SEATTLE — KING 5 anchor Mark Wright has been honored as a 2020 Hall of Achievement Award recipient by The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at the virtual 45th Murrow Symposium. The prestigious award is given annually to select alumni for outstanding achievements.
“It took a while for this to sink in,” Wright said about his induction. “To join legends like Keith Jackson, Kathi Goertzen, Barry Serafin and Peter Van Sant is something I never dreamed of. I’m grateful for this honor and for the foundation the Murrow College provided me that has been so instrumental to my career.”
“To be inducted into the Murrow College Hall of Achievement is deeply meaningful to me. What Edward Murrow stood for as a journalist is what we all aspire to be. Murrow was and is the gold standard. He stood for truth. At KING 5, that’s what we commit to do for our viewers every day.”
Every year, the Hall of Achievement at Murrow College honors and recognizes outstanding achievements of select graduates. Of more than 13,000 Murrow graduates, only 50 have received the prestigious honor. Wright, class of ’89, was selected because of his exemplary award-winning career in broadcast journalism and community service.
“We’re lucky to have someone of Mark’s caliber on our team,” said KING 5 president and general manager Jim Rose when notified of Wright’s recognition. “His dedication to journalism and the community, both on and off camera, is an inspiration to his colleagues and our audience.”
Wright was inducted alongside Janie McCauley, a 1998 Murrow College graduate and journalist for the Associated Press based in the Bay Area. NBC anchor Lester Holt was also recognized during the symposium with the Lifetime Achievement Award, given to a journalist who demonstrates a commitment to excellence, regardless of their affiliation to Murrow College. Holt echoed Wright’s sentiment in his acceptance speech, telling aspiring journalists “our duty is to be fair to the truth.”
Hall of Achievement Award recipients are selected by the Murrow Professional Advisory Board, composed of industry professionals representing journalism, broadcasting, public relations, advertising, and other many evolving fields in the communication profession. Originally scheduled for March 2020, the 45th Murrow Symposium, including the Hall of Achievement Award ceremony, was postponed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
