Get ready for an exciting opportunity to connect, learn, and grow at the New England Newspaper Conference on October 19!

This event is being held virtually on the NENPA online community platform.

Our annual gathering brings together top executives from New England’s leading news organizations. It’s a place where collaboration happens, innovative ideas are shared, and the challenges facing today’s media industry are discussed.

We are excited to announce that the conference program is now available below and tickets are on sale. A rich array of executive-level speakers and discussions await you during the event.

Several award presentations are also held during the event: the announcement of the Publick Occurrences Award winners, the New England Newspaper of the Year Awards, and the recipients of four additional prestigious awards.

2023 New England Newspaper Conference Program

8:30 – 9:00 AM
Election of NENPA Officers

9:00 – 10:00 AM
New business models to support local news
In this session, Ross McDuffie, chief portfolio officer of the National Trust for Local News, will provide valuable insights on their emerging business model and the transformation work underway to future-proof local news. Specifically, he will delve into the National Trust for Local News and the Maine Trust for Local News, two organizations established to conserve, transform, and sustain local news.

10:00 – 11:00 AM
Current challenges in local news and reestablishing trust with readers
Brian Stelter, author, former chief media correspondent for CNN Worldwide, and former media reporter for the New York Times, will discuss the current challenges in local news and strategies for building or reestablishing trust with readers.

11:00 – 11:30 AM
Announcement of Publick Occurrences Awards
Presentation of the annual Publick Occurrences Awards, recognizing the finest work that New England newspapers produce each year in individual or team stories, series, spot news coverage, columns, or photojournalism that ran in print and/or online.

1:00 – 2:00 PM
How to attract and retain younger readers
Who are the younger consumers and how do we capture their attention? We know they consume media differently, work differently and shop differently than their older counterparts. Kerry Twibell, a partner at The AQ, will share invaluable strategies to reach and engage this younger demographic. Her insightful advice will focus on attracting and retaining the younger generation of readers. Twibell is a proven expert in aiding companies to achieve growth. Her expertise lies in advising and assisting tech and media companies by leveraging market positioning and strategic partnerships to drive revenue.

2:00 – 3:00 PM
Innovation at local newsrooms and connecting with your community
Michael Bolden, the CEO and executive director of the American Press Institute, will offer a comprehensive vision for the future of local news, essential for those invested in community well-being and journalism. He will highlight the opportunity to use challenges as catalysts for innovation, forging a future for local journalism that is more robust, inclusive, and deeply connected to the communities it serves.

3:00 – 3:30 PM
Announcement of Individual Awards and Newspapers of the Year
Presentation of the annual Allan B. Rogers Editorial Award, New England First Amendment Award, AP Sevellon Brown New England Journalist of the Year, Bob Wallack Community Journalism Award, and the New England Newspaper of the Year Awards.

In 2023, the 83rd National Newspaper Week will be celebrated. Since 1940, the Newspaper Association Managers has sponsored and supported the week-long promotion of the newspaper industry in the United States and Canada.

This year’s event, from October 1-7, has the theme “In Print. Online. For You.” All promotional materials are based on data from Coda Ventures’ nationwide study, which focuses on the evolution of newspapers and the fact that readers come from all generations, are community leaders, and voters.

You can download promotional ads for print, social media, web, guest columns, and editorial cartoons for your daily and non-daily newspapers in North America. The hashtag #NewspapersYourWay is used for referring to the event on social media.

Participate in National Newspaper Week by downloading these materials and dedicating as much space as possible to emphasize the importance of your newspaper to your community. Share the message on your social media platforms throughout the week.

Make it a local celebration by editorializing about your newspaper’s unique relevance. Discuss your role as a government watchdog, coverage of community events, publication of timely public notices, and more.

Please send an email to info@nenpa.com to let us know if you run any of these ads.

Read more and download promotional materials

The inaugural NAHJ New England Journalism Awards, recognizing Hispanic/Latinx journalists across the region will be held virtually on Thursday, Oct. 12, from 6:30-7:30 p.m., during Hispanic Heritage Month.

The event is free and open to all. The program will be announcing the winners of several journalism categories for professional and student journalists chosen by 14 volunteer judges from outside of New England.

The New England board will bestow the NAHJ New England Impact Award to a journalist in New England who has demonstrated leadership in promoting fair coverage of Latinos and the advancement of Latino/a/x journalists in the news industry.

The organization is excited to launch these new awards to elevate the accomplishments of Latinx journalists and showcase exemplary coverage of Latino issues in our region.

NAHJ New England is looking for sponsors to help fund the inaugural event and other key initiatives the organization provides in the region to Hispanic/Latinx journalists. Click here for sponsorship rates and benefits.

The deadline to become a sponsor of the NAHJ New England Journalism Awards or place an advertisement in the program ceremony e-booklet is 5 PM EDT, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023.

You can upload ad copy and images as well as pay for the ad via this online portal: https://nahj.memberclicks.net/newengland-sponsorship

More than 50 journalists from around the country have already registered to speak at or attend Radically Rural, the two-day national summit featuring community journalism sessions. It takes place Sept. 27-28 in Keene, NH.

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, including Emmy- and Pulitzer prize-winning work.

Tickets are still available and for the first time, journalists can select from several price points, based on their ability to afford to attend, for as little as no charge up to the full summit price of $175. There are a limited number of free tickets.

“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.

This year’s event is in-person, Williams said. To register to attend or learn more about the programming, including track sessions for arts and culture, downtowns, clean energy, entrepreneurship, land use, and healthcare, go to www.radicallyrural.org.

Here’s this year’s community journalism program:

Sept. 27 I 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
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 – Williams
Panelists – Lindsey Young, co-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 p.m.
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. Attendance limited. Please register separately.

Sept. 27 I 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
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 audience, The Narwhal, non-profit online publication, Victoria, B.C., Canada; Christiaan Mader, founder/editor, The Current, Lafayette, La.; Carolina Guerrero, co-founder Radio Ambulante

Sept. 28 I 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
How’d they do that? Groundbreaking journalism: A deep dive into how three organizations — from Mississippi to North Carolina 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, Emmy-award winning filmmaker, Durham, N.C.; Adam Ganucheau, editor-in-chief at the Pulitzer-prize winning Mississippi Today; Samantha Hogan, investigative reporter, The Maine Monitor, Augusta, ME.

Join the New England Equity Reporting Community of Practice for Reporting in a Polarized Society, an upcoming free webinar on September 14 from 12:00 – 1:30 p.m.

Learn from Phillip Martin, Senior Investigative Reporter, GBH News Center for Investigative Reporting, how journalists can unpack and name the divisive forces hiding just below the surface, as well as the ones in plain sight.

How can journalists detect signs of polarization in the communities they cover and in the newsrooms where they work? Dividing forces are nothing new in American society, although recent years have seen an intensifying inflammatory narrative. Assumptions about both working-class populations and communities of color can be damaging.

Learn more and register

Phillip Martin is Senior Investigative Reporter for The GBH News Center for Investigative Reporting. He is a multi-award-winning journalist. In 2022, he was selected as a Shorenstein Fellow at Harvard University’s Shorenstein Center at the Kennedy School of Government. Other honors include a 2022 National Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the multi-part GBH News series Unseen. He also received National Edward R. Murrow awards in 2019 and 2014 for investigative reporting on human trafficking.