Tucked above the General Store in the center of Harvard, Massachusetts, The Harvard Press operates from the literal heart of the community it covers.
Founded in 2006 after the decline and eventual closure of the town’s former newspaper, the independently owned weekly was created by residents determined to preserve strong local journalism in Harvard.
Today, nearly two decades later, the paper remains deeply woven into community life — covering local government, schools, development, and civic issues while building unusually strong reader support and engagement. At the 2020 Town Meeting, during the height of the pandemic, the paper was named “2019 Citizen of Note.” The award is given each year by the Select Board to an outstanding Harvard citizen or organization.
The support by the community extends beyond subscriptions. The newspaper currently operates rent-free from the third floor of the General Store thanks to the generosity of the building’s owners, a reflection of how strongly the community values the paper’s presence in town.
During NENPA’s visit, one theme emerged repeatedly: The Harvard Press is not simply producing a newspaper — it is actively sustaining civic life in the community it serves.
📊 Snapshot
Founded: 2006 Location: Harvard, Massachusetts Publication Type: Weekly community newspaper Coverage Area: Harvard and surrounding regional issues impacting the town Ownership Model: Independent / locally operated Distribution: Paid subscription model reaching roughly two-thirds of local households Editorial Focus: Hyperlocal news, town government, schools, features, community life, photography Staff Structure: Small core staff supported by freelancers, hourly contributors, and community reporters
✍️ Editorial Approach
The Harvard Press staff gathers every Thursday morning for editorial and newsroom planning meetings to organize coverage and begin producing the next issue.
“We have three priorities,” Editor John Osborn explained during NENPA’s visit. “First is covering the news. Second is community building. Third is training.”
Approximately 99% of the paper’s coverage is focused specifically on Harvard itself. The newsroom intentionally avoids national coverage and only reports on regional or state issues when they directly affect the community.
Town meeting coverage remains one of the publication’s signature strengths.
Each year, The Harvard Press publishes detailed “warrant in plain English” explainers that translate complicated municipal language into accessible reporting residents can actually understand before voting.
“People come to the meeting with our paper,” Osborn said. “If they forgot it, they’ll ask for another copy so they can sit there and read the paper while they’re voting.”
The newsroom also works intentionally to balance hard news with features, photography, and community storytelling in every issue.
✅ What’s Working
The Harvard Press provides extensive coverage of local government and Town Meeting issues, helping residents understand complex topics such as the town budget before casting their votes.
Several strategies are helping The Harvard Press maintain strong community trust and support:
Hyperlocal reporting focused almost entirely on Harvard
Deep town meeting and civic coverage
Strong photography and feature storytelling
Community engagement events and reader surveys
A highly successful sustaining subscriber program
Community contributor and citizen journalist training
Consistent weekly editorial planning and workflow systems
The newsroom also noted that readers consistently expressed strong trust in the publication during a recent audience survey that generated more than 200 responses.
“People really, really trust us and value us,” shared co-owner Sue Robbins.
💰 Revenue Model
The Harvard Press currently operates with revenue split roughly between advertising and circulation, supplemented by donations and fundraising initiatives.
One of the paper’s most successful efforts has been its sustaining subscriber program, where readers voluntarily pay approximately double the standard subscription rate to provide additional support for the newspaper.
“We have 400 sustaining subscribers,” explained Lisa Aciukewicz, publisher and co-owner. “We are so supported by this town.”
The newsroom also accepts donations through nonprofit partnership arrangements and recently joined the Report for America Accelerator program to help explore long-term sustainability strategies.
Online advertising is intentionally limited to local businesses in order to preserve the paper’s intensely local identity and reader experience.
“I think we realize the strength of our product is tied to how local we keep it,” Aciukewicz explained.
🤝 Community Engagement
The Harvard Press’s first reader survey in 2025 was a resounding success, drawing responses from more than 200 residents and generating overwhelmingly positive feedback.
Community engagement is deeply integrated into the newsroom’s culture.
The Harvard Press regularly:
Co-sponsors election forums with the League of Women Voters
Hosts “Coffee with the Editor” conversations
Encourages reader letters and feedback
Started conducting audience surveys in 2025
Maintains a community advisory board
Recruits and trains new contributors from within the community
Earlier this year, the newsroom launched a large recruitment campaign using postcards, banners, and community outreach to attract new contributors.
The effort brought approximately 30 residents to an initial information session.
“We got like 30 people at that first meeting,” Osborn recalled. “And then we whittle it down and train them.”
⚙️ Operations & Workflow
Despite its small size, the newsroom operates with highly structured systems and routines.
Every Thursday morning after the paper goes to print, staff gather for editorial and newsroom planning meetings to organize the next issue.
A shared Google Sheet tracks:
Story assignments
Photos
Ad volume
Deadlines
Page budgets
Production status
“We couldn’t do it without ‘the spreadsheet’,” joked managing editor, Valerie Hurley.
🎓 Training & Community Contributors
Training has become one of the newsroom’s defining priorities.
Because the paper operates with a small staff, The Harvard Press has built an internal pipeline for training community reporters and contributors.
Osborn has led workshops teaching residents how to interview, report, and write stories, while the newsroom has also worked extensively with local students interested in journalism.
Several former student participants have gone on to careers at major news organizations, including The Boston Globe and The New York Times.
The newsroom also developed programs like “Report for Harvard,” which paired local students with community members to produce stories highlighting unsung contributors throughout town.
⚠️ Challenges
Like many local news organizations, The Harvard Press faces ongoing sustainability and staffing challenges.
Leadership spoke candidly about:
Retaining younger journalists
Aging newsroom leadership
Limited financial resources
The difficulty of balancing journalism with personal financial realities
The broader economics of local news
“It’s that broken economics of local journalism,” Aciukewicz said. “Somebody’s got to solve it.”
Staff also noted that many contributors dedicate far more time and energy to the paper than their compensation reflects.
🔍 What They’re Exploring
Current areas of experimentation and growth include:
A major website redesign that will eventually introduce a paywall, digital subscriptions, and more frequent online updates.
Expanded fundraising and nonprofit partnerships
Report for America Accelerator participation
Additional community contributor training
Potential newsletter development
More frequent digital publishing workflows
Leadership hopes these efforts will help strengthen long-term sustainability while maintaining the publication’s local focus and identity.
💡 Advice & Opportunities for Other Newsrooms
This insert was included in The Harvard Press’s annual Town Meeting issue, which is mailed to every household in town. The piece encourages readers to support local journalism through subscriptions, donations, and sustaining memberships.
The Harvard Press shared several strategies other community newspapers may want to explore:
Sustaining Subscriber Programs
The newsroom strongly recommends offering readers an option to financially support local journalism beyond standard subscription pricing.
“If you’re not doing that, that is the lowest hanging fruit,” Aciukewicz said.
Town Meeting Coverage
The paper mails expanded town meeting coverage to every household — including non-subscribers — helping drive civic engagement, subscriptions, and advertising revenue.
Community Training
Building pipelines for local contributors and citizen journalists can help small newsrooms expand coverage while strengthening community ties.
Reader Surveys
The newsroom found audience surveys extremely valuable for understanding reader priorities and building trust.
🏆 NENPA Recognition
The Harvard Press’s commitment to local journalism was recognized in the 2025 New England Better Newspaper Competition, where the newsroom earned multiple awards across opinion writing, public service reporting, photography, and overall excellence.
The paper received First Place for General Excellence, one of the competition’s highest honors, recognizing the overall quality of the publication. The newsroom also earned First Place for Invisible Hunger: How Loaves & Fishes is Feeding Families in Need by Julie Gowel and First Place for Heidi Gomez’s commentary, Dissed-abled: Wheelchair Users Need Equality of Access and Opportunity, which judges praised as “a real public service.”
Coverage of the closure of Nashoba Valley Medical Center earned Second Place, with judges noting the series documented not only the loss of a community hospital but the broader impact on residents, emergency services, and regional health care access. The paper also received Second Place for Jen Manell’s photograph Booksale.
For the staff, awards serve as more than recognition—they validate the work of a small newsroom committed to serving its community.
For the staff, the recognition serves as both validation and motivation.
“We can’t pay people what larger organizations can,” Aciukewicz explained. “So for them to win an award is huge.”
The awards also reinforce community trust and credibility within the town.
🔮 Looking Ahead
Located on the third floor of Harvard’s General Store, The Harvard Press operates from the heart of the community it serves. The building’s first floor houses a café and market, while the second floor provides shared workspace for residents and visitors, making it an ideal home for a hyperlocal newspaper.
What stood out most during NENPA’s visit was the extraordinary dedication of the people producing the paper.
Staff members routinely contribute far beyond what their compensation would suggest, driven by a belief that strong local journalism remains essential to the health of the community.
That belief is reflected in the support surrounding them.
When the General Store building housing the newsroom was sold last year, staff feared they might lose their longtime office space. Instead, the new owners chose to continue offering the paper free rent — another reminder of how deeply embedded The Harvard Press has become in the life of the town.
In many ways, The Harvard Press represents both the challenges and possibilities facing small local newspapers today: limited resources, constant experimentation, uncertain economics — but also extraordinary trust, civic value, and community support.
⭐ Best Quote
The Harvard Press leadership team includes (from left): Lisa Aciukewicz, co-owner; John Osborn, editor-in-chief; Sue Robbins, co-owner; and Valerie Hurley, managing editor.
“We have three priorities: covering the news, community building, and training.” — John Osborn, Editor, The Harvard Press
The New England Newspaper & Press Association is now accepting applications for the 2026 Bob Wallack Intern Stipend Program, which provides a $500 stipend to support aspiring community journalists working at NENPA member news organizations during the summer internship season.
Editors at NENPA member publications are invited and encouraged to apply on behalf of one of their 2026 summer interns. The stipends are awarded in honor of former New England Press Association Executive Director Bob Wallack and are intended to support the next generation of community journalists.
To be considered, editors should submit a letter that briefly outlines:
The intern’s background and career aspirations
The type of experience the publication will provide during the internship
The level of contribution expected from the intern this summer
Why the intern merits this special compensation and how the stipend will support their development
Applications should be submitted by Friday, June 19, 2026, to Linda Conway at l.conway@nenpa.com using the subject line: “Summer Intern Stipend.”
NENPA can also help member publications promote available internship opportunities to journalism students throughout New England. Internship information can be sent to students@nenpa.com.
About the Bob Wallack Community Journalism Fund
Longtime New England journalist and former New England Press Association Executive Director Bob Wallack passed away in January 2014 after a brief illness at the age of 63.
Bob’s career in community journalism spanned more than four decades across three New England states. During his career, he worked at a variety of daily and weekly newspapers in roles ranging from reporter to publisher and general manager. He also served as Executive Director of the New England Press Association during the 1990s.
In honor of Bob’s lifelong dedication to community journalism and mentoring young journalists, former colleagues established the Bob Wallack Community Journalism Fund. In addition to supporting this internship stipend program, the fund also supports the annual Bob Wallack Community Journalism Award, presented each year to a New England journalist who demonstrates excellence in community journalism.
Past recipients of the award include Steve Damish of The Enterprise in Brockton, Mass.; Thor Jourgensen of The Daily Item in Lynn, Mass.; Stanley Moulton of the Daily Hampshire Gazette in Northampton, Mass.; Ray Duckler of the Concord Monitor; John Flowers of the Addison Independent in Middlebury, Vt.; Edward W. Forry of the Dorchester Reporter; James D. Haggerty III of the Daily Times Chronicle in Woburn, Mass.; Steve Collins of the Sun Journal in Lewiston, Maine; and Wayne Braverman of The Bedford Citizen in Bedford, Mass.
NENPA’s Fall Awards Program will officially open for entries next weekend, recognizing outstanding journalism, editorial leadership, community service, investigative reporting, First Amendment advocacy, and newsroom impact across New England.
The program celebrates journalism, leadership, and public service that continue to strengthen communities across New England while recognizing the individuals and organizations shaping the future of local news.
Additional details, eligibility information, entry instructions, and deadlines will be announced when the awards officially open next weekend.
The Boston Globe is now administering the annual Will McDonough Sports Writing Contest, a long-running New England competition previously managed by The Sports Museum for more than 20 years. The contest is free to enter and open to high school students in grades 9–12 throughout New England.
Students are invited to submit one original piece of sports writing. Entries will be judged on writing quality, reporting, use of journalism principles, and the ability to engage readers with sports as a central element of the story.
To participate, a parent or guardian (18+) must first complete the required information form before students email their submission.
The deadline to enter is May 27, 2026. Winners will be announced on June 9, 2026.
The New England Newspaper & Press Association has officially launched its new Freelancer Network, a developing initiative designed to help connect NENPA member publishers with freelance journalists, writers, photographers, designers, and other newsroom professionals across New England.
The project was created in response to ongoing staffing challenges, changing newsroom needs, and growing interest from freelance journalists looking to build stronger relationships with local and regional news organizations. Over the past several weeks, freelancers from across the region have submitted information through NENPA’s intake form, creating an internal database that includes reporting specialties, geographic coverage areas, experience levels, and work samples.
NENPA member publishers can now begin submitting freelancer requests directly to the association. Publishers can request recommendations based on specific newsroom needs, including coverage areas, beats, content production, photography, design, audience engagement, copy editing, and other freelance support.
Rather than operating as a public directory, the service is designed as a managed matching network. NENPA staff will review requests and provide curated freelancer recommendations based on the needs of each publication.
The initiative is intended to support both immediate assignment needs and longer-term newsroom relationships, while also helping freelance journalists gain greater visibility within New England’s local news ecosystem.
Freelancers interested in joining the network can still complete the intake form, and publishers are encouraged to reach out as staffing or project needs arise.
The New England Newspaper & Press Association (NENPA) will officially launch the NENPA Freelancer Network on May 15 as a new member benefit designed to help connect freelance journalists with publishers and news organizations across New England.
The NENPA Freelancer Network is being developed as a centralized freelancer database that will allow NENPA to help facilitate connections between member news organizations and freelance journalists seeking paid assignments, ongoing newsroom relationships, and opportunities to expand the reach of their work.
Freelance journalists, independent writers, photographers, newsletter creators, and other newsroom professionals are encouraged to complete the NENPA Freelancer Intake Form ahead of the launch. The intake form gathers information about coverage areas, experience, availability, formats, rates, and assignment interests to help NENPA make informed matches between freelancers and participating news organizations.
The network is intended to support a wide range of newsroom needs, including reporting, photography, newsletter support, feature writing, investigative projects, and other editorial work. Freelancers who complete the intake form may be contacted by editors, publishers, or hiring managers from participating news organizations across the region.
NENPA is also continuing to gather input from publishers and newsroom leaders about current coverage needs, staffing gaps, and areas where freelance support may be beneficial.
The intake form also includes optional questions related to a potential shared publishing model that could help freelancers distribute recurring content, columns, newsletters, and other work across multiple news organizations.
While NENPA will work to facilitate meaningful connections between freelancers and publishers, participation in the network does not guarantee assignments or employment opportunities.
After seven years of collaboration, GBH and New England Public Media are planning to formally merge by the summer of 2026, creating a statewide media organization expected to reach more than 1.3 million people across Massachusetts every week.
“This is all about preserving local news,” GBH President and CEO Susan Goldberg said in an interview. “So at a time when local news is endangered coast to coast, at a time when more than $1.1 billion has been taken away from local public media, what we’re doing by this is figuring out: How do we be as efficient as we can to make sure we preserve the most important things … we do? And local news, in terms of a forward- facing operation, is one of the most important things we do.
“This is about, How do we make sure those great stories in western Massachusetts have more scale and have more audience and can be seen by more people across the state?” Goldberg added. “The same is true with WCAI.”
New England Public Media, or NEPM, was created in 2019 as an affiliation between three entities: the GBH-owned television station WGBY; New England Public Radio, which was operating the station WFCR in Springfield for the University of Massachusetts; and UMass.
GBH technically took ownership of NEPM, but NEPM was constituted as its own nonprofit with its own fiduciary board and largely operated independently, even as GBH ran its human resources and finance operations.
Now, Goldberg said, the merger will result in even more collaboration in areas like sponsorships and public events, as well as cost-saving efficiencies stemming from consolidation. For example, NEPM and GBH will now be audited together rather than separately, and will file taxes as one entity rather than two. According to Goldberg, the merger could also result in a net reduction in member fees paid to PBS and NPR for national programming.
The Concord Bridge has quickly established itself as a vital source of local news, filling a critical gap in what had become a news desert. With a clear mission and a disciplined approach to coverage, the newsroom has focused on delivering consistent, community-centered journalism while building meaningful connections with its audience.
Launched with the goal of restoring reliable local reporting, the Bridge has leaned into a simple but powerful idea: cover the community deeply, consistently, and with purpose. That focus has helped the publication gain traction in a relatively short period of time, proving that even in challenging environments, there is strong demand for trustworthy local news.
A key part of that success has been the newsroom’s ability to identify stories that matter—and to stay with them. One example is its reporting on local shelter conditions, which began as a routine inquiry but evolved into a deeper investigation with real community impact. By following the story beyond the initial headline and continuing to ask questions, the newsroom demonstrated the kind of accountability journalism that builds credibility and trust.
The Bridge has also shown a willingness to experiment with how it delivers news. During local elections, the team introduced live blogging as a way to provide real-time updates and keep readers engaged throughout the day. The approach not only increased audience interaction but also created a more dynamic, responsive news experience—one that met readers where they were and how they consume information today.
Underlying all of this is a strong connection to the community. The newsroom’s work reflects a clear understanding of its audience and a commitment to serving their needs—whether through daily reporting, deeper enterprise stories, or new formats designed to increase accessibility and engagement.
Through smart editorial strategy, thoughtful audience engagement, and a willingness to adapt, the Concord Bridge has created a model that offers valuable lessons for other newsrooms navigating similar challenges. That work has not gone unnoticed. They have earned numerous awards already, but the real measure of success is the publication’s impact: restoring access to reliable local reporting and strengthening the connection between a community and its news.
📊 Snapshot
Publication Name: The Concord Bridge Location: Concord, MA Website: concordbridge.org Founded: 2022 Leadership: Maile Hulihan, CEO, Celeste Katz Marston, Editor-in-Chief Model: Nonprofit Type: Free weekly print + daily digital publication Frequency: Weekly (web updated daily) Distribution: Free to ~8,700 households and businesses Staff Size: Under 10, cross-trained team Mission: A nonpartisan, nonprofit newspaper of record serving the Concord community
“We’re a weekly newspaper that acts like a daily.” – Celeste Katz Marston
🧭 Editorial Approach
The Concord Bridge is intentionally hyperlocal—focusing on the issues that directly impact residents.
Key focus areas:
Local government and accountability reporting
Schools and education
High school sports and community life
Major town events and civic issues
Notably not covered:
National politics (except when there is a direct local impact)
Editor-in-Chief, Celeste Katz Marston works in the office closely with reporters Dakota Antelman (left) and Trace Salzbrenner (right).
🎯 What’s Working
Live coverage of town meetings and major events
Strong visual storytelling and design
Highly engaged letters to the editor section
Community contributors, including student correspondents
💰 Revenue Model
~60% donor-supported
Advertising, obituaries, and legal notices
Custom publishing
Sponsorship
🎨 Visual & Audience Strategy
Heavy use of photography and thoughtful layout
Photo essays and strong front-page visuals
Social media engagement driven by imagery
🤝 Community Engagement
Active social media interaction
Community events and presentations
Direct outreach (including phone calls with readers)
🧨 Impact Journalism
Shelter investigation → halted unsafe placements
Election coverage → increased turnout
Consistent coverage of difficult, high-impact issues
⚙️ Operations & Workflow
Small, collaborative, cross-trained team
Structured editorial workflow and regular news meetings in office
Tools: Slack, Google Drive, social platforms
🚧 Challenges
Scaling with a small team
Building sustainable revenue
Managing high expectations
What we’re exploring
Events
Membership
Merchandising
💡 Advice & Opportunities
Try this: Invest in visuals, design, and live blogging capabilities; it drives engagement.
Avoid this: Trying to cover everything.
Big opportunity: Events and further developing a member model for community-supported local news.
Stickers were used to designate supporter levels in the first round of a member support campaign.
🏆 NENPA Recognition
The Concord Bridge’s work has also been recognized across the region, earning multiple honors in the 2025 New England Better Newspaper Competition, along with top awards in the fall.
At the 2025 Fall Awards Program, CEO Maile Hulihan was honored with the Cornerstone Award, recognizing her leadership and contributions to local journalism, and The Concord Bridge won a Publick Occurrences Award for “Milestone 250.”
In the Better Newspaper Competition, The Concord Bridge received multiple First Place awards, including:
Our First Small-Donor Fundraising Campaign (Staff & Board)
Fire! (Photography, Ken McGagh)
A Patriot’s Day (Rob Reinalda)
‘Minute Man’ marks 150th birthday… (Laurie O’Neill)
Milestone 250 LIVE (Staff)
On Walden Pond (Ken McGagh)
Additional honors included:
Second Place:Concord Election 2025 (Dakota Antelman), One if by lamb… (Rob Reinalda), Time Outdoors (Wilson Kerr)
Third Place:Emergency Shelter Conditions (Dakota Antelman), Patriots Day 2025 (Ken McGagh), ‘He’s experienced our lives with us’ (Margaret Carroll-Bergman)
Judges highlighted the newsroom’s persistent reporting, strong visual storytelling, and ability to drive real community impact—particularly in coverage that prompted action and helped inform voters during a contentious local election.
Some of the staff of The Concord Bridge pictured with their 2025 New England Better Newspaper awards.
⭐ Best Quote
“We talk a lot about revealing Concord to itself because we’re not shying away from things that are different from how people would like it to be.” – Maile Hulihan
CEO Maile Hulihan, came out of retirement to head the team at The Concord Bridge. Hulihan was the 2025 NENPA Cornerstone Award recipient. She will be retiring in June.
Each year on May 3, news organizations, journalists, and advocates around the world mark World Press Freedom Day, a recognition established by the United Nations General Assembly in December 1993 to affirm the fundamental importance of a free and independent press.
While the day is global in scope, its meaning is deeply local.
In New England, where community newsrooms serve as the backbone of civic life, press freedom is not an abstract principle—it’s a daily responsibility. From covering town meetings and school committees to investigating issues that hold local institutions accountable, journalists across the region are doing essential work that directly impacts the communities they serve.
This year’s World Press Freedom Day 2026 Global Conference, taking place in Lusaka, Zambia, highlights the growing intersection of journalism, technology, civic space, and human rights. The hybrid international gathering will bring together journalists, digital rights advocates, policymakers, educators, and technologists to explore how these forces are reshaping the information ecosystem—and what it will take to protect it moving forward.
That conversation resonates strongly here at home.
New England newsrooms are navigating many of the same challenges reflected on the global stage: adapting to rapid technological change, addressing misinformation, building sustainable business models, and maintaining public trust. The rise of artificial intelligence, evolving audience behaviors, and economic pressures are all influencing how journalism is produced and consumed.
At the same time, local journalists continue to face pressures that underscore the importance of press freedom protections—whether it’s access to public records, transparency from government officials, or the ability to report without interference.
World Press Freedom Day offers an opportunity not only to reflect on these challenges, but also to recognize the resilience and dedication of journalists across our region. It’s a moment to reaffirm our collective commitment to independent reporting, ethical standards, and the public’s right to know.
At NENPA, that commitment extends beyond a single day. Through advocacy, training, collaboration, and initiatives like the Know Your News campaign, we continue working to support and strengthen local journalism across New England.
On May 3, we join the global community in recognizing the essential role of a free press—and we celebrate the journalists in our own communities who make that freedom meaningful every day.
The New England Newspaper & Press Association is inviting freelance journalists, independent writers, and newsroom professionals across New England to share information about their experience, interests, and availability as part of a new initiative to strengthen connections between freelancers and newsrooms.
As the local news landscape continues to evolve, many freelancers are navigating a mix of opportunities, challenges, and changing expectations around how they work and where their reporting appears. Through this effort, NENPA is gathering input directly from freelancers to better understand areas of expertise, the types of assignments they are seeking, their availability, and their expectations around compensation and working relationships.
The information collected will help inform the development of a centralized freelancer network designed to connect journalists with editors and publishers across the region in a more consistent and effective way. By building this resource with direct input from freelancers, NENPA aims to ensure that it reflects the needs and priorities of the journalists it is designed to support.
Freelancers are encouraged to complete a short survey, which takes approximately 5–7 minutes. In addition to questions about coverage areas, experience, and rates, the survey also includes optional questions about interest in a potential shared publishing model. This concept would allow journalists to distribute content across multiple outlets, offering an opportunity to expand reach—particularly for those producing recurring columns, newsletters, or feature work.
NENPA is also continuing to gather input from publishers and newsroom leaders about their current coverage needs and staffing challenges. If you have not yet completed the newsroom needs survey, your participation is encouraged. Feedback from publishers will help ensure that the freelancer network is aligned with real-world newsroom needs and supports meaningful, productive connections between journalists and news organizations.
The information gathered through these surveys will guide the development of a more connected and responsive system for linking freelancers with opportunities across New England. While participation does not guarantee assignments, it will play an important role in shaping a network designed to better support both journalists and the newsrooms they serve.
NENPA remains committed to strengthening local journalism across the region, and this initiative represents an important step toward building a more collaborative and sustainable future for freelancers and news organizations alike.
Tucked above the General Store in the center of Harvard, Massachusetts, The Harvard Press operates from the literal heart of the community it covers.
Founded: 2006
Longtime New England journalist and former New England Press Association Executive Director Bob Wallack passed away in January 2014 after a brief illness at the age of 63.
NENPA’s Fall Awards Program will officially open for entries next weekend, recognizing outstanding journalism, editorial leadership, community service, investigative reporting, First Amendment advocacy, and newsroom impact across New England.
The Boston Globe is now administering the annual Will McDonough Sports Writing Contest, a long-running New England competition previously managed by The Sports Museum for more than 20 years. The contest is free to enter and open to high school students in grades 9–12 throughout New England.
The New England Newspaper & Press Association has officially launched its new 
The New England Newspaper & Press Association (NENPA) will officially launch the NENPA Freelancer Network on May 15 as a new member benefit designed to help connect freelance journalists with publishers and news organizations across New England.
After seven years of collaboration, GBH and New England Public Media are planning to formally merge by the summer of 2026, creating a statewide media organization expected to reach more than 1.3 million people across Massachusetts every week.
What we’re exploring
Each year on May 3, news organizations, journalists, and advocates around the world mark World Press Freedom Day, a recognition established by the 
The New England Newspaper & Press Association is inviting freelance journalists, independent writers, and newsroom professionals across New England to share information about their experience, interests, and availability as part of a new initiative to strengthen connections between freelancers and newsrooms.