Award Details
Congratulations to the 2026 Benjamin Franklin Award for Excellence recipient, John Finnerty!
John Finnerty is being recognized for outstanding service that reflects positively on Pennsylvania’s news industry, the community at large and the mission of PNA. Finnerty is managing editor of CapitolWire, where he oversees the newsroom, including the headlines and production staff, and works closely with fellow State Affairs managing editors across the country on issues affecting state governments and Pennsylvanians.
“I joined CapitolWire because I knew it was a news organization that had established a reputation for being home to some of the smartest political reporters in Harrisburg, and I’ve always taken pride in carrying on that tradition of well-informed, astute news coverage,” he said. Finnerty continued, “Our acquisition by State Affairs in 2025 provided our news organization with a new lease on life and an exciting opportunity to take our old-school journalism tools at CapitolWire and employ them in new and innovative ways. I am humbled to accept this award and extremely grateful to have the opportunity to continue doing the kind of work that makes a difference.”
Read our Press Release.
Purpose of the Award
The Benjamin Franklin Award for Excellence recognizes individuals who have performed an outstanding service to his/her newspaper, to the news media industry in general, to his/her local community, or to the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association that reflected positively on the news media industry in Pennsylvania. Nominees may include news media owners and employees, legislators, community leaders, business leaders, and university/college administrators.
Award Criteria
The criteria for this award are flexible to accommodate a wide range of circumstances and situations. Some examples would include:
- How well a candidate reacted in times of a natural disaster
- Undertaking a legal battle for his/her newspaper
- Lobbying efforts for a news media cause
- Innovative methods of selling, marketing, or producing newspaper products
- Outstanding community, college, or non-profit service
The work for which the candidate is being nominated should be current within the past one to two years.
Nomination Guidelines
Nominations must be made in writing with biographical information included, along with any appropriate supporting documentation explaining the reasons the nominee should receive the award. Letters from the nominee’s peers and coworkers supporting the nomination may also be included. Deadline for nominations is extended to Wednesday, July 15, 2026, and should be emailed to teresas@pa-news.org or mailed to:
Benjamin Franklin Award for Excellence
c/o Teresa Shaak
Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association
4000 Crums Mill Rd., Suite 101, Harrisburg, PA 17112
- No limitations are placed on the length of information submitted. However, conciseness and clarity are suggested.
- Artistic qualities of the nomination submissions (such as the use of graphics, photographs, etc.) will not be considered in the selection of the award recipient.
- Any staff member of a PNA news media organization may submit a nomination.
PRESENTATION: The recipient of the Benjamin Franklin Award will be honored at the Evening of Excellence during the 2026 Journalism Excellence Convention in Harrisburg on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, and inducted into the PNA Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026. Details about the event available in the summer.