Excellence in Sports Reporting
Anisa Khalifa, “The Broadside: The surprising cricket capital of the South,” North Carolina Public Radio-WUNC
ABOUT THE WORK: This episode aired in June of last year, when the US was co-hosting the T20 World Cup, and many Americans were having their first real taste of cricket; the previous year had been the launch of Major League Cricket in the United States, and those games kicked off in Morrisville, NC, bringing world-famous players to this little town that no one has really heard of. But it's having a moment in national and international cricket, and it's because of the efforts of the South Asian community that lives there, loves the game, and came together to create a space to play it with a level of excellence that they could previously only get "back home".
In the midst of the rivalries and cricket fever, and in a broader context of geopolitical tensions between Pakistan and India that are only seeming to get uglier, this story was a joyful and uplifting illustration of how those divisions don't always have to exist, and in fact highlights the strong bonds between South Asian cricket players in Morrisville. In addition, the episode provided context about the history and evolution of the sport during the World Cup, when many Americans were watching cricket for the first time, while speaking to and not alienating the community it was about—people who live and breathe cricket and are excited to see it finally arriving stateside.
Anisa Khalifa is an award-winning podcast producer and host at WUNC, where she hosts The Broadside, a weekly news and culture podcast about North Carolina and the South. She grew up in a public radio household, and fell in love with podcasts shortly before her friends convinced her to start one with them about Korean dramas. Since joining WUNC in 2021, Anisa has produced Me and My Muslim Friends, CREEP, Tested and Dating While Gray. She is also the co-creator of indie podcasts Dramas Over Flowers and Muslim in Plain Sight.
Honorable Mention: Elaine Teng, “Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara gambling investigation” (1/2/3), ESPN
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