The Harpswell Anchor has the best website among news organizations in its division, according to the judges of the Maine Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest.
Harpswellanchor.org took first place in the Digital General Excellence category. Anchor staffer Sam Allen designed and built the site, which launched in July 2021. Allen serves the Anchor in a variety of roles, including web administrator, graphic designer and administrative assistant.
The Anchor earned recognition in a total of 10 categories in the 2022-23 contest, including five first-place finishes.
The Anchor, a monthly, competes in a division alongside weekly newspapers, such as the Mount Desert Islander and (Rockland) Courier-Gazette, and online-only publications, such as The Maine Monitor and Penobscot Bay Pilot. Newspaper professionals from outside Maine judge the entries.
The awards were announced during the Maine Press Association’s annual conference in South Portland on Saturday, Oct. 14.
Established in 1864, the Maine Press Association works to protect the freedom of the press and the public’s right to know, and to promote and foster high ethical standards in journalism.
The full list of Anchor honors follows:
First Place, Arts/Lifestyle Feature: “Longtime Orr’s librarian out as board pursues new vision,” Sam Lemonick
First Place, Digital General Excellence: harpswellanchor.org
First Place, Game Story: “Family tradition of challenging Mount Washington links father and son with Harpswell ties,” Doug Warren
First Place, News Photo: “Fireworks at Garrison Cove,” Jessica Picard
First Place, Political Story: “McCreight reflects on 8 years in Legislature,” J.W. Oliver
Second Place, Food Story/Feature: “‘More than a business’: Vegetable Corner to close after 3-decade run,” Connie Sage Conner
Second Place, Picture Story: “Harpswell Community Theater one-acts,” Jessica Picard
Second Place, Religion/Spirituality Story: “1800s chapel on Bethel Point to host first service since 2019 fire,” J.W. Oliver
Third Place, Local Ad: Moses Dyer Coffee Roasters, Sam Allen
Third Place, Self-Promotion: 2022 Harpswell Anchor Annual Report, Sam Allen and Janice Thompson
