Marfa Public Radio has received a 2026 National Edward R. Murrow Award for its podcast “A Whole Other Country,” a six-part documentary series examining the Republic of Texas secessionist movement and the armed standoff that unfolded in the Davis Mountains near Fort Davis in 1997.
The award was presented Oct. 12 during the National Edward R. Murrow Awards Gala at Gotham Hall in New York City. The Radio Television Digital News Association recognized the production in the News Series category for small-market radio stations.
Marfa Public Radio senior producer Zoe Kurland and editor Liza Yeager attended the ceremony and accepted the award. The station shared a photograph of the two women celebrating the recognition.
The podcast, released in October 2025, revisits one of the most unusual chapters in Far West Texas history: the rise of a separatist organization led by Richard McLaren, who established what he called the Republic of Texas in the Davis Mountains Resort community.
McLaren and his followers claimed Texas remained an independent nation and challenged the authority of the United States government. The movement escalated into an armed confrontation with authorities in 1997, attracting national attention before ending in the group’s surrender.
Through interviews with residents, historians, eyewitnesses and people taken hostage during the confrontation, Kurland reconstructed the events leading to the standoff and explored its lasting effects on the remote mountain community.
The series also examines the mythology of Texas independence, the appeal of separatist movements and the consequences for people who found themselves caught in the conflict.
The production had surpassed 400,000 downloads by August, according to Marfa Public Radio.
Kurland, who reported and produced the series, previously described the project as deeply rooted in the region and its residents.
“A Whole Other Country is truly a product of Far West Texas,” Kurland said when the national award was announced in August.
She emphasized the importance of preserving the firsthand accounts of Davis Mountains residents, including some who have since died.
The national recognition follows a successful year for the station in the Edward R. Murrow Awards competition.
In May, Marfa Public Radio received eight regional Murrow Awards for its 2025 journalism and podcast productions. The honors included recognition for overall excellence, writing, sound, innovation, documentary reporting and podcast production.
The national award brings the station’s total to nine National Edward R. Murrow Awards, according to the organization.
Marfa Public Radio competed in the small-market radio division against news organizations from across the country. The awards recognize journalism demonstrating strong ethical standards, technical expertise and public service.
Established in 1971, the Murrow Awards are named for pioneering CBS broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow and are considered among the most prestigious honors in American broadcast and digital journalism.
Marfa Public Radio is an independent, nonprofit, listener-supported broadcaster serving Far West Texas and the Permian Basin.
