoo Idaho, and Dr. Leif Tapanila, Director of the Idaho Museum of Natural History. The show explores Idaho’s wild landscapes and their influence on the state’s past, present, and future. Now in its seventh year, the program includes segments on nature news, trivia, and fun facts.

Sustainable Idaho is a collaboration between KISU and the Portneuf Resource Council, a nonprofit organization working toward clean water and clean energy in southeast Idaho. First airing in June 2020, the show is hosted by ISU students who have produced hundreds of weekly episodes. Sustainable Idaho is supported by grants from ISU’s Center for Ecological Research and Education and the Career Path Internship program through ISU’s Office of Research. Student hosts work with a steering committee composed of ISU faculty and local subject-matter experts to research topics, conduct interviews, and produce episodes with support from KISU staff.

The Idaho Press Club is a statewide organization of working journalists, journalism educators, public relations professionals, and students. Its mission is to promote excellence in journalism, along with the principles of free expression and access to public information. Learn more at idahopressclub.org.

To hear KISU-FM’s award-winning programs, visit kisu.org, or tune in to 91.1 FM for The Nature of Idaho on Thursdays at 8:30 a.m., and Sustainable Idaho on Tuesdays at 7:35 a.m. and Thursdays at 4:20 p.m. Past episodes are also available on the KISU website under their respective program tabs.

Find all Nature of Idaho episodes at KISU.org/NoID.

Sustainable Idaho award-winning pieces:

• Exploitation and Emissions: Cartier Dior Eliasen Talks Fast Fashion
• Reduce, Reuse, Repair: Cartier Dior Eliasen Talks Fast Fashion
• Fashion Looking Forward: Cartier Dior Eliasen Talks Fast Fashion
• Corporate Consequences: Senator James Ruchti and SB 1245 - Part I
• RoundUp's Round Two: Senator James Ruchti and SB 1245