DECATUR, GA. — The Christian Chronicle’s podcast won a national honor in the Religion News Association’s Excellence in Religion Reporting Contest.
Winners were announced this past weekend at RNA’s 77th annual conference, held at an Atlanta-area hotel.
B.T. Irwin, the Chronicle’s podcast host and director, and Kenneth Pybus, a freelance correspondent, earned second place in the audio conversation and commentary category.
B.T. Irwin
Irwin and Pybus were recognized for Episode 111, an interview with Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti about his role in the U.S. Supreme Court’s biggest transgender case ever.
Bobby Ross Jr., the Chronicle’s editor-in-chief, accepted the award for Irwin and Pybus.
“The greatest joy in receiving this honor with The Christian Chronicle team is knowing that we made something that the people in the pews received as fresh air and light,” Irwin said in a statement read by Ross at the awards banquet. “On their behalf, thank you for encouraging us to always strive for higher standards.”
In his own statement, Pybus, a professor and chair of communication and journalism at Abilene Christian University in Texas, said: “I’m honored to receive this recognition from the Religion News Association for my podcast interviewing. I’m grateful for the opportunity to engage thoughtful discussions where faith connects with law and public life, and I appreciate the colleagues and listeners who make that work meaningful.”
Kenneth Pybus
The award comes as the Detroit-based Irwin prepares to leave his role with the podcast, which he launched in January 2023 and has guided through more than 150 episodes.
“Being part of The Christian Chronicle team is one of my all-time favorite experiences,” said Irwin, who will remain in his role through the end of May. “It’s been such an honor and privilege to get to learn from some of the best journalists and most earnest Christians anywhere. And it’s been pure joy to get to meet and serve so many Christians from all over the world and all walks of life. I’m excited to see what The Christian Chronicle does next with new media like the podcast.”
The Chronicle will announce future plans for the podcast soon.
“We’re grateful to Brad for all the hard work and expertise he has put into making the Chronicle’s podcast so relevant to our audience,” Ross said. “We have some exciting plans in the works to keep building and improving our audio journalism efforts.”
Also at the RNA conference, Ross won an award for analysis and explanatory reporting for the Weekend Plug-in column he writes for Religion Unplugged. It’s the eighth RNA award of his career.
Bobby Ross Jr. accepts an award at the Religion News Association annual conference in Decatur, Ga.
