4 journalists, 19th-century author earn Yankee Quill awards

BOSTON (AP) - Four veteran New England journalists and a 19th-century poet, writer and editor have been named winners of the 2016 Yankee Quill award, the six-state region's highest journalistic honor.

This year's honorees, announced Thursday, are Edward Achorn, vice president/editorial pages at The Providence Journal; Maura Casey, editorial writer at the Hartford Courant and The New York Times; Brian McGrory, editor of The Boston Globe; and Lincoln McKie Jr., Northeastern University journalism professor and former top editor at The Sun of Lowell and Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

Sarah Josepha Hale, of Newport, New Hampshire, is being honored as a historic figure in journalism. She was the author of "Mary Had a Little Lamb" and an ardent supporter of girls' education in the early 19th century. Hale was also known as the Mother of Thanksgiving because she pushed to have it recognized as a national holiday. She died in 1879.

The Yankee Quill award is presented annually by the Academy of New England Journalists through the New England Society of Newspaper Editors. Selection is based on a journalist's influence over the course of a career.

Achorn was honored for his editorials against waste and corruption in government and advocating for the underprivileged.

Casey was selected for her commitment to First Amendment rights and her key involvement in arranging journalist exchange programs with Russia and Iran.

McGrory receives the award for his commitment to accountability journalism and his leadership in bringing the region's largest newspaper into the 21st century of digital journalism.

McKie was honored for his work in Worcester and Lowell and the Journal Transcript Newspapers in suburban Boston and his contribution to journalism education by bringing a practical voice to students and exposing them to valuable real-world experience.

The awards will be presented Oct. 6 in Natick at the annual New England Society of News Editors and the New England Newspaper and Press Association conferences.