Smith awarded Headliners Foundation Green Award

The Headliners Foundation of Texas presented Daily News Editor Michael A. Smith with the Charles E. Green Award for Opinion Writing.

“Each year the foundation recognizes the best — the journalists who report and write outstanding stories, take riveting photos and design content for impact and accessibility — with the Charles E. Green Award,” according to the organization.

Green was the long-time editor of the Austin American-Statesman. Winners of his namesake award are writers, investigators and photographers chosen as the best from contests conducted by the Texas Association of Broadcasters and the Texas Managing Editors.

Smith became eligible to compete for the Green award by first winning the Star Opinion Writer of the Year Award from Texas Managing Editors for five editorials written in 2024. Those five were then assessed by a separate judge against the work of writers at the Houston Chronicle and Dallas Morning News.

Smith “wrote with precision and insight” in a “graceful style that was inviting to read,” judge Bill Celis wrote.

“In a category with keen competition, The Galveston County Daily News and writer Michael A. Smith produced a body of work that honors the tenets of an exemplary editorial page.”

Producing exemplary editorial pages was among the goals of The Daily News and Southern Newspapers Inc., said Leonard Woolsey, president of the media company.

“I am especially proud that The Daily News continues to publish a locally-sourced editorial page,” Woolsey said.

“While many newspapers are abandoning the practice, we believe a free-flowing sharing of different opinions from the local community is a healthy practice. Our community deserves this place to exercise its right.

“Smith is one of the best editorial writers around — bar none. Given the volume of work and impact he has on our community, we should all be proud.

“Having a local newspaper that supports and encourages thoughtful discussion and — at times — disagreement is critical in today’s world.

“Michael A. Smith leads by example, never shying away from challenging subjects of critical local concern — and inviting others to discuss them.”

Smith first won the Green award in 2020. He’s the only person to have won it twice.

“I’m fortunate to work for a newspaper and a media company that value strong editorial voices and are willing to assume the risk that sometimes comes with speaking one’s mind,” Smith said.

“I’m also fortunate to write for an audience whose members, for the most part, enjoy a good argument even if they disagree.”

Other winners in the newspaper divisions were Smiley Pool of the The Dallas Morning News, Sara DiNatale of the San Antonio Express-News and Eric Dexheimer of the Houston Chronicle.

The Headliners Foundation of Texas is an Austin-based nonprofit whose mission is to promote excellence in journalism by providing scholarships to student journalists; recognizing and rewarding outstanding work in professional journalists; and supporting special projects that promote journalistic excellence and preserve history.