Best & Worst 2021: News & Media

Multicategory Winner

Curt Autry

Based on his wins in this year’s Best & Worst survey, NBC 12 news anchor Curt Autry remains at the top of his game as his 27th anniversary with the station approaches on Sept. 5. A master of social media, particularly Facebook, where his posts, ranging from serious to humorous, routinely spark spirited discussions among his 233,499 followers, he credits News Director Frank Jones and General Manager Kym Grinnage for supporting his efforts. “When many TV executives would have reined in my social media platforms, they’ve encouraged me to be me, because they see the value in it,” Autry says. “I’m not going to say there haven’t been times when they’ve cringed at something I’ve posted — because they have — but it’s rare, and when it happens, we’ve always been able to work it out.”

Best local news reporter

1. Curt Autry, NBC 12  

2. Jon Burkett, CBS 6  

3. Sarah Bloom, NBC 12

Best local use of social media

1. Curt Autry  

2. The Richmond Experience  

3. Facebook groups, events, advertising in general 

Most engaging local television personality

1. Curt Autry, NBC 12  

2. Andrew Freiden, NBC 12  

3. Tie: Jim Duncan, NBC 12; Candice Smith, NBC 12; Megan Wise, NBC 12

Most engaging local radio personality

John Reid, WRVA

After leaving his morning anchor position at WRIC in 2004 to become Sen. George Allen’s director of communications, John Reid swore he’d never do another job requiring such early wakeup calls — but the opportunity to become WRVA’s a.m. host was too good to pass up. “Fortunately, I’m no longer single, and I have a partner who is very disciplined about, ‘It’s time for you to go to bed, you better do that,’ ” Reid says, laughing. “So that has helped.”

2. Melissa Chase, 103.7 Play (Chase recently left Richmond for Houston.)

3. Jeff Katz, WRVA 

Best local podcast

‘Race Capitol’

Created in 2018 by Chelsea Higgs Wise following the killing of Marcus-David Peters by a Richmond police officer, “Race Capitol” features episodes covering subjects ranging from gentrification and police oversight to environmental injustice and the work of Black artists. “We are a platform that centers Black narratives,” Wise says. Co-hosts Naomi Isaac and Kalia Harris joined the show, which also airs on WRIR on Wednesday mornings, in early 2020, fortuitous timing given the national reckoning with racial injustice that was sparked last summer.

2. “Eat It, Virginia!”  

3. “Writing Our Way Out”

Best local Twitter account

@NBC12  

Run primarily by NBC 12’s digital team, with assists from the news division’s reporters and anchors, the station’s Twitter account offers a good snapshot of important news in Richmond. “We also try to strike a balance with lighter, fun content to connect and interact with our followers more personally, which is one of the best parts of social media — the dialogue,” says Digital Content Director Kate Albright.  

2. @RVAdirt  

3. Tie: @AndrewNBC12; @GoadGatsby 

Best local Instagram account

@therichmondexperience  

Started in 2017 by owners Samantha and Sean Kanipe, The Richmond Experience Instagram account (a winner in this category four years running) offers recommendations for Richmonders looking for things to do in RVA, and a membership-based newsletter and website have since been added to the mix. How do they decide what experiences to feature? “Hours and hours and hours of research!” says Managing Editor and Media Director Alicia Valenski.

2. @thewestendmom  

3. Tie: @racecapitol; @rvamag 

Worst local controversy of the past year

Monument Avenue/Confederate statues (pro and con)

What makes this the past year’s worst local controversy probably depends on your point of view, with statue supporters lamenting the loss of monuments to Virginia history while opponents wonder why removing statues honoring those who worked and fought to preserve slavery is at all controversial in the 21st century.

2. Police brutality, including response to Black Lives Matter protesters  

3. Mask wearing  

Best thing about Confederate statues coming down on Monument Avenue

Everything; it’s long overdue  

The Lee statue, Monument Avenue’s original inhabitant from before the street even existed, was unveiled in 1890, and it remains standing at press time, with supporters awaiting a decision from the Supreme Court of Virginia on their appeal. Meanwhile, a majority of our readers seem ready to move on to what’s next. Gov. Ralph Northam has pledged $11 million toward that cause, with the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts leading an effort to reimagine Richmond’s most famous avenue.

2. A step forward toward progress, healing  

3. Nothing good about it 

Best thing about working from home

No dress code/comfy clothes/PJs  

The pandemic upended many aspects of life we took for granted before the arrival of COVID-19, but there were some unexpected benefits, especially for those lucky enough to work from the relative safety of their homes. When every day is casual Friday — make that super-casual Friday — you begin to wonder why anyone ever wears pants without an elastic waistband.

2. No commute or traffic      

3. More time with pets 

Worst thing about working from home

Loneliness/isolation/missing co-workers  

You probably never thought you’d miss that one co-worker who cuts into your productivity every Monday morning with a seemingly unending account of how they spent their weekend, but after months of working at home alone, communicating via email, Slack, Zoom and the occasional phone call, there is definitely something to be said for having a little in-person office time with your work family on the horizon.

2. Distractions  

3. Eating too much, gaining weight 

Worst local use of social media

Spreading misinformation

Almost from the start, social media and misinformation have gone together like RVA and murals, a problem that ramped up during the pandemic and last summer’s protests against racial injustice. Often, misinformation gets pushed because it confirms the political views of the person posting it — see this category’s No. 2 finisher — and we’re definitely biased when we say this: We’d all be better off only passing along information from reputable sources.

2. Sharing political content  

3. Facebook in general 

Best radio station to keep your spirits up during a pandemic

K95, 95.3 FM  

“We decided early on that we wanted to be an escape from the pandemic,” K95 Program Director Garret Doll says. While the country station shared essential COVID-19 information, its goal was to focus on the music. Like his staff, Doll, who’s on air in the afternoon, was broadcasting from home. “We welcomed listeners into our homes, so to speak,” he says, “and I think we bonded with them through that.”

2. WRVA, 1140 AM  

3. Tie: Mix 98.1 FM; 103.7 Play 

Best new local business development to come out of the COVID-19 shutdown

Increased takeout/delivery/curbside pickup options  

The genie is probably out of the bottle for good with this pandemic-related change, originally introduced to help restaurants survive the months when dining rooms were closed due to restrictions meant to slow the spread of COVID. As much as we’re all enjoying our post-vaccination return to in-person dining, having more takeout options is never a bad thing.  

2. Alcohol/cocktails to go and for delivery  

3. Outdoor dining 

Best thing about getting vaccinated

Feeling safer, more free, relieved, greater peace of mind

After a year spent wondering if every cough or sniffle meant you were headed to the ICU, the arrival of vaccines that promise to keep you from getting seriously ill has been an incredible relief, as well as a welcome step in our return to something approaching normal life. The only downside of these lifesaving shots? They didn’t get here soon enough for the more than 600,000 Americans we lost to COVID-19.

2. Being able to see/hug family and friends again

3. Being a part of the solution to the pandemic

Best argument for a casino in Richmond

It will bring revenue and jobs.

The last casino project standing, Urban One Inc.’s $600 million ONE Casino + Resort proposal claims it will bring 1,300 jobs to South Richmond, while paying the city $25 million upfront and generating $5.7 billion in economic impact over its first decade. It remains to be seen whether these projected numbers will sway Richmond voters, who need to approve it in a Nov. 2 ballot referendum for the casino to move forward.

2. There is no good argument, don’t do it.  

3. It will increase local entertainment options and tourism. 

Best argument against a casino in Richmond

It will increase crime.

Wherever large amounts of money are found, crime is a risk, and when you add alcohol and people winning and losing money through gambling to the mix, concerns about illegal activity follow. Studies appear inconclusive, with some suggesting that the presence of a casino leads to a rise in certain types of crimes, while others don’t see a correlation.  

2. Harmful for those with a gambling addiction  

3. Increased traffic/congestion/parking problems