After a five-year hiatus, Tennessee resumed executions on May 22, 2025, with the lethal injection of Oscar Smith. Capital punishment has drawn intense scrutiny in Tennessee because of mismanagement of lethal drugs and the state’s failure to follow its own protocol.
WPLN delivered enterprising and explanatory journalism throughout the year, led by health reporter Catherine Sweeney and supported by criminal justice reporter Paige Pfleger and This Is Nashville managing Editor Tasha A.F. Lemley.
Sweeney became an authoritative voice on the state’s lethal injection protocol, and her web stories were the most read by WPLN audiences in the third quarter of 2025.
Her reporting delved deeply into the changes to the protocol, an unprecedented legal battle over one inmate’s heart implant, and concerns about painful deaths. Her understanding of the protocol and legal challenges made her an indispensable media witness to three executions, preparing her to navigate those difficult assignments with clear descriptions of a secretive process.
This submission is a curated selection of coverage, including a special episode of This Is Nashville that aired the same day as the state’s first execution after the hiatus. This entry includes three audio stories, which surpass the 40-minute total — we would ask that judges consider the first two radio features, and the opening 25 minutes of the This Is Nashville episode.
Tennessee’s new lethal injection protocol still carries concerns about painful deaths | Feb. 26
Timeline: Tennessee is planning its first lethal injection in years. How did the state get here? | May 20
The long-term impact of violent loss: Reflecting on the crimes and execution of Oscar Smith | May 22
This Is Nashville: After moratorium, Tennessee executes Oscar Franklin Smith | May 22
Autopsy sheds light on Byron Black’s painful execution | Sept. 11
Judge orders release of Tennessee execution records | Dec. 10
Tennessee executes Harold Wayne Nichols in third lethal injection of the year | Dec. 11
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