Boston media outlets win Edward R. Murrow Awards

Several Boston news organizations received Edward R. Murrow Awards Wednesday for coverage of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings and for investigative reports.

The Murrow awards recognize national excellence in electronic journalism.

WCVB-TV (Channel 5) took home the overall excellence award in the large-market television category. It was the second time the newsroom has won in the category.

“An award of this caliber, that’s bestowed by our peers, is the highest form of praise,” WCVB’s president and general manager, Bill Fine, said in a statement.

“It’s an acknowledgment that WCVB journalists continue to deliver the highest-quality news and programming to our viewers.”

The Boston Globe won the continuing coverage and breaking news awards in the large online news organization category for Web reports, videos, and photographs chronicling the Marathon bombings in April 2013 and their aftermath.

WBZ-AM Radio won the award for continuing coverage of the bombings in the large-market radio category.

WATD-FM, a small-market radio station in Marshfield, took the breaking news prize for its coverage of the attacks.

WGBH-FM Radio won the large-market radio prize for investigative reporting for an eight-part series on human trafficking.

Senior reporter Phillip Martin traveled from Boston to New York to East Asia to produce the series, titled “Underground Trade.”

“ ‘Underground Trade’ is a testament to Phillip’s tireless dedication to telling important, complex stories and one of many reasons why he is regarded as one of the top journalists in his field,” said WGBH Radio’s general manager, Phil Redo.

The Boston Globe took home an investigative reporting award for a Spotlight Team series on the lives of Boston cab drivers.

“It’s an extraordinary honor for the Globe to win three awards in such a prestigious national contest and a real tribute to the talented members of our visual staffs,” Brian McGrory, the Globe’s editor, said.

“Even more, though, it’s further evidence that we are effectively telling stories in many different ways across multiple platforms.”

The Radio Television Digital News Association has honored outstanding achievements in electronic journalism with the Murrow awards since 1971.