The Maine Monitor was awarded nine awards on Monday by the National Newspaper Association Foundation, one of the largest newspaper associations in the country.
Kate Cough earned first place in the business story category for her story that detailed how rural towns are being tasked with weighing plans for substantial development, but are unprepared to properly plan for the growth.
Joyce Kryszak earned first place in the non-profile feature story category for her piece on ham radio operators fending against threats — in the form of municipal ordinances and state legislation — to a hobby that’s existed for more than a century.
Samantha Hogan was awarded first place in the investigative or in-depth story or series category for “Maine’s Part-Time Court,” which investigated Maine’s probate court system, adult guardianships, and estates.
“An institutional story made personal: exceptional sourcing from responsible officials to those affected by the series’ focus,” the competition’s judge wrote. The judge also praised the comprehensive detail throughout the multi-part series.
In that same investigative category, Rose Lundy received second place for a trio of stories she produced about Maine’s aging care facilities. Two of the stories included in the entry were from her Maine Monitor and ProPublica investigation into long-term care facilities while a third story was produced as part of a collaboration with the Rural News Network.
“The details and reporter’s source-based analysis make this collection essential for reader engagement,” the competition judge commented.
Kryszak earned second place in the preserving local history category for a story on Washington County groups devoted to preserving and restoring local halls and granges.
“This story illustrates the difficulty of preservation and does it well,” a judge said of the piece.
Emily Bader received third place in the local government reporting category for her in-depth examination of how and why the City of Lewiston struggled to move forward with proposed solutions to demands for affordable housing and shelters.
The newsroom collectively received third place in the communication in crisis category for its coverage of the Lewiston mass shooting. Bader, Emmett Gartner, Hogan, Lundy and David Dahl contributed to the pieces weighed by a contest judge, including a look at a Maine’s sparse gun laws, how local law enforcement often lack direction for how to conduct welfare checks, and how the state’s rural expanse complicated the search for the suspect.
An honorable mention accolade was given to Tux Turkel in the environmental story category for his analysis of an energy crisis that began 50 years ago — and hasn’t ended.
Caitlin Andrews received an honorable mention in the health story category for her story, co-published with the Bangor Daily News, that chronicled the final years of Karen Wentworth, who was the second person in the state to get a prescription under Maine’s 2019 death with dignity law.
“What an unbelievably moving story. Readers will come out of this experience better informed and more compassionate about the long, difficult journey (and rarity) of medically assisted death,” a contest judge wrote.
Established in 1885, The National Newspaper Association Foundation is the voice of America’s community newspapers and is the educational arm of the National Newspaper Association. Its mission is to promote news literacy, protect the First Amendment, and enhance the quality, role and capabilities of community newspapers and community journalists.
