The New England Newspaper and Press Association (NENPA) continues its tradition of supporting aspiring journalists by awarding several scholarships each year through the Journalism Education Foundation of New England (JEFNE). This initiative is designed to foster and encourage young talent dedicated to pursuing a career in journalism.

Eligible applicants include college students and high school seniors from New England who are actively studying and gaining work experience in journalism. These scholarships are a valuable resource for students committed to the field, providing financial support as they prepare for their careers.

In a special highlight, 2024 marks the continuation of the MacGregor Fiske Scholarship, first incorporated into the Journalism Education Foundation of New England Scholarship awards in 2023. This scholarship honors the legacy of Mac Fiske, a respected fourth-generation newspaperman who passed away in 2009 at 75. 

We are proud to announce the recipients of the 2024 Journalism Education Foundation of New England Scholarships, each recipient will receive $2,500.

• Lila Hempel-Edgers, Northeastern University – MacGregor Fiske Scholarship recipient
• Sara Bedigian, University of Connecticut 
• Sonel Cutler, Northeastern University
• Charlotte Oliver, University of Vermont

This year’s recipients exemplify the dedication and promise that JEFNE aims to support, reflecting the foundation’s commitment to fostering the next generation of journalistic excellence in New England.

“Through working for student publications and in a professional newsroom, I have reported on a multitude of important issues within the communities I am a part of. I am endlessly inspired by the perseverance of my peers, colleagues, and mentors in a field that faces limited funding and increasing instability, and I am very grateful to JEFNE and the New England Newspaper & Press Association for supporting my career. This scholarship will fund a five-week trip where I will be reporting on economic disparities in Perú. It will also allow me to accept unpaid assignments from newspapers that can’t compensate me.”

“I am honored and grateful to have received the JEFNE Scholarship for the second year in a row! As I enter my third year at the University of Connecticut, I aspire to become a journalist where I can inform others and educate the community about important issues.  I want to tell stories for those who do not have a voice and report news for those to better understand what is happening around them. Through my experiences working for my college newspaper, I have found a passion for journalism, and I look forward to the day when I can become a journalist and make a difference in my community. I am beyond grateful for the generosity of JEFNE and the New England Newspaper & Press Association for their continued support, as their financial assistance is a tremendous asset to the future of my journalism career.”

“I am immensely grateful and excited to receive the Journalism Education Foundation of New England’s 2024 journalism scholarship! As I begin my senior year of college, I am deeply appreciative and humbled to be supported in my journalistic endeavors while I prepare to graduate and enter the job field. Although the field of journalism can be challenging and intimidating as it becomes increasingly competitive, it is evident that encouraging young people to pursue journalism is critical now more than ever. This scholarship will go a long way to helping me finish my education in journalism and political science at Northeastern.”

“I’m overjoyed that in my last year of college, I have the opportunity to meet more people, hear their stories, and get better at writing them for the news. This scholarship helps me to become a better journalist and do the things I love.”

Once again, the New England Newspaper & Press Association will identify our region’s best daily, weekly, specialty, and online news publications, and recognize them with the prestigious “New England Newspaper of the Year” award. Winners will be named in a range of circulation categories.

To be considered, editors fill out the online entry form, include a cover letter, and upload them along with two editions from the contest year (June 1, 2023 – May 31, 2024).

This is a one-of-a-kind competition – it is the only distinction of its kind in the newspaper industry that audience members judge. New England newspaper readers will be appointed to evaluate the entries from a news consumer point of view and decide which deserves the honor of being named Newspaper of the Year.

NENPA member publications are invited to enter five categories: Weekday newspapers, Sunday newspapers, Weekly community newspapers, Specialty Publications, and Online News Sites.

Publications will be assigned to a competitive division within their category after all entries are received (i.e., small, medium, and large weeklies, small, medium, and large dailies, small, medium, and large Sunday/weekend publications, local and regional news sites.)

If you are interested in entering the New England Newspaper of the Year Awards, we have great news! We had many inquiries about more time needed to prepare entries so we have extended the deadline to Friday, July 26, 2024!

Judging will take place in August. Winners will be notified in September, and all awards will be presented and celebrated during the New England Newspaper & Press Association (NENPA) and New York Press Association (NYPA) joint Fall Conference at The Omni in Providence, RI from September 19-21, 2024.

Learn more about the Newspaper of the Year Awards

Please note this year there is no need to package and mail anything – all entries will be uploaded using the entry form.

Entries are also being accepted for seven other prestigious awards:

Publick Occurrences Award
This award recognizes individual or team stories, series, spot news coverage, columns or photojournalism that ran in print and/or online. Editors should view this entry as their “very best work of the year.”
Learn more …

Bob Wallack Community Journalism Award
This award celebrates the accomplishments of someone who, over a sustained period of time, has faithfully served the community for which they are responsible and has played an active, constructive role in contributing to its quality of life.
Learn more …

Allan B. Rogers Editorial Award
This award recognizes the best editorial on a local subject that ran in New England in the past year.
Learn more …

New England First Amendment Award
This award will recognize a New England newspaper for its exceptional work in upholding the First Amendment and/or educating the public about it.
Learn more …

AP Sevellon Brown New England Journalist of the Year
This award is bestowed by the New England Society of News Editors, and it recognizes an individual for producing journalism of distinction in New England this past year.
Learn more …

New this year! The Cornerstone Award
This new award is designed to recognize and honor unsung heroes in our news organizations who meaningfully and significantly contribute to the accomplishments of our publications without recognition. About these folks, we ask the question: “Where would we be without them?” These individuals are the lifeblood of our operations, consistently providing the support and commitment needed to keep our departments and publications thriving.
Learn more …

New England Journalism Educator of the Year
NENPA presents the New England Journalism Educator of the Year award on behalf of the Journalism Education Foundation of New England to recognize a professor at a university or college in the six-state region who is doing outstanding work to prepare journalists to lead our newspaper organizations into the future.
Learn more …

Download 2024 NOY Awards Guidelines

Do you have a dedicated team member who works behind the scenes, ensuring the success of your operation? Perhaps the person is the go-to source for history or relationships in your community or a star production, administration, or circulation member.

We regularly champion the achievement of our journalists, but many others daily make invaluable contributions to our organizations. In the spirit of recognizing these people, we developed this new award and will present it each year during our New England Newspaper of the Year Awards program.

The Cornerstone Award is designed to recognize and honor unsung heroes in our news organizations who meaningfully and significantly contribute to the accomplishments of our publications without recognition. About these folks, we ask the question: “Where would we be without them?” These individuals are the lifeblood of our operations, consistently providing the support and commitment needed to keep our departments and publications thriving.

Submit a nomination letter detailing why your candidate deserves this prestigious recognition. Highlight the person’s dedication, service and the impact the individual has made on your team and organization.

All employees are eligible. There are no specific requirements other than demonstrating dedicated service and unwavering support. While a journalist may be recognized with this honor, the award intends to bring attention to someone working in the background.

The entry fee is $50 and the deadline to nominate someone is Friday, July 19, 2024.

The inaugural Cornerstone Award will be presented and celebrated during the New England Newspaper & Press Association (NENPA) and New York Press Association (NYPA) joint Fall Conference at The Omni in Providence, RI from September 19-21, 2024.

Learn more

We are excited to announce that the recording of our recent webinar, “Reporting with State Education Data,” is now available! Hosted by NENPA University and presented on June 13 by Sam Ribnick and Danielle Kane from the Massachusetts Education-to-Career Research and Data Hub (E2C Hub), this webinar was packed with valuable insights and practical guidance for journalists looking to enhance their education reporting.

Key Highlights from the Webinar:

• New Tools and Resources: Discover the latest tools and resources for accessing and utilizing public education data on school programs, trends, and outcomes.
• Impactful Data Stories and Dashboards: See hands-on examples of compelling data stories and dashboards that can elevate your reporting.
• Step-by-Step Guidance: Learn how to create accurate, localized, and relevant data visualizations tailored to your audience.
• Follow-Up Support: Benefit from ongoing support from the E2C Hub team for your data projects.

Whether you were able to join us live or not, we encourage all journalists to watch the recording. The insights shared are particularly useful for those reporting in New England, where similar databases are available, but the techniques and ideas presented apply to a wider audience as well.

This session is a must-watch for anyone looking to transform their approach to education data reporting. No prior data experience is necessary, so everyone is welcome to learn and grow with us.

If you have any questions or need further assistance with your data projects, don’t hesitate to reach out to the E2C Hub team at Danielle Kane, Outreach & Engagement Specialist, danielle.kane@mass.gov.

Thank you for your continued engagement and dedication to high-quality education reporting. Stay tuned for more resources and upcoming events from the E2C Hub!

Congratulations to all the 2023 New England Better Newspaper Competition Award winners! We are excited to release the full list of winners with the judges’ comments included.

This year’s competition drew nearly 2,000 entries that were published during the contest year August 1, 2022 – July 31, 2023. The entries were evaluated by the New England Newspaper & Press Association’s distinguished panel of judges and were presented on March 23, 2024, during the New England Newspaper Convention.

Entries were judged in seven categories:

• Colleges and Universities
• Weekly Newspapers with a circulation of up to 5,000
• Weekly Newspapers with a circulation of more than 5,000
• Specialty and Niche Publications
• News Services and Online News Sites
• Daily Newspapers with a circulation of up to 15,000
• Daily Newspapers with a circulation of more than 15,000

The results of the competition listed here recognize the excellent reporting, writing, revenue, and audience-building activities that are taking place throughout New England — the finalists and winners are listed, along with the judges’ comments. NENPA is proud to celebrate this truly extraordinary work!

If you have any questions about the results please contact NENPA executive director, Linda Conway at l.conway@nenpa.com.

DOWNLOAD 2023 BNC WINNERS NOW!

Attention NENPA members: the 2024 New England Newspaper of the Year Awards competition is about to open next week! Now is the time to start preparing your entries to showcase your best work.

We will be honoring the region’s best daily, weekly, specialty, and online news publications with the prestigious “New England Newspaper of the Year” award. This unique competition, judged by New England newspaper readers, will cover a range of circulation categories.

To enter, editors need to complete the online form, include a cover letter, and submit two editions from the contest year (June 1, 2023 – May 31, 2024).

Categories include:
– Weekday newspapers
– Sunday newspapers
– Weekly community newspapers
– Specialty publications
– Online news sites

Entries will be sorted into competitive divisions (small, medium, large) within their categories.

Additionally, entries are being accepted for these prestigious awards:
– Publick Occurrences Award: Best individual or team stories, series, spot news, columns, or photojournalism.
– Bob Wallack Community Journalism Award: Celebrates long-term community service and contribution.
– Allan B. Rogers Editorial Award: Best local editorial of the past year.
– New England First Amendment Award: Exceptional work upholding the First Amendment.
– AP Sevellon Brown New England Journalist of the Year: Recognizes journalism of distinction in New England.

Get your submissions ready and learn more about each award on our website.

Are you ready to transform how you report on education data? Join us for an exclusive workshop hosted by Sam Ribnick and Danielle Kane from the Massachusetts Education-to-Career Research and Data Hub (E2C Hub) this week on Thursday, June 13 from 12:00 – 1:00 PM.

Discover how the E2C Hub simplifies accessing and utilizing public data on school programs, trends, and outcomes. This session will introduce you to our latest resources, showcase compelling data stories and dashboards, and guide you through creating accurate, localized, and relevant data visualizations for your audience.

All journalists can attend because other New England states have similar databases and the story ideas presented are great to enhance your education reporting an important aspect of any publication’s community engagement strategy.

Highlights of the workshop include:

• Exploring new tools and resources for education data reporting
• Hands-on examples of impactful data stories and dashboards
• Step-by-step guidance on working with education datasets
• Follow-up support from the E2C Hub team for your data projects
• No prior data experience is necessary – everyone is welcome!

Don’t miss this opportunity to elevate your reporting skills. Secure your spot today and take the first step towards becoming a data-savvy storyteller.

P.S. Participants may receive follow-up support for their data projects from the E2C Hub team!

Register Now!

Many communities, especially those in historically marginalized areas, often feel disconnected from the news intended to serve them. This disconnect highlights the need to bridge the gap between journalists and the community, ensuring that reporting genuinely reflects and benefits the community it serves.

Why This Matters

To better serve your audience and enhance your DEIB practices, community asset mapping is a crucial strategy. This exercise helps identify and utilize the strengths and resources within your community, transforming your reporting to be more inclusive and impactful.

Webinar Details

Speaker: Letrell Deshan Crittenden, Ph.D., Director of Inclusion and Audience Growth at the American Press Institute

In this engaging session, recorded on May 30, 2024, Dr. Crittenden guides you through the essential steps of creating a community asset map.

You will learn to:

• Distinguish between sources and assets
• Understand the advantages of asset mapping over traditional source listing
• Identify different types of community assets
• Strategize and execute the creation of an asset map

By the end of the session, you’ll have a foundational starting point for your asset map and clear next steps for completing and refining it. This skill is invaluable for any journalist, regardless of their role in the newsroom.

About the New England Equity Reporting Fellowship:
Founded in 2021 by the Granite State News Collaborative, New England News Collaborative, New England Newspaper & Press Association, and Solutions Journalism Network, in partnership with the Endowment for Health, this fellowship aims to enhance news coverage on race and identity issues in New England and foster an inclusive newsroom culture.