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Deadline Friday: Celebrate Your Team’s Best Work in the 2026 Better Newspaper Competition
Your team has spent the year telling important stories, serving your community, and finding new ways to strengthen local news. Now it’s time to give that work the recognition it deserves. Entries for the 2026 New England Better Newspaper Competition close this Friday, October 30.
To access the online entry portal, use the association code NENPA. You need to re-register every year, as the system is cleared annually.
This year’s competition offers new and expanded opportunities across three divisions:
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Editorial: With 84 categories and honors, the division recognizes excellence across reporting, opinion, design, digital journalism, photography, and special recognition. New categories include Explanatory Journalism, Data Journalism, Nature & Wildlife Reporting and Digital Innovation, alongside several updated or broadened categories.
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College Journalism: Updated to reflect today’s student newsrooms, the division recognizes work in print, online and across video, audio and social platforms. Top honors include Top College Journalist, College Rising Star and New England College Newspaper of the Year. A $150 package includes up to 15 entries, plus Newspaper of the Year at no additional charge.
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Revenue Excellence: Redesigned for 2026, the competition celebrates outstanding advertising alongside audience growth, events, reader revenue, partnerships, new products, fundraising and business innovation. New honors include Salesperson of the Year and Revenue Team of the Year. If it worked, enter it!
Eligible work: August 1, 2025–July 31, 2026. Professional Editorial and Revenue Excellence entries are open to NENPA member news organizations in good standing. College Journalism is open to colleges and universities throughout New England.
Visit the Better Newspaper Competition page for complete guidelines, category descriptions, and entry requirements.
Winners will be recognized at the 2027 New England Newspaper Convention, with dates and location to be announced.
Submit your entries by Friday, October 30.
Questions? Contact L.Conway@nenpa.com or T.Cleary@nenpa.com.
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