Maine Press Association

03/09/2026

The Maine Press Association is proud to announce it has awarded three $2,500 scholarships to help college students in Maine further their pursuit of a career in journalism.
The 2026 recipients include Makayla Morello (University of Southern Maine), Peyton Perkins (University of Maine), and Tyler Bridges (University of Maine).
Morello (middle), a staff writer for the University of Southern Maine’s The Free Press, is a Westbrook native who seeks to develop her skills as a writer focusing on thoughtful, in-depth storytelling. Perkins (left), from Quincy, Massachusetts, is a copy editor at the University of Maine’s Maine Campus Media who enjoys investigative journalism. Bridges (right), from Calais, is the Head Photographer for Maine Campus Media and is interested in a career in multimedia storytelling and documentary.
“This year’s MPA scholarship recipients showed a strong commitment to journalism, both as journalists informing their university communities and as aspiring career journalists,” said MPA Scholarship Committee Chair Micaela Schweitzer-Bluhm. “They are a credit to the next generation of journalists.”
The annual scholarships are possible thanks to the generosity of participants in the Maine Press Association’s conference auction each October and the patrons who donate the auction items. For more information on donating items to the upcoming auction to support next year’s scholarships, please contact MPA scholarship committee member George Harvey at [email protected].
Established in 1864, the Maine Press Association works to promote ethical journalism, to advocate for the interests of the journalists and organizations that constitute its membership, and to protect the freedom of the press and the public’s right to know. Learn more at mainepressassociation.org

12/12/2025

CALLING all MAINE STUDENT JOURNALISTS: Applications are now being accepted for the Maine Press Association Scholarship! The deadline to apply is Feb. 2, 2026. Apply at mainepressassociation.org/scholarships

10/28/2025

Chris Crockett (MPA Board/Ellsworth American) introduces the 2025 MPA Advertising Person of the Year, Fred Berry. Photo by Chance Viles

10/24/2025

Fred Berry (Ellsworth American) was surprised with the 2025 MPA Advertising Person of the Year Award at a celebration at The Ellsworth American Oct. 16. Since Fred was unable to be at the MPA Conference, the EA staff found a way to surprise and celebrate Fred in advance of the Conference. Photo courtesy of The Ellsworth American

10/23/2025

We were very happy to have students from the University of Maine, USM, and USM/The Free Press join us for the 2025 MPA Conference. With
Elora Griswold, Sofia Langlois, Julz Levesque, Gabe Wheeler, Alexander Kuvaja, Obie Casperson, Alexa Rose Perocillo, Tyler Bridges, Emily Ebersman, Hope Milan, Alex Richard, Cynthia Chadwick-Granger and UMaine Professor (and MPA Academic Director) Michael Socolow (not pictured). Photo by Chance Viles

10/23/2025

10/23/2025

From the session: "There’s always a local angle: From Trump to immigration and climate." Photo by Mica Schweitzer-Bluhm (Maine Monitor)

10/23/2025

From the session: "There’s always a local angle: From Trump to immigration and climate" with panelists Emmett Gartner (Maine Monitor), Riley Board (PPH), Callie Ferguson (BDN) and Dan MacLeod (BDN).
Photo by Mica Schweitzer-Bluhm (Maine Monitor)

10/20/2025

The Bangor Daily News, Midcoast VillagerVillageSoup, and the Houlton Pioneer Times among Maine Press Association winners

SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine, October 18, 2025 –The Bangor Daily News, Midcoast Villager, the Houlton Pioneer Times, and the Sun Journal Sunday edition have been honored by the Maine Press Association (MPA) for General Excellence in print newspapers.

The Maine Monitor, Harpswell Anchor, and Island Ad-Vantages took top honors for digital General Excellence in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest.

The awards were presented Saturday night at the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel in South Portland, concluding a day of programming and networking for reporters, photographers, journalists, advertising staff, and designers throughout the state.

George Danby, longtime editorial cartoonist for the Bangor Daily News; the late Dennis Hoey, a respected night reporter for the Portland Press Herald; and John Ewing, a celebrated photojournalist and mentor with the Portland Press Herald for 33 years, were selected by the MPA’s Hall of Fame Committee as the 2025 inductees.

In the General Excellence competition for print newspapers, the Bangor Daily News was judged the best daily in Maine for the second consecutive year while the Sun Journal Sunday edition was chosen as the weekend Newspaper of the Year, also for the second consecutive year.

The contest judges, who hailed from the New Jersey Press Association and other press associations from across the country, wrote of the Bangor Daily News: “Each issue of this newspaper had so much to read and offer … This is a textbook example on what a newspaper of the daily variety should be.”

“Sun Journal would be my pick for the winner because of its spacious, balanced, and easy-to-interpret design, and overall cohesiveness,” said the judges about the Sun Journal Sunday edition.

In the Weekly 1 division, for newspapers with less than 2,000 print circulation, the Houlton Pioneer Times, now known as The County, took top prize. “The Houlton Pioneer Times offers in-depth, well-sourced reporting and long-form enterprise pieces that explore the real impact of local news,” said judges.

The Weekly 2 winner was Midcoast VillagerVillageSoup, launched in September 2024 as a new publication formed by the merger of The Republican Journal, The Courier-Gazette, The Free Press, and The Camden Herald.

“This paper sets the standard in its first months of existence,” said judges. “The look is clean and iconic, paying tribute to great newspapering traditions.”

Ben Meiklejohn, of the Lincoln News, won the Freedom of Information first-place award in the Weekly division, while Rose Lundy and Alexa Foust, of The Maine Monitor, took top honors in the Daily/Weekend division.

Rose Lundy, of The Maine Monitor, was named the Journalist of the Year and Fred Berry, of The Ellsworth American, was named the Advertising Person of the Year.

Kristian Moravec, formerly of The Times Record and now at The Maine Monitor, won the Bob Drake Young Writer’s Award while Brian Robitaille, of The Maine Trust for Local News, and Paula Brewer, of the Bangor Daily News, were both recognized with the Unsung Hero of the Year Award. Kate Cough of The Maine Monitor won the inaugural Mentor of the Year Award.

Thanks to the 2025 MPA Conference Sponsors: Broadreach Public Relations, Mitchell Tardy Jackson, JB Brown & Sons, Preti Flaherty, NL Partners, Maine Community Foundation/Press Forward Maine.

A complete list of 2025 award winners will be posted later this week on the MPA’s website.

The Maine Press Association1864, is one of the oldest professional news organizations in the nation. Learn more at www.mainepressassociation.org.