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The New Bedford Light swept up 16 journalism awards in 13 categories – including eight first place honors – at the annual New England Newspaper & Press Association convention in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on March 14.
The nonprofit news organization, which is dedicated to covering issues that deeply affect New Bedford and the South Coast, was recognized for its coverage of immigration, energy, housing, government, history and race as well as its website design, photos, infographics and video.
“We are grateful to the judges for their acknowledgement of the solid text and visual reporting that we do every day at The Light,” said Karen Bordeleau, executive editor. “And while it’s great to be honored with awards, we know that our real value is delivering in-depth local journalism that helps our community better understand itself.”
Other winners in the digital categories include Boston.com, MassLive, VTDigger, CommonWealth Beacon, Rhode Island Current, The Connecticut Mirror, among many others.
The Light’s digital editor, Kellen Riell, was honored with four awards. He took the top two awards in the Illustration/Infographics category, for his infographics in “Why did Vineyard Wind’s turbine fail?” and his illustrations in “Years after Michael Bianco raid, New Bedford immigrants still have to hide.” Riell and the staff took 2nd place for Best Website Home Page and 3rd place for Best Overall Website.
Here are The Light’s winning entries:
1st place: Press Freedom or Right to Know, Staff for “Shining ‘The Light’ on New Bedford’s secret public records”
1st place: Energy News and Reporting, Anastasia Lennon for “Series: Tracking Vineyard Wind”
Series includes:
- When will Vineyard Wind be finished?
- Why did Vineyard Wind’s turbine blade fail?
- Vineyard Wind leases construction terminal into 2026
- Vineyard Wind nears 30% power production (July ‘25)
1st place: Entertainment or Feature Video, Eleonora Bianchi for “Reliving the Bianco Raid of 2007”
1st place: History Reporting, Colin Hogan for “What’s the Oldest Tree in New Bedford?”
1st place: Housing News, Grace Ferguson for “Housing in Distress” series
1st place: Illustration/Infographics, Kellen Riell
1st place: Immigration Coverage, Kevin G. Andrade for “After the ICE raids, what happens to the families?”
1st place: Photo Series, Eleonora Bianchi for “Hidden in Plain Sight”
2nd place: Best Website Home Page, Kellen Riell and staff
2nd place: Illustration/Infographics, Kellen Riell
3rd place: Best Overall Website, Kellen Riell and staff
3rd place: Government Reporting, Grace Ferguson for “City Council accidentally eliminates single family zoning”
3rd place: History Reporting, Kevin Andrade and Crystal Yormick for “50 years later: Cabo Verdeans bask in hard-won independence”
3rd place: Immigration Coverage, Kevin G. Andrade and Eleonora Bianchi for ”Guatemalan immigrant in U.S. for 30 years arrested by federal agents”
3rd place: Local Election Coverage, Staff for series on “Election 2024: There’s a lot at stake on the South Coast”
Series includes:
- A new American votes: ‘I did it for our country’
- Fishermen, fleet owners hope Trump helps their industry
- New president could hamper Biden’s climate law but repeal won’t be easy
- Offshore wind’s progress uncertain as Trump vows to halt it
- Breaking down the ballot questions
- Harris voters fear Trump is an autocrat in the making; Trump supporters aren’t worried
- Trump’s claim that Pelosi turned down National Guard help on Jan. 6 is just fantasy
- How would changes in immigration policy affect New Bedford?
- Welcome to Trump country?
- Reproductive rights’ experts wary of more restrictions
3rd place: Race, Ethnic or Gender Issue coverage, Kevin G. Andrade and Colin Hogan for “A nossa terra (our land): Portuguese-speaking community decried New Bedford library closure”