Smoke Signals wins eight awards from Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association

By Danielle Harrison

Publications coordinator

Smoke Signals received eight awards – four firsts, three seconds and one third – during the 137th annual Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association Conference held Thursday and Friday, July 18-19, at Eagle Crest Resort in Redmond.

The awards in the Associate Member category were given for work published in 2023.

Smoke Signals Graphic Designer Samuel Briggs III and Page Designer Justin Phillips received a first-place award in the design category for their cover page of the Tribe’s 40^th anniversary of Restoration special section, which was also one of former editor Dean Rhodes’ final projects. 

Briggs also took second place in the Graphics category for his illustration depicting the history of the Tomanowos meteorite.

Smoke Signals Editor Danielle Harrison received a first-place award for her story, “ODFW approves MOA expanding Tribal hunting and fishing rights,” and a second-place award for “No more stolen sisters,” in the Best Feature Writing competition.

Smoke Signals Photojournalist Michelle Alaimo swept the photography category with first-, second- and third-place awards in the Best News Photo category for photographs of a preschool graduation, Tribal members celebrating after the historic MOA with the state of Oregon was signed Aug. 4, 2023, and her photo of Grand Ronde Tribal member Leloo Quenelle dancing during the 2023 Veterans Powwow.

Lastly, Smoke Signals garnered a first-place award in the coveted Target Audience/General Excellence category. 

“I’m truly impressed with the quality level of journalism that Smoke Signals employees produced in 2023,” Editorial Board Chair Mia Prickett said. “I couldn’t be more proud of the work we’re doing to bring timely information to our people.”

Smoke Signals was once again the only Tribal newspaper honored in the statewide competition. The newspaper finished first in the Associate Member competition ahead of the Salem-based agricultural newspaper Capital Press for the most awards received.

"It's an impressive haul and reinforces my earlier decision to hire Danielle Harrison as a staff writer in 2017 and then as my eventual successor in 2023," longtime former Smoke Signals Editor Dean Rhodes said. 

Earlier this year, Smoke Signals won three awards from the Indigenous Journalists Association, including first place in the General Excellence category in its circulation category.

Smoke Signals has now won 142 state and national journalism awards since 2007.