The Hallmark Channel wrapped up its movie lineup for those who love to celebrate Christmas in July. With fall now upon us, it is time to start planning keepsake year-end editions. Seize the opportunity to produce solid content and generate revenue.
Many operations may gasp at the thought of producing another special section. Begin taking baby steps now, and the task will not seem so foreboding.
Editorial content, if collected incrementally, can be generated with minimal stress on resources. Consider these possible elements for the edition:
- Chronicle top local news stories, categorizing by each month. Take time now to record the top reports from each edition to date. Going forward, spend five minutes to write the top headlines from each edition. Summarize each story in one or two sentences.
- Do the same with the top sports stories.
- In similar fashion, capture the top photos. Some may be stand-alone; others may accompany a story. The photos can be inserted in the layout of the monthly chronologies.
- Remind readers of your editorial initiatives as well. Reprint the most formative paragraph, again organizing by the calendar.
- Letters are the lifeblood of an editorial page. Thank your letter writers. Publish the names of all contributors in alphabetical order. Go a step further and select a handful of letters that struck a chord with the community. Reprint those with the author’s photo. Consider taking it to the next stage and ask the authors to write why they wrote the letter and the reactions they received.
These are but a few ideas. Brainstorm with staff, and you’ll likely come up with other content. Then do a monthly checkup to make sure files are being updated regularly. Steady progress will result in fewer headaches and less chaos as December rolls around.
Many news organizations rank the top 10 stories of the past year. Do the same for your community. Your top 10 will be the anchor for the holiday edition. Create a list of the nominees and poll your newspaper staff. Consider broadening the exercise by selecting a handful of community members to weigh in.
Summarize these stories in greater detail in the edition. Where appropriate, talk to the key players and update the status of the circumstances.
Some top stories will be consensus no matter who is asked. The ranking of others will depend on individual perspectives. A column from the editor or publisher is an excellent avenue to announce the year-end edition and explain the process for identifying top stories.
Many newspapers already have a vehicle for producing a holiday edition. Ad departments regularly solicit holiday greetings. They may be published in one or two editions. Combine those efforts now, and alert merchants to the distinctive content being prepared for this special edition.
Timeliness and relevancy are key, especially if businesses are offering holiday greetings. I recall one newspaper that produced its “year in review” edition two months after the calendar turned. By that time, most readers had put the previous year in their rearview mirrors.
We’re excited to invite you to be part of the NENPA Press Freedom and Local News Collaborative, launching on Constitution Day, September 17, with our campaign Know Your News: Understanding Press Freedom and the Value of Local News.
Looking to recharge your newsroom strategy and celebrate the best in New England journalism? Join us for the 2025 Fall Leadership Conference, September 25–26, at the historic Hotel Northampton. Presented by NENPA and the New York Press Association, this conference brings together publishers, editors, and journalists for training, peer-to-peer insights, and an awards luncheon you won’t want to miss!
The journalist meetup series rolls into September with a spirited Trivia Night at The Dubliner—a great chance to unwind after work, swap ideas, and show off your trivia chops with colleagues from across the region.
Editor & Publisher, in partnership with the Media Job Board and research firm DataJoe, proudly presents the Media Workplace Awards — the only program of its kind dedicated to recognizing the media industry’s best places to work. Whether you’re in print, broadcast, or digital, this is your opportunity to spotlight your company’s culture, attract top talent, and gain third-party validation as an employer of choice.
This October, journalists from across New England have a special opportunity to connect, learn, and grow together at Radically Rural 2025: Rural Resonance in Keene, New Hampshire.
The Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications is offering a lineup of free and low-cost classes on topics such as writing about personal milestones, making sense of Substack, learning how to make use of AI, and First Amendment rights around protest and assembly.
The summer 2025 journalist meetup series is in full swing, bringing together media professionals from across the region for fun, connection, and camaraderie.
Nackey S. Loeb School Announces 2025 First Amendment Award Event & Honorees
The Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications has announced the recipients of its annual awards, to be presented at the School’s Annual First Amendment Award Event on Thursday, October 23 at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College.
Sean Young of Conway will receive the First Amendment Award. Young, owner of Leavitt’s Country Bakery, was nominated for his pursuit of First Amendment rights in a lawsuit involving a student-painted mural on his business. The town had deemed the mural an unapproved commercial sign, but a judge later ruled the town had violated Young’s First Amendment rights.
Melanie Plenda, Director of the Granite State News Collaborative and NENPA Board Vice President, will be recognized with the Quill & Ink Award. This honor, not presented annually, is reserved for individuals who have made significant contributions to educating the public about the First Amendment.
The event will feature a keynote address by Jake Sullivan, who served as U.S. National Security Advisor under President Joe Biden. Sullivan previously served as director of policy under President Barack Obama and as national security advisor to then–Vice President Biden. A Yale Law graduate and faculty member at Harvard’s Kennedy School, Sullivan lives in Concord with his wife, U.S. Representative Maggie Goodlander.
This year’s judging panel included 2024 First Amendment Award winner Harrison Thorp, editor of The Rochester Voice; retired New Hampshire Supreme Court Justice Richard Galway; Attorney Gregory Sullivan, a member of the Loeb School’s Board of Trustees; and Annmarie Timmins, senior reporter at New Hampshire Public Radio.
The First Amendment Award Event will take place from 4 to 5:30 p.m. and is open to the public. Tickets are $75 and must be purchased in advance.
Sponsors for this year’s program include keynote sponsor The Brodsky Prize for Excellence in Student Journalism; First Amendment Honoree Sponsor Eversource; Friends of the Nackey S. Loeb School sponsors The Elliot, The McQuaid Family, Spectrum Marketing, Saint Anselm College’s NH Institute of Politics, and the Union Leader Corporation; and Five Freedoms sponsors Anagnost Companies, Borislow Insurance, Business & Industry Association, Charles Douglas III, Curbstone Financial Management, NH Beverage Association, Pamela Diamantis and Morey Goodman, Northeast Delta Dental, Sheehan Phinney, and Wieczorek Insurance.
Additional sponsorship opportunities are available.