Donovan Aldridge is a senior at the University of Delaware who will intern with The News Journal. Donovan studied Spanish and Latin American Studies while also working as a reporter for the university newspaper, The Review. Donovan has a budding passion for photojournalism, and one of his references remarked that “Donovan demonstrates a willingness to tackle hard pitches and to come up with his own ideas. I am particularly impressed also by his ability to combine textual and visual components of his articles.”
Alexis Atherly is a 2020 graduate of Delaware State University with a degree in mass communications and will be interning with Coastal Point. Alexis is from Clayton, DE and has worked as an intern writer for T.D. Financial Group, in addition to writing articles for Delaware State University’s newspaper, The Hornet. Bhushan Aryal, one of Alexis’ professors, writes that she is “a well-rounded and grounded intelligent student ready for some imprints in the world. I see an emerging scholar and a commanding professional in [her].”
Matt Cohen is a senior at Indiana University, though he calls Bethesda, Maryland home; Matt will be interning with The Baltimore Sun. His drive for industry success had led him to internships throughout the country, including Florida and Oregon. Professor Thomas French writes, “I can attest that he is easily one of the most talented and disciplined journalists I’ve worked with over the decades. He has a great eye for human detail and an instinct for what matters.”
Brian Jeffries is a senior at Morgan State University and hails from Glen Burnie, MD. Brian will be interning with The Capital. While serving in the Navy, Brian honed his writing and photography skills, and he will graduate with a degree in multimedia journalism. He was awarded the Russell Egnor Photographer of the Year Award in the Navy for 2013.
Siera Jones is a senior at Norfolk State University, where she will graduate with a degree in mass communications. She will be interning at The News Journal. Siera aspires to work in sports journalism. Liz Clarke of The Washington Post notes, “Given her maturity, initiative and seriousness of purpose…I can’t think of a young person who would take such full advantage of the opportunity while enriching the journalism you produce.”
Konner Metz is a sophomore at the University of Delaware majoring in media communications, and he will be interning at the Delaware State News. He is currently the managing sports editor of the University paper The Review, and also does sports commentary for WVUD. Professor Dawn Fallik wrote that Konner stood out among a large lecture of almost 70 students with his well-researched questions andclear interest in journalism history and practical skills.”
Kirit Minhas is a Georgetown student who will be interning with Delaware State News.
Emma Reilly is a junior from Washington College and hails from Williamsburg, VA. She will be interning with the Delaware Business Times. She is currently a staff writer and editor for The Elm, Washington College’s student newspaper. “Emma’s discipline, clarity of thought, quick wit and tenacious work ethic will make her a spectacular journalist, and a great asset to any organization.”
Jacob Shindel is a sophomore at Towson University who will be interning with The Daily Record. He is currently an associate editor with Towson’s The Towerlight, and he’s on track to continue providing newsroom leadership. Additionally, Jacob has interned with the Towson Sports Network, where he learned more about multimedia journalism.
Kara Thompson is a sophomore at the University of Maryland, where she is majoring in journalism. Kara will be interning with The AFRO. Kara currently writes and edits for several UMD publications, including Her Campus and Stories Beneath the Shell. Professor Ira Chinoy writes “In a reflection she wrote about [Her Campus], I was impressed that she came away not only with insights about that process, but also about the importance of how an article is illustrated.”
Nicholas Wolcott is a sophomore at the University of Maryland and will be interning at the Herald-Mail. Nicholas is currently a sports beat reporter for The Diamondback and WMUC and aspires to go into sports journalism. Sheldon Shealar wrote that “his work was so strong that when the NPSL was seeking writers for the national playoffs, they hired him as a freelancer to cover the national seminals. He turns around match articles quickly and cleanly after the contest. He has a very good understanding of the production side of content – print, video.
Christine Zhu is a sophomore at the University of Maryland and will be interning at the Herald-Mail. Nicholas is currently a sports beat reporter for The Diamondback and WMUC and aspires to go into sports journalism. Sheldon Shealar wrote that “his work was so strong that when the NPSL was seeking writers for the national playoffs, they hired him as a freelancer to cover the national seminals. He turns around match articles quickly and cleanly after the contest. He has a very good understanding of the production side of content – print, video
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 .
March 27, 2026 The judges have made their decisions! Congratulations to the winners of the MDDC Press Association 2025 Contest. These winners represent the best work of the region in editorial, revenue and design categories. Over 1600 entries were submitted in over 80 categories. We will announce the winners for first and second place in our awards broadcast (premiered through Zoom) throughout the week of May 4th. Best of Show winners (one per category) will be announced at our Annual Conference on May 8th in Annapolis. MDDC will hold its annual conference and awards lunch on Friday May 8th from 9 am – 2:30 pm at the Doubletree Annapolis hotel. Join colleagues and industry experts for two sets of panels and discussions on topics of interest, speed networking in our new “Mixing Bowl” session, and the presentation of Best of Show awards during a festive Mexican buffet lunch. Register for the conference here. (First and second place awards will be announced in our pre-conference video drops during the week of May 4th.) Are you an award winner? Help us showcase your work by making sure we have your latest headshot, correct title and spelling of your name, and social handles. This information will also be used in our new directory we are releasing this year. Click here to complete the form . Division A The Baltimore Banner Stokely Baksh Sapna Bansil Giacomo Bologna Liz Bowie Jessica Calefati Meredith Cohn Céilí Doyle Events Staff Ashanti Fortson Jessica Gallagher Kristen Griffith Rick Hutzell Jerry Jackson Sahana Jayaraman KT Kanazawich Barney Kirby Andy Kostka Wesley Lapointe Ryan Little Paul Mancano Alex Mann Hallie Miller Greg Morton Ulysses Muñoz Kaitlin Newman Glenford Nunez Emily Opilo Tim Prudente Lillian Reed Anna Rubenstein Lee O. Sanderlin Dylan Segelbaum Krishna Sharma Staff Leslie Gray Streeter Jasmine Vaugh-Hall Allan James Vestal Sarah Walton John-John Williams IV Adam Willis Ariel Zambelich Alissa Zhu The Baltimore Sun Jeff Barker Dan Belson Ruben Castaneda Karl Merton Ferron Lloyd Fox Karl Hille Ela Jalil Todd Karpovich Andy Knobel Kenneth K. Lam Jean Marbella Mary Carole McCauley Lorraine Mirabella Abigail Olear Jonathan M. Pitts Chevall Pryce Tracie Rawson Kevin Richardson Staff Armstrong Williams Katharine Wilson The News Journal Shane Brennan Benjamin Chambers Delaware Online/The News Journal staff Martin Frank Ginger Garrison Krys'tal Griffin Brandon Holveck Stephanie Lindholm Esteban Parra Peter Pietrangelo Kelly Powers Staff Luis Solano Patricia Talorico Také Uda Xerxes Wilson Division B Cape Gazette Kevin Conlon Dan Cook Chris Flood Ron MacArthur Mallery Galaska Ellen McIntyre Aaron R. Mushrush Jim Parterson Nick Roth Bill Shull Abby Workman Cumberland Times Steve Bittner Cumberland Times-News Staff Mark Harris Chip Minemyer John Smith Times-News Staff The Daily Record Patrick Brannan Sloane Brown Kay Kron MBRT Staff Kate Malone Staff The Frederick News-Post Cameron Adams Erik Anderson Marwa Barakat Samantha Bangh James Constantine Graham Cullen Cliff Cumber Alexander Dacy Ric Dugan Esther Frances Rocco Geppi Noelle Hallman Brittney Hamilton Connie Hastings Ceoli Jacoby Erin Jones Anna Joyce Lauren LaRocca Gabrielle Lewis Kate McDermott Shelby Maly Ryan Marshall Jack Murphy Joseph Peterson James Rada Jr. Andrew Schotz Staff Greg Swatek Nolan Wilkinson Geordie Wilson Susan Writer Katina Zentz The Herald-Mail Julie E. Greene Daniel Kauffman Washington Business Journal Nate Doughty Ben Peters Daniel J. Sernovitz Division C Baltimore Fishbowl Nicole Allen Jack Barker Eddy Calkins Marcus Dieterle Charlie Dunn Len Foxwell Ed Gunts Charlie Herrick Maggie Jones Julie Kichline Karuga Koinange Matt McCarney Nathan McConarty Joe Mesa Karen Nitkin Dan Rodricks Staff Aliza Worthington Capital-Gazette (The Annapolis) Katherine Fominykh Michael Howes Anthony Maluso Benjamin Rothstein Eric Smith Maggie Trovato Katharine Wilson Carroll County Times Jeffrey F. Bill Lily Carey Brian Krista Anthony Maluso April Santana Catholic Review Christopher Gunty George Matysek Jr. Gabriella Ferraro O’Brien Kevin J. Parks Staff Daily State News Jamie Bobbitt Jessica Cook Gary Emeigh Mike Finney Angi Hicks Beth Skinner Andy Walter Andrew West Daily Times Olivia Minzola Lauren Roberts Maryland Matters Danielle J. Brown Christine Condon William J. Ford Josh Kurtz Bryan P. Sears Division D Baltimore Beat Devin Allen Jocelyn Dombroski MacKenzie River Foy Grace Hebron Logan Hullinger Eze Jackson Sanya Kamidi Jonathan Keen Fabian Perez Bry Reed E. Brady Robinson Faith Spicer Staff Christian Thomas Baltimore Jewish Times Ebony Brown Braden Hamelin Lonna Koblick Bay Journal Karl Blankenship Jeremy Cox Lauren Hines-Acosta Whitney Pipkin Tim Sayles Staff Timothy B. Wheeler Bethesda Today Ashlyn Campbell Elia Griffin Louis Peck Max Schaeffer Cecil Whig Jane Bellmyer Carl Hamilton Patrick LaPorte Southern Maryland News Riley Dauber Megan Johnson Marty Madden Spotlight Delaware Karl Baker Tim Carlin Editorial Staff Brianna Hill Elsa Kegelman Julia Merola Jacob Owens José Ignacio Castañeda Perez Maggie Reynolds Mike Smith Nick Stonesifer David Stradley Staff Angela Reives The Star Democrat Ahmad Garnett Biff Haufe Konner Metz Meredith Moore Jennifer Quinn Eli Wohlenhaus Lily Tierney Eli Wohlenhaus Townson Times Craig Clary Washington Jewish Week Zoe Bell Aaron Troodler Frank Wagner Division E Baltimore Brew Christian Arias Jennifer Bishop Dante Davidson-Swinton Amy Davis Becky Kling Feldman Madelein O’Neill Keondra Prier Mark Reutter Dan Rodricks Fern Shen Carson Ward Business Monthly George Berkheimer Mark R. Smith Pantea Tofangchi Catherine White Jason Whong Caroline Review Connie Connolly Kennedy Thomason Coastal Point Chris Aube Susan Canfora Taryn King Shaun M. Lambert Karin Magill Darin McCann Staff Mike Stern Jillian Stohr Cian Titus Laura Walter OC Today -Dispatch Marc Emond Tara Fisher Brian Shane Washington Informer (The) Denise Rolark Barnes Elizabeth Booker K Golden Jada Ingleton Ja’Mon Jackson Ra-Jah Kelly Skylar Nelson Dan Olds DeMarco Rush Staff Washington Informer Team Division F Aegis Matt Hubbard Brian Krista Taylor Lyons Brendan Nordstrom Afro-American (The) AFRO Editorial Staff Dr. Frances Murphy (Toni) Draper Ashleigh Fields Diane Hocker Lenora Howze Matthew McDonald Tashi McQueen Victoria Mejicanos Dana Peck Kevin Peck Megan Sayles Alexis Taylor Chrissy Thornton Baltimore Business Journal Baltimore Business Journal Staff Garrett Dvorkin Matt Hooke Joe Ilardi Alex Mason Jacqueline Prins Melody Simmons Morgan Simpson Bay Times /Record Observer Hannah Combs Andrea Grabenstein Capital News Service Jack Bowman CNS-TV News Staff Eddy Calkins Capital News Service Sophia da Silva Lillian Glaros Adam Hudacek Molecule Jongwilai Andrew McBride Rachel McCrea Cat Murphy Haley Parsley Peter Riccio Ruby Siefken Staff Tolu Talabi The Howard Center for Investigative Journalism Jade Tran Emma Tufo Zion Willians Ben Wolf Delaware Business Times Jennifer Antonik Katie Tabeling Howard County Times Jeffrey F. Bill Kiersten Hacker April Santana Molly Fellin Spence Jacob Steinberg Kent County News Will Bontrager Hannah Combs Laurel Star / Seaford Star Chris Elliott Tede Griffith Carol Kinsley Mike McClure Brittany Passon Lynn Schofer Star, Georgetown Chamber of Commerce Star Staff Carson Williamson Independent Journalists Mark Hyman Madeline O’Neill Suzanne Pollak
