The New England Newspaper & Press Association is proud to recognize the Massachusetts journalists and student reporters honored with A-Mark Prizes for Investigative Journalism at our Fall Leadership Conference on September 26, 2025. These awards celebrate impactful reporting that uncovers injustice, demands accountability, and deepens public understanding of critical issues across the Commonwealth.
Funded by the A-Mark Foundation—a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to supporting investigative reporting—the A-Mark Prizes honor ambitious, deeply researched journalism that exposes hidden truths and advances public awareness. Each year, up to $15,000 in awards is available in every New England state to highlight work that protects the public’s right to know.
This year’s Massachusetts honorees delivered powerful investigations that informed readers, sparked legislative attention, and in some cases led directly to change.
🥇 1st Place
Hadley Barndollar — MassLive
“Pill Presses”
MassLive reporter Hadley Barndollar spent 10 months uncovering a new and largely unreported threat in the opioid epidemic: the proliferation of pill presses used to manufacture counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl and methamphetamine. Her series began with the death of PJ “Peach” Goldenberg, who unknowingly took a fake oxycodone pill made with a pill press likely operating in Massachusetts.
Barndollar reported how drug dealers across the U.S. began producing counterfeit pills themselves—often inside residential homes—to increase profits. She revealed how easily pill presses can be purchased online and demonstrated this by buying one legally from China for $600. Her reporting exposed the scale of the problem, highlighted the voices of grieving families and concerned neighbors, and pressed lawmakers to act. Following her series, multiple state legislators introduced bills aimed at regulating pill presses and reducing their deadly impact. A DEA official called the work “outstanding” and noted the issue had been largely unreported before.
🥈 2nd Place
Maggie Mulvihill & Boston University Journalism Program
“When House Members Travel”
In an ambitious, semester-long investigation, Boston University journalism students and professors exposed how members of the U.S. House of Representatives accepted nearly $4.3 million in privately funded travel since 2012—often bringing family members at no personal cost. Working in collaboration with the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism, the BU team analyzed more than 17,000 trips, building their own database to reveal how over $1.4 million in travel expenses were spent on spouses, children, grandchildren, and other relatives.
Their reporting identified two dozen “frequent fliers” who brought family members on nearly 44% of their trips, staying in luxury accommodations and dining at expensive restaurants—without reporting the value as income, as required by tax law. Ethics experts called the practice an “egregious abuse” of congressional travel rules designed to curb the influence of special interests. The investigation, which won a national IRE student investigative journalism award, exemplifies the power of academic journalism to inform the public and hold elected officials to account.
🥉 3rd Place
Greta Jochem — The Republican
“Highview Nursing Home”
Reporter Greta Jochem exposed systemic neglect inside Highview of Northampton, a nursing home long known to state regulators for dangerous conditions—but largely unknown to the families who entrusted loved ones to its care. A former state elder affairs secretary described the facility as “notorious,” saying it “should have been shut down a long time ago.”
Through interviews with residents and analysis of federal and state oversight data, Jochem revealed chronic understaffing, substandard care, and repeated violations that made Highview one of the most heavily fined nursing homes in Massachusetts. Her reporting gave a voice to vulnerable seniors and highlighted how oversight systems failed to act in time. Just three months after her coverage, Highview’s owners announced the home would close—an outcome that underscored the impact of her work.
These stories represent the very best of Massachusetts journalism—fearless investigation, meticulous reporting, and an unwavering commitment to the public interest. Congratulations to all of this year’s A-Mark Prize winners, whose work shines a light on the issues that matter most to our communities.
The Advertising/Circulation/Promotion division of the Better Newspaper Competition is now open for entries. The competition consists of 32 competitive categories, and participation in the contest is a great way to show off your best revenue-generating work, reward and recognize your advertising, graphics, and production staff, and share ideas so we can learn from each other!
The New England Better Newspaper Competition is New England’s most prestigious recognition program for college journalism, and we’re excited to invite your newsroom to participate in the 2025 contest.
Entries are now open for this year’s New England Better Newspaper Competition, and this year’s contest is bigger and better than ever!
A great time was had by all at The Dubliner in Boston during the September journalist meetup, where a lively crowd of media professionals gathered for trivia, conversation, and plenty of laughs. The event brought together journalists from across New England to connect, collaborate, and unwind in a relaxed and friendly setting.
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We’re thrilled to announce the opening of this year’s New England Better Newspaper Competition! We are introducing eight new award categories to spotlight emerging voices and honor excellence across a broader range of reporting and storytelling.