The New England Newspaper and Press Association awards up to 10 scholarships each year to aspiring journalists through the Journalism Education Foundation of New England (JEFNE). The foundation strives to support and encourage young people who wish to pursue a career in journalism.

Each year, college students and high school seniors from New England who are studying and gaining work experience to prepare them for a career in journalism, are eligible to apply for JEFNE scholarships.

2023 is the first year JEFNE has bestowed the MacGregor Fiske Scholarship, a scholarship honoring Mac Fiske, a fourth-generation newspaperman, who died in 2009 at the age of 75.

We are proud to announce the recipients of the 2023 Journalism Scholarships:

• Megan Gentile, Boston College – MacGregor Fiske Scholarship recipient
• Rebeca Pereira, Northeastern University
• Thomas Lyons, Wesleyan University
• Sara Bedigian, University of Connecticut
• Briana Ortiz, University of Connecticut
• Aashna Miharia, New York University

We asked the students how the scholarship will help them while studying journalism, and this is what they had to say:

Through my experience working for my college newspaper, I have fostered a desire to continue using journalism to engage and inform the public and share the stories of communities and individuals that would otherwise go untold. The Journalism Education Foundation Of New England Scholarship will aid me in furthering my education at Boston College in order to gain the experience and knowledge needed for a career in the media industry. It is an honor to receive this award from such a distinguished organization.

The Journalism Education Foundation of New England’s generous scholarship comes at a fortuitous moment — in May, I graduated from UMass Amherst and decided that I would pursue my master’s in Media Innovation and Data Communication at Northeastern University. My acceptance to my graduate program of choice was a welcome surprise, but I knew that financing my education would be a different story. Enter this scholarship, which will directly fund my transportation and tuition costs while I embark on this new academic journey. I’m very grateful to JEFNE and the New England Newspaper & Press Association for their confidence in my potential and their financial support.

With deep gratitude, I am honored to accept this New England Newspaper and Press Association scholarship. Last April, I attended the annual NENPA Boston convention as a Community Journalism Fellow with The Provincetown Independent, and I remain inspired by the room full of journalistic passion, local knowledge, and the belief in the importance of good reporting. While anyone involved in local journalism knows the dangers presented by limited funding and corporate buyouts, this scholarship and NENPA’s institutional work reminds me that regional groups continue to support newspapers and reporters. This scholarship will support my ability to perform unpaid reporting in college and allow me to continue to engage in critical thinking with students and professors.

I am honored and grateful to have received the JEFNE Scholarship. This scholarship will help me continue my education and obtain the skills I need in order to become a successful journalist. I have always loved to write and my college education is solidifying my passion for writing and journalism. As an aspiring journalist, I hope that one day I can make a difference in my community.  I am thankful for JEFNE for believing in me and helping me on my journey.

I am honored and grateful to have received the JEFNE Scholarship. This scholarship will help me continue my education and obtain the skills I need in order to become a successful journalist. I have always loved to write and my college education is solidifying my passion for writing and journalism. As an aspiring journalist, I hope that one day I can make a difference in my community.  I am thankful for JEFNE for believing in me and helping me on my journey.

As an incoming first-year college student, I am so grateful and humbled to receive this scholarship. It will financially support me as I strive to study journalism and gain practical experience at New York University. Moreover, this recognition by the Journalism Education Foundation of New England highly motivates me to continue pursuing my passion for journalism and someday lead a career in this field.

The Poynter Institute and Stand Together Fellowships are proud to welcome 61 early-career journalists to the prestigious Poynter-Koch Media and Journalism Fellowship program. The yearlong fellowship kicks off in August.

Among the 61 journalists, five are from New England. They are:

• Crystal Elescano, Latino Lab reporter, Record-Journal (Meriden, Connecticut)
• Eda Uzunlar, reporter, WSHU Public Radio (Westport, Connecticut)
• Elisabeth Hadjis, editor-in-chief, The Scope (Boston)
• José Luis Martínez, data reporter, The (Hartford) Connecticut Mirror
• Tréa Lavery, enterprise reporter, MassLive, Boston

The joint program is in its fifth year. Fellows accepted into the fellowship are placed in full-time, paying roles at news organizations or participate in their current roles. The fellowship pays 60% of their salary. As part of the fellowship, they’ll receive training to develop cross-disciplinary skills and accelerate their careers in journalism by connecting with seasoned mentors and award-winning journalists on a weekly basis and through three in-person events throughout the year. Their robust, real-world curriculum is led by Poynter’s Kristen Hare and Stand Together Fellowship’s Benét J. Wilson.

Congratulation to all the fellows selected for this prestigious program. Meet them and learn more about the program at Poynter.org.

Radically Rural, the two-day national summit that features sessions on community journalism, takes place Sept. 27-28 in downtown Keene, N.H.

With a theme of “How did they do that?” two of the journalism sessions focus on news organizations that have built sustainability through various means, including philanthropic support, custom publishing, digital readership, and membership, while a third looks at some of the best journalism being produced at rural news organizations in the country.

Just added a lunch session on Sept. 27 featuring Jeremiah Ariaz, professor of art at Louisiana State University. Ariaz spent months in Kansas documenting in photography the state of more than 100 rural newspapers.

To provide the greatest accessibility possible, Radically Rural has instituted a sliding-scale approach to ticket prices. This is on the honors system; no questions asked, keeping in mind that there is a limit for the free and reduced-cost tickets so that the organization can cover its costs.

For the first time, journalists can take advantage of this sliding scale to determine their admission price, based on their ability to afford to attend, for as little as no charge up to the full summit price of $175.

“We want to make this as affordable as possible for journalists to attend, particularly those stressed by the challenging revenue markets facing their organizations and the cost of travel,” said organizer Terrence L. Williams, senior advisor for audience and community development for The Keene Sentinel.

The Sentinel partners with the Hannah Grimes Center for Entrepreneurship each year to stage Radically Rural, which features solutions-based sessions for small communities on seven tracks – community journalism, land use, downtowns, healthcare, entrepreneurship, arts and culture, and clean energy. The New England Newspaper and Press Association is also a sponsor of the event.

To register to attend or learn more about the programming, go to www.radicallyrural.org

2023 Radically Rural in-person community journalism program:

Sept. 27 I 11:00 am -12:30 pm
How’d they do that? Building sustainability: The demise of local journalism in rural America has received national attention, but in more places than you think, small news organizations are thriving. Our panel discussion will give you insights into how three news organizations have evolved their operations to secure a bright future.
Moderator – Terrence Williams
Panelists – Joey Young, majority owner, Kansas Publishing Ventures, publisher of Harvey County Now, The Clarion, and The Hillsboro Free Press; Chris Baker, publisher, Taos News, Taos, N.M.; and Tristan Scott, managing editor, The Flathead Beacon, Kalispell, MT.

Sept. 27 I The Fourth Estate – 12:30 – 1:30 pm
Jeremiah Ariaz, professor of art at Louisiana State University, spent months in Kansas documenting in photography the state of more than 100 rural newspapers. In a moving, nostalgic presentation, he presents the fears and hopes for democracy in communities left without a newspaper or those clinging to what they have. Lunch provided.

Sept. 27 I 2:00 – 3:30 pm
How’d they do that? Generating audience revenue: Successful rural news organizations are building revenue through fundraising, membership, and paid readership. Our panel discussion unveils best practices among for-profit organizations and non-profits alike.
Moderator – Shay Totten, newsroom success manager, American Press Institute
Panelists – Arik Ligeti, director of the audience, The Narwhal, non-profit online publication, Victoria, B.C., Canada; Christiaan Mader, founder/editor, The Current, Lafayette, La.

Sept. 28 I 11:00 am – 12:30 pm
How’d they do that? Groundbreaking journalism: A deep dive into how three organizations — from Mississippi to North Caroline to Maine — reported powerful stories that have deeply impacted the rural communities they cover.
Moderator – Jack Rooney, managing editor, audience development, The Keene Sentinel
Panelists: Victoria Bouloubasis, journalist, filmmaker, Durham, N.C.; Adam Ganucheau, editor-in-chief, Mississippi Today; Samantha Hogan, investigative reporter, The Maine Monitor, Augusta, ME.