The Argus Observer wins 13 awards

The Argus Observer secured 13 awards at the Oregon Newspaper Publisher’s Association annual Better Newspaper Contest banquet Friday.

The paper won awards in a number of categories for Oregon newspapers with a circulation of 10,000 or less, including Best Sports Front page design and Best Editorial Page. The Argus Observer was judged against other state newspapers of similar size.

“This is a very significant event for us in the Argus Observer newsroom. In my tenure as editor we’ve never won 13 awards at the ONPA contest,” Editor Pat Caldwell said. The Argus Observer won five first-place awards: Best Sports Page, Best Editorial Page, Best Educational Coverage, Best Graphics and Best Feature Photo. The Argus Observer also clinched five second- place awards and four third-place awards. The Texas Press Association judged the entries.

“This number of awards, framed against the economic and other challenges we’ve faced in the past nine months, is a vindication that the old values of hard work, dedication and sacrifice really can make a difference,” Caldwell said.

Caldwell said the desire to overcome challenges is a key attribute to the newsroom’s success. Caldwell said the Argus Observer’s success is possible only with the support of its readers.

“We are a community newspaper, and we take that role seriously,” he said.

Caldwell said the awards also represent the kind of quality journalism that occurs at the newspapers that serve Eastern Oregon.

“Papers like the East Oregonian (in Pendleton) or the Baker City Herald and others in places like Burns or Bend or Redmond and La Grande consistently put out a quality product,” he said.

He also said the awards, while significant for the newsroom, reflected on the newspaper as a whole.

“These 13 awards are a shared victory for this paper and the community. That may be a hard concept to grasp for some, especially those who take issue with a stance we take or a story we print, but for good or ill, like it or not, these accolades are as much about Ontario, Payette, Vale and Nyssa as they are about us,” Caldwell said. Caldwell said the celebration in the newsroom was brief.

“I told them (the newsroom staff) to take a short time to commemorate the victory. Then to put it behind them. These awards are a good, solid base to build on for the future,” Caldwell said.

Argus Observer awards:

First place: Best Sports Page (Scott Ford, Ray Rodriguez), Best Editorial Page (Pat Caldwell), Best Educational Coverage (Larry Meyer), Best Graphics (Scott Ford, Ray Rodriguez), Best Feature Photo (Ray Rodriguez).

Second place: Best Sports Page for Sunday Editions (Scott Ford, Ray Rodriguez), Best Local Column (Sean Hart), Best Writing (Jessica Keller), Best Graphics (Scott Ford, Ray Rodriguez), Best Page One Design (Pat Caldwell).

Third place: Best Editorial (Pat Caldwell), Best Graphics (Ray Rodriguez, Scott Ford), Best Section Front or Inside Page Design (Casey Ney).

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