ABC-7 Mental Health Reporter Avery Martinez recognized by Texas Medical Association

EL PASO, Texas — ABC-7's Be Mindful reporter, Avery Martinez, has been recognized for his coverage of abortion and mental health by the Texas Medical Association. He was the Honorable Mention in the Short Television News Category for his story, "Mothers and Doctors Challenge Abortion Law at Texas Supreme Court."

This is one of the Anson Jones, MD awards, which honors journalists across the state for "outstanding reporting about health issues." Local medical professionals presented Avery his award today.

"And this is obviously one that's been simmering for a while -- the abortion issue and state laws in different places -- and women and their access has become a very hot topic," said one member of the group presenting the award.

TMA officials tell ABC-7 that Avery is the first journalist in El Paso to have won this recognition.

Avery has also won several awards at the national and regional level for his reporting, alongside his international reporting fellowship with the Commonwealth Fund and the Association of Healthcare Journalists -- in addition to being selected as the Media Recipient of the Frank M. Adams Award by the Texas Council of Community Centers.

Avery came to ABC-7 specifically to cover mental health in the Borderland, as part of Report for America. RFA places talented, emerging journalists in newsrooms like ABC-7’s to report on under-covered issues and communities. Report for America is an initiative of The GroundTruth Project, an award-winning nonprofit journalism organization dedicated to rebuilding journalism from the ground up.

Congratulations, Avery.