WNIU-FM 89.5 has received another major broadcast award.

WNIU News Director Lester Graham has received the 1990 national United Press International Broadcast Award for Individual Achievement in news reporting. Graham received the award in October at ceremonies in Washington, D.C.

Graham was one of three WNIU news staff to receive awards in the Illinois state UPI competition.

WNIU also recived “Station of the Year” honors in Division Two, for radio stations with fewer than six news staff.

Graham’s state award-winning entry, along with that of WNIU reporter Tony Thomas, were forwarded to UPI’s regional competition. Both entries were given first-place awards in that regional contest.

Graham’s entry was then chosen as the best in the nation in Division Two. Graham’s entry for the UPI awards competition was a collage of his reports throughout 1989.

Graham’s trademark as a reporter is the way he takes listeners where the news is happening. Graham says he likes to bring the sounds of a story to the audience.

“Sometimes the sound of a crashing building can tell more about a demolition project than words can.”

In one of the award-winning reports, Graham explored the effort to build new jails and renovate old ones.

His tour through one jail included the sounds of heavy barred doors closing and locking behind him and his guide.

A story on the largest Illinois lotto jackpot featured the sounds of ticket machines printing continuously in the background while hopeful buyers told Graham what they would do with the money if they won.

The environment is one of Graham’s favorite topics, and one news feature provided a look at the process of restoring Illinois’ natural prairie.

Graham interviewed a person working on a particular plot of ground by removing all species of trees and shrubbery not native to Illinois.

A story on police dogs provided a particularly compelling aural experience. Graham stood next to the subject of an attack by a police dog being trained.

The microphone followed the growling dog as it passed Graham and attacked one of the trainers. Graham explained that the dogs were trained to attack only the person the trainer commanded them to attack.

Graham came to WNIU from WSDR in Sterling-Dixon-Rock Falls, Illinois, and has also worked at radio stations in Vandalia and other downstate communitites.

At WBGZ in Alton, Illinois, he produced a half-hour weekly documentary on Alton issues, which whetted his appetite for in-depth news reporting.

“Each station and each market offered a new set of challenges, and I think each one helped me develop a different aspect of reporting.”

“I like doing news. You get a front row seat at history making events. You’re the first to tell everyone what happened, and you’re paid to keep up with current events. It’s a great job,” Graham said.

WNIU-FM 89.5 is a public radio station licensed to NIU and broadcasting from studios in DeKalb.