Six New England journalists will receive the prestigious Yankee Quill award this spring for their contributions to the betterment of journalism in the six-state region. 

Five current journalists and one historical figure will be honored with the award on April 29, 2022, says George Geers, chair of the sponsoring Academy of New England Journalists.

The inductees were selected in 2021, but the celebration and induction ceremony was postponed due to the pandemic.

The Yankee Quill awards will be presented at a luncheon as part of the annual convention of the New England Newspaper and Press Association at noon, on Friday, April 29, 2022, at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel in the Seaport District of Boston, Mass.

Paul Bass, founder, publisher, and editor of the New Haven Independent, one of the country’s leading nonprofit digital news organizations. For more than 40 years, Bass has provided the city of New Haven with outstanding news coverage, earning multiple regional and national awards for journalistic excellence – first with the New Haven Advocate, and now with the New Haven. He is described as a “change-maker,” a champion for Black and Brown people, and a promoter of the advancement of women in the news industry.

Tom Condon served the profession for 45+ years as a bureau chief, columnist, editorial writer, and investigative reporter, wit and conscience at the Hartford Courant. His powerfully written columns and editorials have helped free three wrongly accused men, saved historic buildings from demolition, and helped get the state of Connecticut to drastically change its gun laws. He is currently working at CT Mirror.

Melvin B. Miller, founder, publisher, and editor of the Bay State Banner for more than 55 years, a weekly newspaper advocating for the interests of Greater Boston’s African American community. For over five decades, Miller has used his voice to dive deeper into issues ranging from politics, social justice, and economic development that have local and national impact. The Banner has meticulously told the stories of the minority community – stories often overlooked in mainstream media. 

Marianne Stanton, who has spent more than 40 years at the weekly Inquirer and Mirror on Nantucket Island, Mass., including as editor and publisher, grew up with the paper which was owned by her parents for many years before being sold to Ottaway Newspapers in 1990. She started as a reporter, became editor, and then publisher. Under her leadership, the paper has won numerous awards and gained a stellar reputation for its integrity and unwavering belief in the right of people to know what their public officials are doing. The paper was sold several more times to other chains but most recently was returned to its original local ownership.

Terrence L. Williams, president and chief executive officer of the Keene Sentinel in New Hampshire is the definition of an accomplished newspaper leader, both as an editor and a publisher. He has been one of New England’s leading publishing executives throughout most of his distinguished 40-year career. His news products have won numerous awards for excellence in journalism and bold revenue solutions. He is an outstanding leader and strong communicator and is regarded as one of the most thoughtful and collaborative publishers in New England media.

William Monroe Trotter (1872-1934) historical figure, was a major early 20th-century civil rights activist who founded the Boston Guardian newspaper. Trotter, the first Black Harvard University graduate who was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, challenged the political dominance of Booker T. Washington and was an inspiration for the formation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Besides founding the Boston Guardian in 1901, Trotter was a founder of the National Negro Suffrage League, the Niagara Movement, and the Negro American Political League. During his life, Trotter’s outspoken activism included his direct denouncements of President Theodore Roosevelt for discharging three companies of the all-Black 25th U.S. Infantry after the Brownsville Riot in Texas, in 1906, and for confronting President Woodrow Wilson in 1914 after Wilson imposed racial segregation on federal employees for the first time. In 1915, Trotter led the Boston protests against the screening of the racist film The Birth of a Nation.

The Yankee Quill, which began in 1959, is bestowed annually by the Academy of New England Journalists through the auspices of the New England Society of News Editors. It is considered the highest individual honor awarded to newspaper, TV, radio, magazine, and other journalists in the six-state region. Winners are selected based on a history of lifetime achievement showing a broad impact in New England Journalism.

Selection for the award is not based on any single achievement, or for doing your job each day, but rather on the broad influence for good over the course of a career.

Read More About the Yankee Quill Award

1. Be a resident of New England
2. Must be a senior in high school or an undergraduate college student, studying journalism or a related field, planning to attend college in Summer or Fall 2022.
3. Have a GPA of 3.0 or above
4. Demonstrate a serious interest in a career in journalism by sending: a cover letter, transcript, resume or biography, letter of recommendation, AND a body of published work in a school news publication, general circulation newspaper, or a similar publication AND/OR a body of work prepared for a journalism class
5. PLEASE NOTE: You will be required to sign in to Google to upload documents.
6. The deadline to apply is April 1, 2022.

2022 Program Information
2022 Scholarship Application

Sage advice about how to ‘re-onboard’ teams as they return to newsroom offices from Jill Geisler, Bill Plante Chair in Leadership & Media Integrity, Loyola University Chicago, and Freedom Forum Fellow in Women’s Leadership.

As news organizations implement their re-entry plans, the smartest are trying to combine the best aspects of in-person and remote work. They’re customizing their approaches based on the nature of roles, workflow, and technology. They want to achieve maximum quality and productivity with diverse, collaborative, and engaged teams.

Let’s talk about the employees who are returning to the office.

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In a recent Foreign Press Correspondents USA tools and training article the organization asks the question, “What can you do as you watch your own country turn into a war zone?”

That’s a question none of us want to have to answer but it is one that many people in Ukraine have had to face in recent weeks.

Journalists on the ground have had to confront that question too as they find their personal security and safety thrown into jeopardy. Many are in considerable danger as they work to document the atrocities that are being committed.

The Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN) advises journalists to keep physical and digital copies of the following documents ready:

• Passport

• National ID card

• Driver’s license

If either of these is close to expiring, it is imperative to renew them as quickly as possible. If you have several identification documents, make sure to keep them in separate places in the event you lose one of them.

• Birth certificate (or any document that can prove your date and place of birth)

• Others: marriage certificate, university degrees (diploma, proof of graduation and attendance, grades), press card, professional certificates, vaccine certificate, other medical documents.

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Today, The Boston Globe celebrates 150 years. The first edition was published on March 4, 1872, and to mark the occasion, the Globe published a special section in print and online, looking back on the 15 decades of coverage and historical moments from their archives.

Included is a note from Linda Henry, CEO, Boston Globe Media, and John Henry, Publisher, Boston Globe Media, thanking the community for their readership and support.

“We joined the Globe in 2013 because we value this community and are invested in the future of Boston. We know that strong local journalism provides in-depth coverage, analysis, and perspective on issues that are critical to the future of a region. We believe that New England thrives with a more healthy, vibrant Globe.”

There is also a note from Globe Editor Brian McGrory recognizing the 250 or so staffers in the Globe’s newsroom and on the editorial pages, “everyone good at something different.”

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu congratulated the Globe on its 150th anniversary by naming March 4 ‘Boston Globe Day’.

There are many resources included in the special section including 150 of the Globe’s most significant front pages from the archives, and an article highlighting 38 big stories from 150 years of Boston Globe coverage.

Access the section at: https://www.bostonglobe.com/special-projects/globe-150/

An in-depth article, Hard-Pressed | The Fight to Save the Small-Town Newspaper, published in the March/April issue of Yankee Magazine highlights the challenges of New England’s small-town newspapers that are under threat, their communities, and the journalists who are fighting to stick together and stay informed.

Former NENPA presidents Angelo Lynn, publisher of the Addison Independent, and Phil Camp, owner of the Vermont Standard are featured in the well-written article by Jon Marcus as well as many other NENPA members’ publications and others throughout New England.

Read the article

Calling all statehouse and regional reporters: Prepare for the contentious campaigns of 2022 and beyond by attending the National Press Foundation’s journalism training on voting rights, gerrymandering, copycat legislation, and more, March 27-31.

This fellowship will be held in person in Austin, Texas, (barring COVID flares or other emergencies) from Sunday, March 27 to Thursday, March 31. Attendance is mandatory for all sessions, and editors must commit to freeing their reporters from daily news duty during program sessions. This is a competitive program for up to 25 fellows, open to U.S. journalists only.

The application deadline is February 27.

NPF offers this professional development opportunity for journalists to enhance skills, increase knowledge and recharge their reporting on one of today’s most critical issues. The foundation will cover airfare, ground transportation, hotel costs, and most meals.

Learn more and apply