Each year, the New England Newspaper & Press Association honors the most courageous and consequential reporting in our region through the Publick Occurrences Award. Named after the first newspaper published in America in 1690, this prestigious honor celebrates journalism that exposes injustice, drives reform, and uplifts the role of a free press in civic life.
Entries that receive this award exemplify the best of our profession — investigations that uncover systemic problems, stories that challenge the status quo, and coverage that sparks real-world change.
🗓️ Entries are $125 each and are open now through Friday, July 18, 2025.
You can view award submission guidelines and winning entries from past years on the Publick Occurrences page:
🔗 https://www.nenpa.com/awards-recognition/publick-occurrences
This year, all Publick Occurrences entries will also be considered for the A-Mark Prizes, a new awards program that includes up to $90,000 in cash prizes across New England. These prizes are designed to further elevate and reward ambitious, accountability-focused journalism.
If your newsroom has produced reporting that has made a difference — in your community or beyond — don’t miss the chance to enter.
We are pleased to announce that entries for the NENPA New England Newspaper Awards Program are open now through July 18, 2025. This year, in addition to our long-standing honors recognizing editorial excellence, transparency, and public service, we are introducing an exciting new series of awards—the A-Mark Prizes, which will provide up to $90,000 in monetary awards to journalists and newsrooms.
Registration is now open for the NENPA/NYPA Fall Leadership Conference, taking place September 25-26, 2025, at Hotel Northampton in Northampton, Massachusetts.
Madeleine Goli Ahmadi, UNC-Chapel Hill
Cally Gudroe, University of New England
Maren Halpin, Suffolk University
Jackson Kitts, Duke University
Emily Tarinelli, Stanford University
We are pleased to announce that entries for the NENPA New England Newspaper Awards Program will open next week. This year, in addition to our long-standing honors recognizing editorial excellence, transparency, and public service, we are introducing an exciting new series of awards—the NENPA A-Mark Awards for Investigative Journalism, which will provide up to $90,000 in monetary awards to journalists and newsrooms.
The New England Newspaper and Press Association is once again partnering with the New York Press Association to host a joint leadership conference for senior newspaper executives. This two-day event will take place on Thursday and Friday, September 25-26, 2025, at the historic Hotel Northampton in Northampton, MA.
At our recent New England Newspaper Convention, a standing-room-only town hall session made one thing clear: the challenges facing the First Amendment, access to public information, and trust in the media are top of mind for journalists across the region. The energy and urgency in that room inspired the creation of a new initiative designed to keep the conversation going and provide concrete tools for action.
We are thrilled to announce the addition of a new series of awards to our annual Fall Awards Program, which already includes prestigious honors like the New England Newspaper of the Year, Publick Occurrences, 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 Cornerstone Award.
The New England Newspaper & Press Association (NENPA) is excited to announce the launch of its 2025 Summer Webinar Series, presented by NENPA University, designed to provide practical insights, hands-on training, and expert guidance for media professionals across the region. Whether you’re looking to sharpen your sales strategy, explore emerging journalism trends, or enhance your digital media skills, these sessions are designed to keep your newsroom ahead of the curve.
NENPA Joins National Call to Protect Journalists Covering Protests
As protest activity spreads throughout New England and across the country, the New England Newspaper & Press Association (NENPA) has joined with 59 other press freedom and journalism organizations in calling on government leaders to ensure law enforcement personnel are properly trained to respect journalists’ First Amendment rights during mass demonstrations.
The joint letter — organized by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) — was sent to federal, state, and local officials following multiple reports of journalists being injured, detained, or possibly targeted while covering protests in Los Angeles. Such actions, the coalition warns, may violate constitutional protections for newsgathering and free speech.
The letter outlines a series of best-practice protocols for law enforcement agencies to adopt when interacting with journalists at mass demonstrations. These include ensuring officers understand the legal rights of journalists, providing designated law enforcement contacts for press-related issues at protest sites, and preventing unnecessary arrests or interference with reporters performing their jobs. The coalition emphasizes that protecting journalists’ ability to cover these events serves both public safety interests and the public’s fundamental right to access information.
NENPA, which represents more than 450 daily, weekly, and specialty newspapers across Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont, continues to advocate for strong press protections as journalists cover fast-moving developments throughout the region.
Read the full letter from NENPA and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press here.