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Celebrate National Newspaper Week October 5-11

This year marks the 85th celebration of National Newspaper Week, October 5-11, 2025, sponsored by Newspaper Association Managers since 1940. The celebration recognizes the essential role newspapers play in keeping our communities informed, connected, and engaged. NENPA is proud to complement this national effort through the Know Your News campaign, which gives newsrooms ready-to-publish content and social media assets to help amplify the message and make it local.

Local journalism is the heartbeat of civic life. It informs citizens with the news they need to make everyday decisions, from voting to attending town meetings. It holds local institutions accountable, shines a light on neighborhood stories and people often overlooked by national outlets, and strengthens the economy by supporting small businesses through advertising and partnerships.

To build on this important work, thank you to all the newsrooms that have already signed on to the Know Your News campaign. If your newsroom hasn’t yet participated, there’s still time to get involved. NENPA membership is not required. The campaign provides materials that align with the goals of National Newspaper Week and help you demonstrate the value of a free press in your own community.

By taking part in both National Newspaper Week and the Know Your News campaign, your newsroom can make the celebration local and relevant for readers. Consider focusing on:

  • Your role as a government watchdog

  • Your coverage of local events, issues, and people

  • Your dedication to publishing timely public notices

  • Any other ways your paper contributes meaningfully to civic life

Together, these efforts reinforce the power of association — when newspapers across the region and nation speak with one voice, the message about the vital role of journalism becomes stronger.

👉 Access National Newspaper Week materials
👉 Get Know Your News content

Don’t miss the chance to be part of this united effort—sign on today and help show your readers why local journalism matters more than ever.

For assistance signing up for the campaign and accessing the content, please email Tara Cleary at t.cleary@nenpa.com.

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Freedom Forum Survey Finds 90% of Americans Believe the First Amendment is Vital, yet Only 1 in 10 Can Name All Five Freedoms

Freedom Forum, a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to fostering First Amendment freedoms for all Americans, recently released the 2025 edition of “The First Amendment: Where America Stands.” The annual survey measures what Americans know, believe and experience about the First Amendment — and how those views have shifted over time.

This year’s survey, conducted in partnership with McKee Wallwork from Aug. 1-8, polled Americans on their knowledge of First Amendment freedoms, their personal experiences with free expression and their views on issues ranging from campus protests and AI censorship to religious liberty, hate speech and the role of the press.

Freedom Forum’s 2025 “Where America Stands” survey reveals that while Americans overwhelmingly believe in the importance of the First Amendment, confusion and gaps in understanding persist, especially around the freedoms it guarantees and how they apply to everyday life.

95% of Americans have heard of the First Amendment, and nine in 10 agree it is vital. Yet only 10% can name all five freedoms it protects — religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition — without prompting. A quarter of respondents couldn’t name a single freedom.

 Other key findings from the 2025 survey:

  • Without help, 73% of Americans could identify freedom of speech, while only 13% could identify freedom of petition.
  • 65% of Americans say they are afraid to speak freely for fear of violence, job loss or tension with family and friends. This is down from 71% in 2024.
  • Young people (Gen Z) are the most likely to self-censor, with 82% saying they’re afraid to speak freely.
  • Millennials are the generation most likely to see President Donald Trump as a First Amendment protector; baby boomers are most likely to see him as a threat.
  • Only 26% could identify freedom of assembly unaided, despite a year of high-profile protests.
  • 28% of respondents say they were unclear on how the First Amendment affects their daily lives, a 5-point increase from last year.
  • 52% of Americans are concerned about being censored by artificial intelligence.
  • 49% believe parents should be able to opt their elementary school children out of reading certain books based on religious beliefs.
  • Support for the press as a government watchdog has grown to 61%, up from 56% in 2024.

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Fred Rutberg to step down as publisher of The Berkshire Eagle; Gary Lavariere named successor

After nearly a decade at the helm of The Berkshire Eagle, Fredric D. Rutberg will step down as publisher Oct. 1, passing the baton to Gary Lavariere, the company’s chief revenue officer. GILLIAN HECK — THE BERKSHIRE EAGLE
After nearly a decade at the helm of The Berkshire Eagle, Fredric D. Rutberg will step down as publisher Oct. 1, passing the baton to Gary Lavariere, the company’s chief revenue officer. GILLIAN HECK — THE BERKSHIRE EAGLE

After nearly a decade at the helm of The Berkshire Eagle, Fredric D. Rutberg will step down as publisher Oct. 1, passing the baton to Gary Lavariere, the company’s chief revenue officer.

Rutberg, 79, will remain president of The Eagle and continue to play an active role in the paper’s operations. He will remain a member of the editorial board, serve as liaison to the company’s advisory board and lead philanthropic efforts such as The Berkshire Eagle Local Journalism Fund.

“This is a propitious time to pass the reins to the next generation,” Rutberg said in a letter to readers. “The Eagle is stronger now than at any time since we bought it.”

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Reporters From Across Region to Attend 2025 Gloria L. Negri First Amendment Institute

The New England First Amendment Coalition is pleased to announce the incoming class of fellows for its 2025 Gloria L. Negri First Amendment Institute.

Named after the late trail-blazing Boston Globe journalist, the Negri Institute (formerly the New England First Amendment Institute) is an annual, multi-day, intensive training program on freedom of information law and investigative reporting techniques. It is offered each year exclusively to 25 working New England journalists and a select group of students.

The 15th annual Institute — provided at no cost to those who attend — consists of local workshops, online classes and in-person instruction at Boston University from Oct. 24-26.

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NPF Names 30 Journalists for 2025 Federal Action, Local Impact Journalism Fellowship – Two From New England!

The National Press Foundation has selected 30 journalists for its 2025 Federal Action, Local Impact Journalism Fellowship to be held in Washington, D.C., Oct. 7-9. The journalists selected include two from New England:

  • Charlotte Matherly | Concord Monitor / Monadnock Ledger-Transcript | New Hampshire
  • Ethan Weinstein | VTDigger | Vermont

The new cohort of fellows will learn from a roster of top experts, insiders and veteran journalists about how to follow the massive shifts happening at the federal level and what that means for their own communities. The journalists will bring their knowledge back to serve the public in 25 states, reporting for public media, local newspapers and digital nonprofit newsrooms.

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New England Newspapers and Journalists Honored at 2025 Awards Luncheon

The New England Newspaper & Press Association (NENPA) brought together journalists and industry leaders from across the region on September 26 for its annual New England Newspaper Awards luncheon at the Hotel Northampton. The event honored the outstanding work of daily, weekly newspapers, specialty publications, and online newsrooms, as well as the individuals who power them — from publishers and editors to reporters and educators. During the afternoon, attendees celebrated excellence in reporting, community service, and education. Reflecting on the vital role local journalism plays in keeping New England’s communities informed and connected. Watch the presentation and download the program book for more information, and see the full list of winners below.

Watch the presentation on YouTube

Download the Awards Program Book

2025 Newspapers of the Year

Each year, NENPA honors the region’s best publications through the prestigious New England Newspaper of the Year awards — the only industry competition judged by readers. Multiple newspapers are named Distinguished Newspapers, and one publication in each category receives the top honor of New England Newspaper of the Year.

Specialty Publications

Weekly Newspapers – Small Circulation

Weekly Newspapers – Large Circulation

Daily Newspapers – Weekday, Small Circulation

Daily Newspapers – Weekday, Large Circulation

Sunday Newspapers – Small Circulation

Sunday Newspapers – Large Circulation

2025 Publick Occurrences Awards

This award recognizes the best work that New England newspapers produce each year— whether it’s individual or team stories, series, spot news coverage, columns, or photojournalism published in print or online during the contest period. Established in 1990 to mark the 300th anniversary of Publick Occurrences, America’s first newspaper, these awards recognize New England’s most outstanding journalism of the year. Click on the name of each file to read this exceptional work!

2025 A-Mark Prizes

The A-Mark Prizes, generously sponsored by the A-Mark Foundation, recognize and honor outstanding investigative journalism that reveals hidden truths, holds power to account, or drives public awareness or reform. The awards reward ambitious, well-researched reporting that may expose a wrong, hold powerful individuals accountable, or explore a complex problem, issue, or subject. In addition to professional recognition, the winning journalists and newsrooms received monetary prizes:

– 1st Place: $5,000 to journalist(s), $2,500 to the outlet
– 2nd Place: $3,000 to journalist(s), $1,500 to the outlet
– 3rd Place: $2,000 to journalist(s), $1,000 to the outlet

Connecticut

  • 3rd Place: Dave Altimari & Ginny Monk — The Connecticut Mirror, “On the Hook”

  • 2nd Place: Marc E. Fitch — CT Inside Investigator, “Power Struggle”

  • 1st Place: Jenna Carlesso, Dave Altimari, Katy Golvala & Andrew Brown — The Connecticut Mirror, “Priced Out”

Massachusetts
Rhode Island
Vermont

Additional Honors

Please download the awards program book to learn more about each award and why this year’s recipients were chosen.

  • Allan B. Rogers Editorial Award: The Berkshire Eagle (Pittsfield, MA) for its leadership on Massachusetts’ consent law.

  • New England First Amendment Award: Connecticut Inside Investigator and reporter Katherine Revello for extensive coverage of FOI and First Amendment issues.

  • Bob Wallack Community Journalism Award: Robert Lowell, Portland Press Herald, for 25 years of service covering southern Maine communities.

  • Cornerstone Award: Maile Hulihan, CEO of The Concord Bridge, for her pivotal behind-the-scenes role.

  • New England Journalism Educator of the Year: Lara Salahi, Distinguished Professor of Journalism at Endicott College, for advancing journalism education and student reporting partnerships.

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Your right to know: What the First Amendment really says about freedom of the press

The U.S. and New Hampshire constitutions protect press freedom. Here’s what that means: A news outlet can call out government corruption. A podcast host can share views you like — and abhor. And you can say in a Substack newsletter why you think the president, governor, or any other politician is unfit for office. 

The government may not like what it reads and hears, but the U.S. and New Hampshire constitutions say the press, like free speech, can’t be silenced — though government officials have tried. Attorney Greg Sullivan, president of the New England First Amendment Coalition, has represented media outlets in press freedom cases in court for nearly 50 years.

“When members of an organized press are denied access to governmental proceedings, what’s lost is the right of the people to govern themselves,” Sullivan said. “We the people are the government. We own the government. And when that’s not respected, and when governmental activity takes place in darkness, as The Washington Post (motto) points out, democracy dies.”

Think Watergate and the political corruption The Washington Post uncovered within the Nixon administration, leading Nixon to resign the presidency. But also consider the press’ right to expose local city officials who are inflating property values — and the taxes homeowners pay — or awarding friends lucrative contracts in exchange for kickbacks. 

The freedom of the press and speech are not absolute. There are limited exceptions prohibiting defamation, false advertising, inciting lawlessness and threats, for example. 

Ask Sullivan if he thinks press freedom is under threat and he’ll split his answer into two: At the state level, no. At the federal level, yes.

“I feel like we’re pretty lucky or fortunate here to have the support of the courts,” Sullivan said of New Hampshire, where the state’s superior courts and Supreme Court have consistently upheld press access. “And I’m not sure that’s true everywhere.”

At the national level, Sullivan pointed to President Trump’s recent lawsuits against media outlets for publishing news he does not like. Other presidents have also challenged press freedom in different ways. The Obama administration, for example, seized phone records of Associated Press reporters and used subpoenas to try to force journalists to identify confidential sources.

Trump’s approach has been different — and costly — for outlets at a time when news organizations are struggling financially. 

Trump sued the Des Moines Register for its poll predicting he’d lose the 2024 election. When The Wall Street Journal published a story about Trump’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein in July, Trump sued the paper’s owner for $10 billion and banned a Journal reporter from a White House trip. (Trump also banned The Associated Press from White House press briefings for using the “Gulf of Mexico” in stories rather than Trump’s new name, “Gulf of America.”)

He sued CBS News and Paramount for what he considered favorable coverage of Kamala Harris during her 2024 bid for the presidency. And Trump targeted ABC News for saying on air that Trump had been found “liable for rape” in a civil case when the jury had found him “liable for sexual abuse.”

The lawsuits and limits on access are two threats to press freedom — and democracy — said Sullivan. But so are decisions by ABC News, CBS News and Paramount to settle with Trump for a combined $30 million. Sullivan said the “acquiescence” of those media outlets to settle with Trump rather than defend their constitutional right to press freedom can discourage other news organizations from pursuing stories the government may oppose.

“If the major news outlets are doing that, it (sets) an example (that it’s effective),” Sullivan said. “And of course, the smaller outlets don’t have the financial wherewithal to withstand lawsuits, albeit groundless lawsuits. There’s no question in my mind about that. It’s called a chilling effect.”

It’s been a different story in New Hampshire. 

In 2022, the state and local police and emergency medical services repeatedly responded to calls for help at the state’s youth detention center in Manchester. It’s the same center where the abuse of children by state workers was covered up for decades.

The Union Leader filed a request with the state for multiple records, including security footage from police body cameras and the center’s surveillance cameras. The state and a superior court judge denied the request, citing the confidentiality of juvenile records.

The newspaper appealed to the state Supreme Court.

“Plagued with crisis after crisis, and chronically understaffed, (the center) was regularly relying on the State Police for the safety of its inhabitants,” the newspaper argued in its appeal. “The public has a right and a duty to know how the State Police handled the situation.”

The Union Leader prevailed in court.

Sullivan said the court’s ruling is not unique. He said New Hampshire’s courts have consistently upheld press freedom and the state’s right-to-know laws in other cases as well. It has granted access to personnel files of police officers who’ve been fired and Nashua city records related to property tax assessments.

This story is part of Know Your News, a NENPA Press Freedom Committee and Granite State News Collaborative initiative on why the First Amendment, press freedom, and local news matter. Don’t just read this. Share it with one person who doesn’t usually follow local news — that’s how we make an impact. Learn more at https://www.nenpa.com/press-freedom-and-local-news-collaborative/.

By Annmarie Timmins, Original Outlet: Granite State News Collaborative

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Defending Democracy Starts at Home: Protecting Local News and Press Freedom

Gene Policinski

When your town, city or county has a local news outlet, the benefit ripples through the entire community.

You have a defender who cares about where you live and work, from reports about the content of school lunches to the latest proposal to raise taxes or increase your monthly water bill.

There’s a reliable friend who stands ready to help when a natural disaster hits. A dependable neighbor from whom you can learn and with whom you can chat about the events of the day.

Moreover, you have a place to distribute your letter, to amplify your online comment or to just join a group conversation.

In short, whether you like the news media or not – and yes, there is chatter both ways — there is no challenging the value to you of having all of those things with a local focus.

Starting Sept. 17, Constitution Day, the “Know Your News” initiative– a region-wide press freedom and local news education project produced by the Granite State News Collaborative and the New England Newspaper and Press Association–will invite you to explore the local free press you have –  or in a few places, are missing.

A 2024 report by the Medill Local News Initiative at Northwestern University said 204 counties across the U.S. are now “new deserts” –not a single local news source. Overall, there were “nearly 55 million people with limited or no access to local news,’ the report said. Only one New England area was named in that report, “Somerset.”

About a year ago – after years of calling for the reinvigoration of local news media – I got an opportunity to put that call to the test. Some 56 years after my first newspaper reporting job, in Indiana, I am now a civics issue writer for The Reston Letter, the local news source for my current hometown, Reston, Va.

As The Letter proclaims each issue, it “seeks to inform the Reston community of local events, highlight local group and individual accomplishments, and, secondarily, to provide a platform for residents to weigh in on local topics relevant to the majority of readers.”

Those are goals most local news operations and journalists strive for each day – even as they are painfully aware that both supporting economic models and public trust have eroded in many places over the last 30 years.

Take the time to read in the Know Your News campaign about your right through Freedom of Information laws to know what the government is doing. Participate when your local news outlets invite you to talk about your concerns about bias, misinformation, or lack of news coverage on something you see as important.

In the Know Your News initiative, explore the differences between news, opinion and “sponsored content” – distinctions made all the fuzzier by the torrent of online data and information that now pours into our homes.

And do not miss the good news as news initiatives of all kinds rescue news operations facing financial death across New England and other areas of the U.S. – staving off new “news deserts.”  Print and digital news startups, both traditional and nonprofit, are restoring or replacing some local news starved areas.

Admittedly, most news operations have a way to go to restore the staffing, reach and trust that the free press had just a few decades ago. The 2024 “State of Local News,” a project at Northwestern University, showed that since 2005, newsroom positions – editors and reporters – saw a loss of more than 45,000 jobs, a decline of more than 60%.

“Absence may make the heart grow fonder,” but the lack of a regular, reliable reminder of the value of a local news outlet can result in indifference and distrust.

Still, multiple surveys show strong public support for a free press as a “watchdog on government.” Most journalists are on a mission to ask the questions you would ask if you had time, to attend the long civic meeting that family or work obligations prevent you from attending and, at times, pry loose the information you need from a less-than-transparent government or private entity.

Yes, a free press makes mistakes – or even, in your view or mine, sometimes just has the wrong perspective. Look for items in the Know Your News  campaign discussing “why some local communities don’t trust the media – and what local news outlets are doing about it” and other articles on how news decisions are made, how to correct mistakes and how to spot trustworthy news.

New England has a long and historic tradition of civic engagement and self-governance – from town gatherings to protest movements to what is still one of the nation’s most vigorous local news media areas.

The nation’s founders believed that government alone will not give us the full measure of information we need when entering the voting booth – or just surveying the events of the day. So, they made a free press the only occupation protected by name in the Constitution, via the Bill of Rights.

Consider that endorsement and legacy during GSNC and NENPA’s four-week invitation to explore your news media – how it works, what it does and why it is worth using and defending.

  • Gene Policinski began his journalism career in 1969 at the Greenfield (Ind.), Daily Reporter and was among the founding editors of USA TODAY He is Senior Fellow for the First Amendment at the nonpartisan education foundation Freedom Forum, and author of “The First Amendment in the 21st Century: From the Village Green to the Village Screen” available at no charge as an e-book, PDF, audiobook or in paperback, at https://www.freedomforum.org/the-first-amendment-in-the-21st-century/.

This story is part of Know Your News, a NENPA Press Freedom Committee and Granite State News Collaborative initiative on why the First Amendment, press freedom, and local news matter. Don’t just read this. Share it with one person who doesn’t usually follow local news — that’s how we make an impact. Learn more at https://www.nenpa.com/press-freedom-and-local-news-collaborative/.

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Have you joined our “Know Your News” campaign launching today

Today, on Constitution Day (September 17, 2025), NENPA is launching Know Your News: Understanding Press Freedom and the Value of Local News — a project of the NENPA Press Freedom and Local News Committee and the Granite State News Collaborative.

The campaign is the first initiative of the new NENPA Press Freedom and Local News Collaborative, which will continue year-round, providing ready-to-publish content that shows why press freedom matters and how local journalism serves communities. The Collaborative functions like a wire service–style content sharing platform, giving member newsrooms access to high-quality materials they can publish and share.

It’s not too late to join. Newsrooms can start the campaign at any point and run as much or as little of the content as works for their editorial outlook. NENPA membership is not required.

What you’ll get

  • Weekly stories, graphics, and social posts delivered through PluckyWire.

  • Editorially safe content: explanatory and educational — not investigative or sensitive.

  • Ongoing support from NENPA, plus amplification of member editorials, columns, and letters that support press freedom and the value of local news.

How it works

  • NENPA curates and uploads all materials to the PluckyWire platform.

  • Your newsroom publishes what fits your editorial outlook — run as much or as little as you want.

  • You may also submit your own press freedom content for possible distribution to other outlets.

Join the Collaborative

👉 Fill out this short form to receive your PluckyWire invitation today. We’ll send your access details right away so your newsroom can begin publishing campaign content.

Already signed up? Watch for your PluckyWire invite with instructions.

Questions? Contact Tara Cleary at t.cleary@nenpa.com or (617) 520-4585.

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An important question: Does this make sense?

John Foust
John Foust has conducted training programs for thousands of newspaper advertising professionals. Many ad departments are using his training DVDs to save time and get quick results from in-house training. Email for information: john@johnfoust.com

As I write this, I have on my desk one of the most confusing ads I’ve ever seen. I saved it, because it’s an example of what not to do in an ad. It’s an ad for a pizza restaurant, and is unfortunately a jumble of competing offers and special deals. 

It’s divided into a series of ten boxes, which is in itself a bad idea, because boxes divide a larger space into a series of smaller ads on the page. Several of the boxes feature prices of different choices of pizzas. Others highlight percentage-discounts and a free offer. Still more feature the name of the restaurant, the address, the phone number and the web address. The headline, which reads, “Now open,” appears at the bottom of the ad, where it looks like an afterthought. Add a QR code to the mix and you have an unintelligible mess. 

In addition to being a visual nightmare, the ad copy doesn’t make much sense at all. For example, the most prominent offer promotes “40% off all pizzas, sides and desserts. Not valid with other offers.” Well, why would you want to use it with other offers, when the box bedside it offers a free pizza? Then there are boxes which offer discount prices on specific flavors and sizes of pizzas – one and two-topping pizzas, mix and match choices, extra large one-topping, and large specialty pizza (what makes it special is not explained). 

It’s enough to make a pizza lover say, “I’ll just stay home and have a sandwich.” 

I couldn’t help but wonder, “Did anybody proofread this monstrosity before it ran?” So I read it myself. There is not a single typo or misplaced punctuation mark. If this final version had been checked by someone who was looking for only grammatical errors, that would explain why the ad made it into print. 

The problem is that it sends multiple messages – and none of them match. It reminds me of what one of my advertising clients once said about a new publication: “It has a lot of writing, but not much reading.” 

One of my favorite advertising stories is about the time I heard a speech by John O’Toole, who was at the time the Chairman of Foote, Cone & Belding, a global ad agency. He also served as President of the American Association of Advertising Agencies. After his speech, I walked to the head table and asked him what he thought was the most important principle in advertising. Without hesitation, he said, “Clarity.” 

There you have it. One of the most respected experts in the world said the secret to success in advertising is clarity. That secret can make a world of difference in persuasive communication, whether we’re selling products on an international scale or pizzas at a local restaurant. 

What should we do with this information? We can start by going beyond grammar when we proofread ads and ad ideas. All it takes is one simple question: “Does this make sense?” 

(c) Copyright 2025 by John Foust. All rights reserved.

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