Chronicle Illinois Newspapers Win 13 NINA Awards
The Northern Illinois News Association honored staff and freelancers at its 2025 banquet held on October 30.
Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Awards
Chronicle Illinois newspapers secured 13 awards at the Northern Illinois News Association annual banquet on October 30, 2025. The event, held at Northern Illinois University, recognized journalism excellence across daily and nondaily divisions.
Why it matters
The ceremony serves to highlight the contributions of local journalists in Northern Illinois by evaluating entries against peers in both daily and nondaily publication categories.
Chronicle Illinois staff and freelancers captured 13 total awards, including six for Kevin Beese and five for Lynne Conner. Bill Dwyer and Jack McCarthy each received one award at the event.
The players
Kevin Beese
He is a staff writer for Chronicle Illinois who earned six awards at the banquet.
Lynne Conner
She is a freelance journalist who secured five awards at the association event.
Bill Dwyer
He is a freelancer who was honored with one award at the 2025 ceremony.
Jack McCarthy
He serves as the Suburban Editor and received one award during the banquet.
Northern Illinois News Association
This professional organization supports journalism in Northern Illinois and is celebrating over 60 years of operation.
The details
The Northern Illinois News Association banquet recognized achievement in journalism across diverse publication tiers. While Chronicle Illinois earned 13 honors, The Daily Herald took top accolades for print and web general excellence.
Timeline
The Northern Illinois News Association annual banquet took place on October 30, 2025.
Culture Shift
The Northern Illinois News Association annual banquet acts as a vital bellwether for regional journalism standards. This tradition underscores the industry shift toward recognizing high-quality local reporting in an era of evolving digital and print publication models.
Readers in Illinois benefit from the elevated standards of local reporting recognized at the banquet. These awards help identify the journalists and publications consistently providing high-quality, trusted news for their local communities.
The takeaway
Local journalism remains essential for keeping Northern Illinois residents informed about critical regional developments. Supporting award-winning local newsrooms ensures continued access to independent reporting and community-focused storytelling.
Further reading
Explore more reporting on regional journalism excellence in Illinois Awards.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Chronicle Media.
