Jillian Atelsek covers education at The Frederick News-Post, her hometown newspaper. She graduated from the University of Maryland in 2020, where she worked as the news editor and a senior reporter at The Diamondback. She has interned as a reporter at PennLive and a copy editor/page designer at The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette through the Dow Jones News Fund. She is passionate about community journalism, and particularly loves data-focused reporting.
Krys’tal Griffin is a reporter for The News Journal in Wilmington, DE. She graduated from the University of Delaware as an English major with a journalism minor and wanted to become a journalist because she loves learning and enjoys connecting with other people. In her current role, Krys’tal enjoys writing feature stories, investigative pieces, and any other topics where she can have a little fun stylistically. She was an MDDC intern in 2021.
Jack Hogan has been reporting on Frederick County government since graduating from the University of Maryland in June of 2021. His coverage has largely focused on the county’s recovery from the first two years of the pandemic and how a strong revenue year and influx of state and federal relief are putting the county in a position to expedite development projects and improve resources for elderly individuals and those living in rural areas. He also covers the Frederick county delegation in Annapolis. Jack interned through MDDC in 2020 at the Capital Gazette.
Marissa Horn is the senior digital editor at Bloomberg Industry Group, where she has worked in all aspects of digital journalism including audience engagement, social media strategy, and podcast production. She currently leads a team of news engineers developing automated news products via machine learning. Before her current role, Marissa spent time on the foreign-national desk at The New York Times, USA Today, and several local news outlets in Maryland, one of which was through the MDDC summer internship program.
Lauren Lumpkin is a local higher education reporter for The Washington Post. She joined The Post in 2020 after a year-long fellowship on the education desk. Before coming to The Post, Lumpkin covered public schools for the Capital Gazette and breaking news for the Baltimore Sun. She has previously contributed to the Nation and NBC Washington.
Steven Overly covers the intersection of trade and technology policy and politics for POLITICO with a special focus on the industry’s effort to influence decisions in Washington. He was previously a reporter for POLITICO’s Pro Technology team. He previously spent seven years as a reporter and editor at The Washington Post. Steven holds a degree in journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a master’s degree from Columbia University, where he studied as a Knight-Bagehot Fellow in Economics and Business Journalism.
Darel LaPrade is publisher of INI Delmarva and leads the Delaware State News and a variety of weekly papers in Maryland and Delaware. He is committed to the sustainability of a free, impartial news media and has served as an officer and president of the MDDC Press Association.
Alexander Pyles is a Philip Merrill College of Journalism lecturer and audience editor for Capital News Service, the college’s student-staffed news organization with bureaus and news teams in Annapolis, Baltimore, College Park and Washington, D.C. He helps student journalists use metrics, social media and other digital storytelling tools. Previously, he was a reporter and editor for several news organizations. Pyles was most recently an editor at The Baltimore Sun, where he managed coverage of the Maryland State House, Baltimore City Hall and elections.
Denise Rolark Barnes is the publisher and second-generation owner of The Washington Informer, succeeding her father, the late Dr. Calvin W. Rolark, who founded the newspaper in 1964. The Washington Informer is a multi-media organization serving the African American community in the Washington metropolitan area. Denise is also president of Washington Informer Charities, a non-profit organization that promotes 21st-century literacy and sponsors writing competitions, internships, scholarships and other events promoting African American history, culture, and literature.
Samantha Subin is an associate reporter for CNBC Pro and CNBC.com covering markets and investing. She graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in multiplatform journalism and general business in May 2021. Subin joined CNBC as an intern in January 2021 and briefly covered technology for CNBC.com after graduation. Prior to joining CNBC, Subin interned at The Boston Globe and The Daily Record (as an MDDC intern), where she also worked as a freelance reporter.
Laura Walter is the special projects editor at Delaware State News. After 10 years as a weekly newspaper reporter (from town halls to football fields, courthouse to chicken house, education to environment) Laura recently became an editor and writer of features and special sections for Delaware State News and their weekly papers on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. She is a graduate of Washington College in Maryland.
Lindsay Weber is an urban affairs reporter with the Morning Call covering the cities of Allentown and Bethlehem in Pennsylvania. She was a 2020 MDDC intern with Delaware Online and spent the summer of 2021 covering the Pennsylvania state house with several news organizations like Spotlight PA and the Pennsylvania Capital-Star. She is a 2021 graduate of Macalester College where she edited and reported for the student newspaper, the Mac Weekly.
By Rebecca Snyder Executive Director, MDDC Press Association Governor Wes Moore’s veto of SB 459 is a disappointing and misguided decision that overlooks both the capabilities of Maryland’s local news organizations and the urgent need to strengthen the state’s local information infrastructure. The legislation was straightforward and practical: require Maryland state agencies to prioritize local news organizations (print, digital, radio and broadcast) for a portion of their advertising spending. It was revenue-neutral. It did not create a new tax, a new program, or a new bureaucracy. It simply ensured that more Maryland advertising dollars stayed in Maryland communities. Lawmakers across the political spectrum understood that value. SB 459 passed unanimously in the Senate and with overwhelming bipartisan support in the House. Legislators from both parties recognized a simple truth: local news matters. In vetoing the bill, Governor Moore expressed concerns about costs and suggested that Maryland’s local news organizations could not effectively deliver advertising to the audiences state agencies need to reach. That rationale fundamentally misunderstands today’s local media landscape. Maryland’s local news organizations include digital-first outlets, public media organizations, commercial broadcasters, radio stations, community publications, and multimedia news platforms serving audiences across every region of the state. Many operate full service advertising agencies that can place any type of advertising needed, including national platforms. 0020Collectively, they provide sophisticated advertising and communications services that rival — and often outperform — national platforms when it comes to reaching Maryland audiences. Our members regularly execute highly targeted advertising campaigns using digital audience segmentation, programmatic advertising, email marketing, video, social amplification, sponsorships, direct mail, broadcast, radio, and event-based outreach. They work with businesses, nonprofits, healthcare organizations, universities, tourism agencies, and government entities every day to connect messages with precisely the audiences they intend to reach. In fact, local media outlets often have a far deeper understanding of Maryland communities than national advertising platforms ever could. That matters because this debate is about more than advertising dollars. It is about whether Maryland will invest in the civic infrastructure that keeps communities informed and connected. Local journalism remains one of the few institutions dedicated to covering school boards, county governments, public safety, elections, housing, economic development, and the daily issues that shape residents’ lives. When local news organizations disappear, communities lose accountability, civic participation declines, and misinformation fills the vacuum. SB 459 recognized that state government advertising can serve two purposes at once: effectively communicate with Maryland residents and strengthen the trusted local institutions that help those residents stay informed. The bill also acknowledged another important reality: local media outlets are often best positioned to reach underserved communities. Community publications, local radio stations, ethnic media outlets, and regional digital publishers have built trust with audiences that are frequently overlooked by large national advertising buys. Supporting local media is not only smart economic policy; it is smart communications policy. And economically, the argument is equally compelling. Every year, Maryland spends taxpayer dollars on advertising campaigns intended to reach Maryland residents. SB 459 simply sought to ensure that more of those dollars circulate through Maryland businesses, support Maryland jobs, and strengthen Maryland-based organizations rather than flowing almost entirely to out-of-state tech platforms and national advertising networks. That is not protectionism. It is common sense. Other jurisdictions across the country have already adopted similar approaches because they recognize that government advertising dollars can help sustain local media ecosystems without expanding government spending. Maryland had the opportunity to join them with a balanced, bipartisan solution. Instead, the Governor chose to veto it. We respect Governor Moore’s commitment to innovation and economic growth. But on this issue, the administration appears to have underestimated both the sophistication and the reach of Maryland’s local media organizations. This conversation should not end with a veto. Marylanders benefit when they have access to strong local journalism. Communities benefit when trusted local outlets remain financially sustainable. And taxpayers benefit when state communications are delivered through organizations that understand Maryland audiences and communities. Support for local news should not be partisan. The General Assembly understood that. Maryland residents understand that. We hope the administration will reconsider its view of what local media can accomplish and recognize that investing in Maryland journalism is also an investment in Maryland communities.
May 8, 2026
May 8, 2026
Reporters, editors and other media professionals gather for conference and awards program remotely and in person (5/8/26 - Annapolis, MD) – Members and supporters of the Maryland | Delaware | DC Press Association came together this week to highlight news with integrity and excellence in journalism by recognizing the winners of the Contest, which celebrates print and online work completed in 2025 . The contest, governed by the Association’s Editorial and Advertising Committees, admitted over 1,594 entries among 86 categories . There are six divisions in the contest, which group member publications into categories governed by total audience numbers, combining print and digital readership. One Best in Show award is given in each category across all divisions. These entries were judged by news media professionals at the Florida State Press Association. There are several top awards given across all divisions to the publication. These include the James S. Keat Freedom of Information Award for demonstrating use of public information act requests in its reporting, Courage in Journalism, honors acts of courage in journalism and strength in adversity while uncovering truth, and Best Moves, which highlights the most important thing MDDC member organizations did in 2025. The contest also honors top personnel in design and sales and honors new journalists. Members of the MDDC Press Foundation board of directors and journalism academics judged the top awards and the video audience voted on the Best Moves. New for 2025 was the A-Mark Prize for Investigative Journalism, which provides first, second and third place cash prizes for work in Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia. The capstone award, one per division, is News Organization of the Year. The Banner won the James S. Keat Freedom of Information Award for a wide-ranging portfolio of substantive projects that used public records in reporting. From investigations into child deaths from abuse and neglect to reporting on public officials’ use of Google Chat that auto deletes messages after 24 hours, Banner reporters were persistent in their pursuit of public records. Their groundbreaking investigation into the public transit times endured by Baltimore City’s schoolchildren was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. The award is named for Jim Keat, a retired editor and foreign correspondent for the Baltimore Sun, who was a long-time advocate for public information access. Keat is also a member of the MDDC Newspaper Hall of Fame. Read more . The Star Democrat was awarded the Best Move of 2025 for its new daily emailed newsletter which combined strong data analytics and local content to create a useful product with clear revenue gains. The winner was determined by audience vote. Read more . The Association recognized a new journalist with the Rookie of the Year award. This award honors a new journalist with less than 18 months' experience in the field. Six nominations were received from five member publications. Nick Stonesifer of Spotlight Delaware is the 2025 Rookie of the Year for his “well researched, well written and important work” teamed with a drive and determination to use public records in his reporting. Read more . Gabriella Ferraro O’Brien won Designer of the Year , which honors a body of work over the contest cycle. O’Brien’s portfolio of work was noteworthy for her “impressive submission of imaginative and creative design with sophisticated use of white space that allows for typographic hierarchy. The variety of typefaces, font sizes, typeface weights, and colors contribute to the hierarchy while the page designs feel unified.” Read more . The Baltimore Beat (baltimorebeat.com) and Baltimore Fishbowl (baltimorefishbowl.com) share Best of Show for MDDC’s Website of General Excellence category, which honors a news organization’s ability to connect with readers through social media and engagement, and local news coverage. The judges noted “Baltimore Beat stands out with bold, hyper-local links that are interesting and useful.” “Baltimore Fishbowl’s presentation offers a wonderful array of information with attractive, user-friendly design.” The award was judged by journalism instructors at Loyola University of Maryland. Read more. The News Organization of the Year awards represent the best publication in each division. These awards are chosen based on the points accumulated for first and second prizes in each category. The Baltimore Banner won the award in Division A; The Frederick News-Post was named News Organization of the Year for Division B; and Catholic Review won in Division C. Baltimore Beat and Spotlight Delaware shared the award in Division D; Coastal Point was named News Organization of the Year for Division E; and Morning Star Publications won in Division F. For a full listing of winners and their award-winning work, view our presentation episodes at https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRxzvJD4IXLBvNkmcUfFUogmBCw35XKUa&si=EAww-G0KFMx6V67w ### ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Maryland | Delaware | DC Press Association is a vibrant, influential association representing over 100 member news media organizations in our region. We believe a strong news media is central to a strong and open society. We help our members succeed through advocacy efforts, revenue generation, professional development and industry recognition. Learn more at www.mddcpress.com .
