The Bethlehem Press is a Sweepstakes Winner for the ninth time in the Professional Keystone Media Awards.

The Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association announced the winners of the 2026 Professional Keystone Media Awards July 16 on the Keystone NewsMedia website.

The Keystone Media Awards recognize excellence in journalism in Pennsylvania.

Award recipients will be honored at the Keystone Media Awards Luncheon Oct. 8 during the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association annual National Newspaper Week Convention, Oct. 7-9, Harrisburg.

The Sweepstakes Award for the Bethlehem Press is in Division VI, General News Publications, for work published during 2025 in the Bethlehem Press. George Taylor is editor of Bethlehem Press.

The 2026 Sweepstakes Award marks the ninth time that the Bethlehem Press is a Sweepstakes Award Winner in the Professional. Keystone Awards, having previously won the Sweepstakes Award in 2025, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2017, 2016, 2015 and 2014.

The Bethlehem Press is noting its 21st year in 2026. George Taylor has been editor of the Bethlehem Press since its inception in 2005.

Scott Masenheimer is Publisher of Lehigh Valley Press, A Division of TIMES NEWS Media Group. Fred Masenheimer is TIMES NEWS Publisher Emeritus.

The Sweepstakes Award is won by a newspaper that receives the most points in a division.

The Bethlehem Press won 13 Keystone Media Awards in Division VI.

An additional four Keystone Media Awards were won each by the East Penn Press, Parkland Press, Catasauqua Press and Whitehall-Coplay Press for a total of 17 Professional Keystone Media Awards received in 2026 by The Press newspapers.

The eight Lehigh Valley Press newspapers, East Penn Press, Salisbury Press, Parkland Press, Northwestern Press, Whitehall-Coplay Press, Catasauqua Press, Northampton Press and Bethlehem Press, compete in the same category, Division VI.

Here is the list of 2026 Keystone Media Awards won by the Bethlehem Press:

- Enterprise Reporting, Second Place, Bethlehem Press, “Service animals,” Theresa O’Brien

- News Beat Reporting, Honorable Mention, Bethlehem Press, “HARB and BHCC coverage,” Ed Courrier

- News Feature Story, Second Place, Bethlehem Press, “Immigration and deportation,” Theresa O’Brien

- Business or Consumer Story, First Place, Bethlehem Press, “‘Scissors cuts’ hard to find,” Theresa O’Brien

- Personality Profile, Second Place, Bethlehem Press, “Death row artist paints his way out of corner,” Ed Courrier

- Lifestyle/Entertainment Beat, First Place, Bethlehem Press, “Essential cafe”; “Good idea”; “Light shine”; “Mighty Pawz”; “Musikfest meals”; “Seed farm,” Tami Quigley

- Sports Action Photo, First Place, Bethlehem Press, “Freedom’s Aidan Dandrea pushes Liberty’s Gabe Green out of bounds at the one yard line,” Mark Kirlin

- Photo Story/Essay, Honorable Mention, Bethlehem Press, “Holiday with the horses,” Dana Grubb

- News Page Design, First Place, Bethlehem Press, “Southside mural”; “Timeless”; “Farewell”; “Hotel”; “Vigil”; “Sam’s story.” George Taylor

- Feature Page Design, First Place, Bethlehem Press, “Musikfest”; “Holiday with horses”; “Live Nativity”; “Welcome Roebuck”; “Freddys”; “Polar Plunge,” George Taylor

- Headline Writing, First Place, Bethlehem Press, “Bach to school”; “Banana peeled”; “2025 Mayfair ‘drones’ on,” Nate Jastrzemski, Ed Courrier & George Taylor

- Graphic/Photo Illustration, First Place, Bethlehem Press, “Funding cut, please help,” Ed Courrier

- Special Section, Second Place, Bethlehem Press, “2025 graduation supplement,” George Taylor

Here is the 2026 Keystone Media Award won by the East Penn Press:

News Beat Reporting, First Place, East Penn Press, “Residents voice concern over public comment”; “Divided support over Cole Borghi’s Decision to Remain on the Board”; “2026 Budget Passes.” Tabitha Schade

Here is the 2026 Keystone Media Award won by the Parkland Press:

- Column, Honorable Mention, Parkland Press, “We all need a bear hug occasionally”; “Take a chance and dance”; “Check facts before you speak,” Bonnie Lee Strunk

Here is the 2026 Keystone Media Award won by the Catasauqua Press:

- Feature Story, Second Place, Catasauqua Press, “Meet the newest ‘Ruffie,’” Samantha Anderson

Here is the 2026 Keystone Media Award won by the Whitehall-Coplay Press:

- News Event Photo, Second Place, Whitehall-Coplay Press, “We celebrate your bright future,” Donna Gewertz

According to the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association website, “The Keystone Media Awards reinforce excellence by individuals in the news media profession, by recognizing journalism that consistently provides relevance, integrity, and initiative in serving readers and audiences, and faithfully fulfills its First Amendment rights/responsibilities. Further, the Keystone Media Awards stimulate journalists to improve their craft and ultimately improve their community.” 2026 Professional Keystone Media Awards information:

https://panewsmedia.org/contests-and-awards/keystone-media-awards-professional/