The Harpswell Anchor captured first place for its website and advertising in the Maine Press Association’s 2025 Better Newspaper Contest, two of 25 total honors.
The Anchor took second for its print edition and collected first-place finishes for its environmental reporting, arts writing, feature photography, graphics, ad design and more.
“Wow! What a great website,” the judges said about harpswellanchor.org. “Love the simplicity and user friendliness.”
The Anchor’s design and technology administrator, Sam Allen, built the site. The Anchor has finished first in the General Excellence-Digital category for two of the last three years, taking second in 2024.
The judges for the General Excellence-Advertising category lauded the Anchor’s design and singled out the Business Directory as “a great option for smaller local businesses.”
The Anchor’s advertising and sponsorship manager, Jane Warren, sells ads and oversees the program. Allen designs most of the advertisements, a free service the Anchor offers to advertisers.
In the print category, the Anchor finished second to the Midcoast Villager, a new publication created from the consolidation of four long-standing titles to cover Knox and Waldo counties.
“So many things are right about the Anchor,” the judges for the print category said. “Stories are well written; headlines tell the story without overselling; and (the) photos are good journalism in their own right.”
The Anchor, a monthly, competes in a division alongside weekly newspapers, many much larger and older than the Anchor; and local news websites. News professionals from outside Maine judge the entries.
“Our priority is to serve Harpswell readers with the local news they need, regardless of external judgments or accolades,” said J.W. Oliver, editor of the Anchor. “Nonetheless, the Anchor’s performance in this contest is an objective measure of excellence among its peers. Our readers should know the Anchor holds its own — and then some — with local news organizations throughout our state.”
The awards were announced during the Maine Press Association’s annual conference in South Portland on Oct. 18.
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: “‘To honor the lobstermen,’ Bailey Island artist paints their portraits,” Bisi Cameron Yee
First Place, Advertising Campaign or Series: “Harpswell Neck Fire and Rescue,” Sam Allen
First Place, Community Columnist: “First Person,” Jeffrey Good
First Place, Environmental Story: “Harpswell has 44 of Maine’s 600 remaining overboard discharge systems,” Sam Lemonick
First Place, Feature Photo: “Huzzah!” Bisi Cameron Yee
First Place, Front Page Design: March 2025, Sam Allen
First Place, General Excellence-Advertising: Harpswell Anchor
First Place, General Excellence-Digital: Harpswellanchor.org, Sam Allen
First Place, Graphic/Illustration: Quahog infographic, Eric Zelz
First Place, Local Ad: Berrie’s, Sam Allen
First Place, Opinion Columnist: “Harpswell Naturalist,” Ed Robinson
First Place, Picture Story: “We want some more: ‘Oliver!’ showcases talents of local youth,” Bisi Cameron Yee
Second Place, Analysis: “Harpswell fire and rescue departments gaze into an uncertain future,” J. Craig Anderson
Second Place, Arts/Lifestyle Feature: “‘Something magical’: Chance encounter connects two harpists on Bailey Island,” Doug Warren
Second Place, Courts Story: “Settlement deal ends lawsuit over Orr’s Island property,” J. Craig Anderson
Second Place, General Excellence-Print: Harpswell Anchor
Second Place, News Photo: “Veterans Day,” Bisi Cameron Yee
Third Place, Best Multimedia Campaign: NewsMatch 2024, Sam Allen and Janice Thompson
Third Place, Business/Economics Story: “Once a form of currency, quahogs remain a steady source of cash,” John Gormley
Third Place, Feature Story: “At an under-the-radar studio in Cundy’s Harbor, grapplers find community in martial arts,” Sam Lemonick
Third Place, Graphic/Illustration: “Trail Volunteers,” Eric Zelz
Third Place, Investigative Report: “Involuntary Response: Harpswell Fire & Rescue in Transition,” Harpswell Anchor
Third Place, News Story: “Harpswell fire and rescue departments gaze into an uncertain future,” J. Craig Anderson
Third Place, People Photo: “Huzzah!” Bisi Cameron Yee
Third Place, Sports Profile: “Stump Merrill knows what’s wrong with baseball and how to fix it,” Troy R. Bennett
