The New England Newspaper & Press Association is excited to announce that the 2026 New England Newspaper Convention will take place March 13 and 14 in beautiful Portsmouth, New Hampshire—a city rich with history, coastal charm, and a thriving downtown perfect for gathering our region’s journalism community.

This year’s theme is Honoring the Past. Celebrating the Present. Inspiring the Future reflecting the full scope of our industry’s journey: from the legacy of New England’s storied newsrooms, to the creativity and resilience shaping journalism today, to the bold ideas preparing us for the years ahead.

We are in the process of creating the program and would love your input! Please send your session and topic ideas to Linda Conway at l.conway@nenpa.com.

We’re also thrilled to share that the response to this year’s Better Newspaper Competition has been our strongest in recent years. Thank you to every newsroom and journalist that submitted entries—your work illustrates the unwavering strength and innovation of local journalism across New England. Winners will be recognized at our annual Awards Banquet on the evening of Saturday, March 14, one of the most anticipated highlights of the convention.

In addition to the Better Newspaper Awards, the convention will also feature two of New England’s most distinguished lifetime honors. On Friday, March 13, we will host the New England Newspaper Hall of Fame Induction Dinner, celebrating journalists and news leaders whose remarkable careers have left a lasting impact on our region’s media landscape. On Saturday, March 14, we will gather for the Yankee Quill Awards Luncheon, honoring individuals who have demonstrated exceptional contributions to journalism, civic life, and the communities they serve.

Hotel room reservations and convention registration will open soon, along with details on programming, speakers, workshops, and networking events. Stay tuned—and mark your calendar now for two days of learning, celebration, and community.

We look forward to seeing you in Portsmouth!

The Journalism Education Foundation of New England (JEFNE) is once again opening the door for the next generation of reporters, editors, photographers, and multimedia storytellers. Applications are now being accepted for the 2026 New England Journalism Scholarship Program, offering scholarships of up to $2,000 to outstanding student journalists across the region.

Administered by the New England Newspaper & Press Association, this annual program supports up to ten high-potential students who are committed to pursuing a career in journalism or a related field. The program also includes the prestigious MacGregor Fiske Award, presented each year to an exceptional student journalist who demonstrates great promise in the profession. Eligible applicants include high school seniors and undergraduate students who are residents of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, or Vermont.

Applicants will be required to submit a cover letter, transcript, résumé or biography, letter of recommendation, and a portfolio of at least three published or class-produced journalism pieces. Full application details and links are available on the NENPA website.

To be considered, a completed application must be submitted by March 27, 2026. Please review the qualifications below. For any questions or more information, contact students@nenpa.com.

Don’t miss this opportunity to invest in your journalism future — apply and take the next step toward shaping the news landscape in New England.

Journalism Scholarship Program Information
https://www.nenpa.com/scholarships/

Journalism Scholarship Application:
https://www.nenpa.com/scholarship-application/

Qualifications for JEFNE Scholarships

• Must be a resident of New England (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, or VT).

• Applicants may attend a college or university outside New England — residency determines eligibility, not school location.

• Must be a high school senior or undergraduate college student planning to attend college in Fall 2026, studying journalism or a related field. (Graduate students are not eligible at this time.)

• Must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

• Must demonstrate a strong interest in a journalism career by submitting the following materials via email:

Required Application Materials

• Cover letter

• Transcript

• Résumé or short biography

• Letter of recommendation

• Portfolio of work: a minimum of three published or class-produced journalism pieces

Submission Instructions:
After submitting the application form, applicants will receive a confirmation email with instructions to email all required documents to the program administrator.

• All materials should be sent as PDF or Word document attachments.

• Links to online work must be compiled into a single document and included as an attachment.

• Please do not paste individual story links into the body of the email.

• Applicants who experience issues with large file sizes should contact the program administrator for assistance.

Applicants will be contacted if any required materials are missing.

The New England Newspaper & Press Association is proud to recognize the Vermont journalists honored with A-Mark Prizes for Investigative Journalism at the Fall Leadership Conference on September 26, 2025. Their work reflects the best of local accountability reporting — investigations that expose hidden truths, give voice to the vulnerable, and push for reform.

Funded by the A-Mark Foundation, a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to advancing investigative reporting, the A-Mark Prizes celebrate deeply researched, high-impact journalism across New England. Each year, up to $15,000 is available in every state to recognize stories that hold the powerful accountable and strengthen public trust in the press.

This year’s Vermont winners uncovered critical issues affecting everyday life in the Green Mountain State — from a statewide housing crisis and an embattled county prosecutor to the growing threat of financial scams targeting seniors.

🥇 1st Place

Carly Berlin — VTDigger and Vermont Public
“Emergency Shelters”

In 2024, as Vermont’s emergency housing policies shifted and more than 1,500 residents — including nearly 400 children — were forced out of temporary motel housing, reporter Carly Berlin of VTDigger and Vermont Public documented the crisis with persistence, compassion, and precision. A Report for America corps member jointly shared by the two outlets, Berlin blended public-records analysis, extensive field reporting, and deep community engagement to reveal the human toll of policy decisions that left families without shelter as winter approached.

Her coverage made a measurable impact. After her stories exposed the consequences for families with children, 91 Vermont legislators publicly urged the governor to declare a state of emergency, leading to the opening of three new emergency family shelters later that fall. Berlin also dismantled a long-held myth that Vermont’s homelessness crisis was driven by out-of-state migration, using data and personal stories to reshape public understanding.

The reporting — featured across VTDigger and Vermont Public’s “Brave Little State” series — stands as a model of collaborative, solutions-driven journalism. Berlin’s work not only informed and galvanized policymakers but also demonstrated how local reporting can directly improve lives.

🥈 2nd Place

John Flowers — Addison County Independent
“County Prosecutor, Eva Vekos”

In a two-part investigation, Addison County Independent senior reporter John Flowers examined growing concern over the performance and professionalism of Addison County State’s Attorney Eva Vekos. After her 2024 DUI charge and reports of hostile interactions with law enforcement, Flowers went deeper — uncovering a broader pattern of mismanagement inside her office that raised questions about how justice was being served.

Drawing on confidential interviews, court filings, and internal correspondence, Flowers revealed strained relationships with victim advocates, lenient plea deals used to clear case backlogs, and widespread frustration among survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence who felt dismissed by the system. His reporting also shed light on the absence of any state mechanism to remove an elected prosecutor short of impeachment, underscoring a structural flaw in Vermont’s system of accountability.

Flowers’s tenacity and deep institutional knowledge produced an unflinching portrait of a justice system in crisis — one that prompted statewide discussion about oversight, victims’ rights, and the ethical responsibilities of those who hold public trust.

🥉 3rd Place

Derek Brouwer — Seven Days
“Bilked and Bereft”

As part of Seven Days’ “This Old State” series exploring the challenges of Vermont’s aging population, reporter Derek Brouwer investigated how increasingly sophisticated scammers — many now using artificial intelligence — are targeting older Vermonters. His story revealed that these schemes often wiped out victims’ life savings and triggered unexpected tax bills on funds withdrawn from retirement accounts, compounding their financial ruin.

Through detailed interviews and clear, empathetic storytelling, Brouwer showed how victims’ sense of betrayal extended beyond the scammers themselves to the government systems that taxed them again after their losses. Readers praised the investigation for its clarity and urgency, with many sharing the piece to warn family members. Brouwer’s reporting helped raise awareness about a growing threat and equipped Vermonters to better recognize and prevent financial exploitation.

These Vermont journalists exemplify the highest standards of investigative reporting — determined, humane, and unafraid to ask difficult questions. Their work reveals how local journalism can inform public debate, safeguard communities, and drive meaningful change across the state. Congratulations to all of this year’s A-Mark Prize winners for advancing truth and accountability in Vermont.

For the first time in more than 100 years, Gannett Co., Inc. has rebranded as USA TODAY Co., aligning the company’s identity with its most recognizable national news brand. Announced at ADWEEK’s Brandweek 2025 in Atlanta, executives said the change reflects a broader shift toward digital media and stronger brand recognition.

The rebrand is particularly noteworthy for many NENPA member publications—including daily and weekly newspapers across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut—that are part of the USA TODAY Network.

CEO Mike Reed said the decision was driven by the brand’s wide public recognition and a commitment to the company’s digital transformation.

Read the announcement to learn more about what this shift means for USA TODAY Co. and its local news affiliates.

The New England Newspaper & Press Association proudly honors the Rhode Island journalists recognized with A-Mark Prizes for Investigative Journalism at the Fall Leadership Conference on September 26, 2025. Their reporting demonstrates how rigorous local journalism can uncover hidden risks, demand accountability, and give voice to those most affected by government action—or inaction.

Funded by the A-Mark Foundation—a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to strengthening investigative reporting—the A-Mark Prizes celebrate in-depth, fact-based journalism that exposes wrongdoing and spurs reform. 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 Rhode Island winners produced a remarkable range of investigations—from exposing preventable data vulnerabilities in the state’s public-benefits system, to revealing new insights into domestic murder-suicides, to documenting the human impact of federal funding cuts on local workers and research institutions.

🥇 1st Place

Alexander Castro — Rhode Island Current
“RI Bridges Data Breach”

When Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee abruptly announced a cyberattack on the state’s computer systems in December 2024, the scope was staggering: the personal data of nearly 650,000 residents—almost 60 percent of the state’s population—had been exposed. While most outlets focused on the breach’s aftermath, Rhode Island Current reporter Alexander Castro dug deeper, uncovering how state-posted technical documents may have left the system vulnerable months earlier.

Through careful review of procurement records, Castro discovered a 25-page request for proposals that included a full schematic of the RIBridges system architecture—a blueprint effectively published on the state’s website. Acting responsibly, he alerted officials, verified that the file was removed, and only then published his exposé. His reporting revealed state oversight lapses, raised new cybersecurity questions, and was praised for its exceptional professionalism and ethical rigor.

🥈 2nd Place

Mark Reynolds — The Providence Journal
“Domestic Murder Suicide”

In a deeply sensitive series, Providence Journal reporter Mark Reynolds examined how law enforcement and communities confront the tragedy of domestic murder-suicides—cases that receive limited public scrutiny because they end without prosecutions. Reporting on three such incidents in 2024 and 2025, Reynolds analyzed police reports, public records, and newly obtained body-camera footage to explore how transparency and trauma intersect when the justice system’s usual mechanisms fall away.

His work broke new ground by revealing footage of a domestic-violence victim expressing fear for her safety just weeks before her death—the first time Rhode Island journalists had obtained such material under the state’s new body-camera policy. Praised by advocates for highlighting red flags, risk factors, and firearm access, Reynolds’s work reframed how the public and policymakers understand the warning signs of lethal domestic violence.

🥉 3rd Place

Jack Perry — The Providence Journal
“Lost Jobs, Trump Cuts”

Providence Journal reporter Jack Perry connected national policy decisions to the lives of Rhode Islanders in his coverage of the Trump administration’s federal budget cuts. He profiled the sudden layoffs of 14 employees at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Warwick office, revealing the personal toll of the cuts and the essential services the office provided. His persistence led to a follow-up story documenting that the workers were later reinstated.

Perry also examined how reductions to the National Institutes of Health threatened Rhode Island’s research economy—analyzing lawsuits, official filings, and testimony from hospital administrators at institutions such as Brown University, the University of Rhode Island, and Women & Infants Hospital. By translating complex funding issues into human terms, he helped readers grasp the broad economic and scientific stakes of Washington’s policy decisions.

These Rhode Island journalists exemplify the best traditions of investigative reporting: courage, care, and commitment to the truth. Their work not only informed the public but also challenged institutions to do better. Congratulations to all of this year’s A-Mark Prize winners for advancing transparency and accountability across the Ocean State.