The Signal placed 21 times in 17 categories at the Georgia College Press Association’s Awards in Athens, Ga. Feb. 8. These awards include 12 first place wins and the top “General Excellence” award, which the newspaper has won three out of the past four years.
Competing against some of the largest major college newspapers in the state, The Signal has added almost two-dozen awards to its growing list of accolades.
In addition to winning “General Excellence”, The Signal also placed 1st in the general categories for Sports, News, Features and Layout and Design.
In individual categories, 1st place winners include Daniel Camacho in Best News Article, Andres Cruz-Wellman and Jesus Diaz in Best News Article based on Investigative Reporting, Johnny Gipson in Best Entertainment Story, Ami Dudley in Best Column for three individual pieces and Andres Cruz-Wellman in Best News Photo. As a staff submission, The Signal also finished first in Best Editorial or Editorial Series category.
In addition to The Signal’s general and individual first place finishes, three staff members finished 2nd in individual categories: Mike Eden in Best Sports Photo, Adjoa Danso in Best Entertainment Feature and Alec McQuade in Best Sports Story. 3rd place finishes were awarded to Samantha Reardon in Best Column, Asia Thomas in Best News Article based on Objective Reporting, Rhett Lewis in Best Sports Photo and the staff’s win for Best Editorial Entry.
This year’s GCPA convention focused on print newspaper “writing and design.” Signal staffers attended the two-day convention and workshops which focused on strategies for engaging readers and developing compelling subject matter.
In 2012, The Signal redesigned its newspaper in an effort to provide quality content to the Georgia State community and to enhance learning amongst the next generation of journalists within the organization. Since then, The Signal has seen improvements in both reader and staff interaction.
The Signal will again be up for awards Feb. 20 at the South East Journalism Conference, where the newspaper is looking to claim “Best of the South” finishes to add to its endless list of awards.
