Four months after being named Maine Press Association Journalist of the Year, reporter Seth Koenig of The Times Record was honored as New England Journalist of the Year by the New England Newspaper & Press Association (NENPA) on Feb. 6.
Judges described Koenig’s work as “refreshingly honest and compelling. Each of his stories is insightful and relevant to his community. He highlights local events and people in his work, and his writing brings them to life.”
Koenig covers Bath and eight nearby communities, as well as Bath Iron Works and Brunswick Naval Air Station.
Coverage of Koenig’s award begins here with Times Record staff writer Beth Brogan.
The Ellsworth American claimed General Excellence honors in the Weekly Class Division as well as best Editorial Page, Local Election Coverage, Niche Publication, Classified House Advertisement and Self/circulation promotion.
Other first-place winners included:
James Straub of the Ellsworth American for Spot News Story;
The Bangor Daily News staff for Health Reporting and Local Election Coverage;
Eric Zelz of the Bangor Daily News for Illustration;
The Mount Desert Islander for Advertising General Excellence, Real Estate Advertisement and Sponsorship Page;
Earl Brechlin of the Mount Desert Islander for Editorial Writing;
Oka Hutchins of the Mount Desert Islander for Arts and Entertainment reporting.
Also, Troy Bennett of The Times Record, a member of the MPA Board of Directors, won a second-place award for his stunning photo of a tree sculptor. A copy is posted at our Gallery link.
Here is a complete list of the NENPA Better Newspaper Contest awards.