Erin Rhoda, editor of the BDN’s MaineFocus project, has been named the state’s Journalist of the Year by the Maine Press Association for her work covering Maine’s opiate addiction crisis.
In addition, the BDN earned the MPA’s top honor — General Excellence — as Maine’s best daily newspaper and news website. In total, BDN staff and contributors received 44 individual awards from the MPA for their writing, photography, videos, multimedia, blogging and advertising.
The awards were given Saturday during the MPA’s annual awards banquet, held this year in South Portland.
Rhoda’s landmark piece, “Garrett,” which followed a young heroin addict in Maine over the course of several years, and the subsequent advocacy and solutions that came in response to its publication, was the driving force behind the accolade, according to the MPA.
“I’m amazed how one journalist can have such broad impact, inside our newsroom and in the community,” said Anthony Ronzio, executive editor of the BDN. “Erin is incredibly deserving of this prestigious and coveted award.”
Jeanne Luetjen of the BDN, executive assistant to the publisher, Richard J. Warren, also earned the MPA’s Unsung Hero award for her distinguished work in managing newsroom functions and the BDN’s election night operations.
“I am delighted that Jeanne Luetjen has earned the Maine Press Association’s Unsung Hero Award,” said Warren. “Jeanne provides untold support for our editors, reporters and photographers.”
Among the other top MPA awards, the Maine Sunday Telegram earned the General Excellence award for a weekend newspaper, Jean Berg of the Portland Press Herald was named the MPA’s advertising person of the year, and Abigail W. Adams earned the annual Bob Drake award recognizing up-and-coming journalists.
On the BDN staff, photographer Ashley Conti earned three first place awards for news, sports and feature photography.
Rhoda earned a first place award in news and feature writing, for Garrett. Julia Bayly, a features writer for the BDN based in Fort Kent, earned a first place award in food writing for her examination of food sovereignty movements around Maine.
Pete Warner, the BDN’s digital sports editor, also earned a first place award in sports reporting for A Gray Matter, his examination of how concussion treatment varies among athletes and sports at the University of Maine.
Visuals Editor Micaela Bedell earned a first place award in news video for her compelling look at a Searsport mother’s struggle to cope with the death of her son.
The BDN swept the MPA’s blogging categories as well. Outdoors writer Aislinn Sarnacki e arned first place accolades for features blogging, while two BDN contributors — Tom Hale, writer of Up North Motorsports, and Trish Callahan, writer of Mainely Thoughts — earned first place awards for sports and news blogging, respectively.
On the advertising side, the BDN’s quarterly Outdoors magazine took first place honors as well, which was earned by designer Amy Allen, editor Sarah Walker Caron, and writers Sarnacki and John Holyoke.
“I’m incredibly proud of all of our staff achievements,” said Ronzio. “These awards are not only recognition of our work, but a reminder the BDN is blessed with a talented and dedicated staff.”