The Oak Ridger's news editor wins League of Women Voters' first 'Making Democracy Work' award

Carolyn Krause
·2 min read

Donna Smith, news editor of The Oak Ridger, recently received the first "Making Democracy Work" award from the League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge. The award was given to her at the league's 2024 annual meeting and program on May 21 following a dinner at the DoubleTree Hotel in Oak Ridge.

According to an article in “The Voter,” the local league's monthly newsletter, “This annual award is given to a person, persons, or organization that has demonstrated a committed and visionary leadership that strengthens democracy in our communities through positive change.

Carol Plasil, right, League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge board member, speaks on community newspapers prior to presenting Donna Smith, The Oak Ridger's news editor, with the league's first "Making Democracy Work" award.
Carol Plasil, right, League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge board member, speaks on community newspapers prior to presenting Donna Smith, The Oak Ridger's news editor, with the league's first "Making Democracy Work" award.

“In the spirit of the League, this leadership shall be non-partisan, collaborative and responsive to the needs of all members of our diverse community with equity and inclusion.

"Democracy works when voters are informed.

“A major source of vital information on the state of a community, its issues and potential solutions is found in the local community newspaper. Unbiased and well-written news articles promote understanding and critical thinking," the league stated in the article.

Carol Plasil, a league board member, gave the award to Smith after noting that hundreds of hometown newspapers with print editions have closed and the remaining ones are in danger. She added that when a community’s newspaper folds, the town risks losing its AAA credit rating and possible increases in corruption and property taxes.

Smith, an award-winning writer and editor, is a 38-year veteran in the news industry. An Anderson County native, she graduated with a communications/journalism degree from the University of Tennessee and a liberal arts degree from Roane State Community College.

Her roots in the community run deep: she has been an assigned reporter for Lake City, Anderson County and Oak Ridge. In these beats she has reported on all aspects of city and county government, hard news, events, local crimes, schools and local colleges.

Smith has been recognized with numerous awards in her field. She has received individual writing awards from the Tennessee Press Association, Tennessee Associated Press Managing Editors and Tennessee School Boards Association for deadline reporting, feature writing and personal columns. In years past, she has also been part of The Oak Ridger's winning staff for awards in makeup, editorial and the total newspaper product.

This article originally appeared on Oakridger: The Oak Ridger's news editor wins first 'Making Democracy Work' award

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