Kentucky-Based Nonprofit Honored With National Award For “A National Conversation On The Digital Divide”

Connected Nation has been honored with national award for “a national conversation on the Digital Divide.”

Connected Nation (CN) won top honors this month in PR Daily’s Nonprofit Communications Awards for best virtual event.  The national nonprofit was recognized for producing a three-city, live event titled “20 years of connecting the nation: a national conversation on the Digital Divide” that aired across the country on November 17, 2021.

“Our goal was to bring together thought leaders, industry insiders, and those directly impacted by the Digital Divide to examine the issue from all angles,” said Tom Ferree, Chairman & CEO, CN. “We celebrated 20 years of work within the broadband space in 2021, and we knew that we were in the  midst of incredible change and new understanding of the need to expand broadband access, adoption, and use. We could not let the moment pass us by without having a productive discussion on where we’ve been, where we are going, and where we want to be.”

The one-of-a-kind event featured panel discussions in three locations across the country: RFD-TV studios located in Washington DC; Fort Bend Independent School District located just outside Houston, Texas; and NBC’s KGW8-TV located in Portland, Oregon, which were fed and broadcast from a fourth location at Hatfield Media located  in Louisville, Kentucky.

“The most important thing was to ensure that the voices of those directly impacted by the Digital Divide were heard and a part of this conversation,” said Jessica Denson, Communications Director, CN. “That’s why we spent the months leading up to November 17 talking with people on the ground about everything from telehealth to remote learning to rural connectivity. We produced a series of stories that highlighted the direct consequences of being disconnected in America — essentially cut off from the many resources and opportunities technology can provide individuals, families, and whole communities.”

CN partnered with KGW8-TV, RFD-TV, and Fort Bend Independent School District to make the live portion of the program possible. Hatfield Media and CN worked together to manage the technical challenges of producing an event featuring three different types of networks while handling all graphics, video, and live feeds on the day of the event.

You can find a full rundown of the event at cn20.org.