Recipient of the 2024 Media Advocacy Award
Congratulations to María Marta Guzmán of WBIR for winning the Media Advocacy Award at the 11th Annual Community Champion Awards. This award is presented to a coalition member who exhibited commitment to the organization through meeting participation, committee leadership and project implementation.
About María
María Marta Guzmán is a bilingual reporter at WBIR. She was born in Nicaragua.
María is passionate about raising awareness of Tennessee’s opioid epidemic and sharing the stories of people in recovery. She has done countless stories to highlight important topics including substance misuse, recovery, stigma, mental health, and prevention.
In addition to giving individuals in recovery a platform to share their stories, she has also provided important information to help people understand the world of substance misuse, such as stories on the brain science of addiction and changes to THC content and its impact on youth. Her care and attention to detail has helped to reduce stigma and open important conversations in our community.
Word From María’s Nomination
María truly works to understand all aspects of the substance misuse/recovery world… She is empathetic, caring, and passionate, making each person she works with feel at ease. María’s work has created a more understanding community that is more willing to engage with the topic of substance misuse. Her reporting not only helps to reduce stigma and gives people in the community potentially life-saving information, but it also gives people hope that recovery is possible.
Thank you, María, for the important work you are doing in the Knoxville community!