Laura Lee to Receive 2025 Editor of the Year Award

Laura Lee, news director at Blue Ridge Public Radio, has been named PMJA’s 2025 Editor of the Year. The award recognizes an individual who exemplifies the very best in story editing and newsroom leadership. 

In nominating her, the BPR team praised her leadership through one of the deadliest disasters in Western North Carolina’s history. Hurricane Helene ripped through the mountains of Asheville and surrounding areas in September, leaving at least 103 people dead.

“Laura ensured BPR reporters across the region were supported,” said BPR senior regional reporter Lilly Knoepp, who nominated Lee for the award. “She opened BPR’s doors to other journalists, helped launch a text-only website for accessibility, made the Voices of Helene podcast, added Spanish translations to news coverage and reshaped the station’s on-air format to serve a community in crisis—all while editing, mentoring, and leading coverage.”

Local government reporter Laura Hackett was one of many team members living in Asheville without access to drinkable water for nearly two months while covering the crisis. Lee was in the same situation (and without power) yet continued to lead the team.

“Laura is a great editor because she leads with authority, humility and always by example. There's nothing she would ask you to do that she wouldn't do herself,” Hackett said. 

Staff members also recall her purchasing food, securing free therapy for the team and helping fix the station’s toilets.

Lee views this honor as a reflection of the passion and dedication of the BPR News Team. “I am tremendously grateful for this recognition, particularly because of what this team endured in the aftermath of Helene,” said Lee. “During the storm, we would remind each other of joy spots- little moments of happiness in otherwise bleak circumstances. Working with this team in that time, while incredibly challenging, was also a joy spot in and of itself.” 

Lee, who regularly describes herself as a “recovering lawyer,” got her start in public radio at NPR HQ as an intern on Washington Desk, proudly wearing the badge of “NPR’s oldest intern,” at least at the time. She went on to work on NPR’s Talk of the Nation, producing the beloved “Political Junkie” segment. She returned to her home state of North Carolina in 2013 and served in leadership roles at WUNC in Durham, before working as an editor at non-profit digital media outlets in the state. 

Lee stepped into the role of interim news director at BPR in January 2023 and was brought on full time a few months later. When she first joined, the station only had one full-time reporter. Under her leadership, the newsroom has expanded to include five reporters. 

The team’s focus on regional accountability journalism also produced impactful investigative stories. 

Months later, she’s continued to guide the team through another devastating disaster: wildfires. 

“Her consistent leadership to a team still recovering from the emotional toll of covering Hurricane Helene is not just editorial,” said morning host Helen Chickering, “it’s what keeps us grounded, supported, and inspired.”

Lee will be honored at the PMJA 2025 Conference in Kansas City.

PMJA’s Editor of the Year award recognizes an individual who has not only excelled in their own work but has also fostered a culture of journalistic integrity, innovation, and collaboration within their station. This award honors the vital role editors play in shaping the voice and direction of public media, ensuring that it remains a trusted source of information and inspiration for audiences across the nation.