- The Boston Globe aims to deepen neighbourhood coverage and expand across New England in 2026
- Recognition from major awards highlights recent investigative achievements
- New initiatives focus on community engagement, product development, and regional growth
Linda Henry, chief executive of Boston Globe Media, has used a full-page year-end message in the print edition of The Boston Globe to outline priorities for 2026, pledging deeper neighbourhood reporting and broader reach across New England.
The letter sets a public agenda for how one of the country’s most influential metro newsrooms plans to translate national recognition into sustained local coverage at a time when many regional publishers are retrenching.
According to the announcement, this year’s priorities include “Deepening coverage of Boston’s neighborhoods and expanding our presence across New England,” strengthening investigative and enterprise journalism, building “products and experiences” to improve access and engagement, and growing community connections through newsletters, events and live journalism.
The pledges follow a run of high-profile work and industry recognition that Globe executives cite as evidence the newsroom can sustain ambitious local reporting. In 2025, the Globe and its Spotlight team were finalists for three Pulitzer Prizes, including Public Service. Lev Facher of STAT, Boston Globe Media’s health and science publication, won a Gerald Loeb Award for explanatory reporting for his six-part series “The War on Recovery.”
The Spotlight Team won a Loeb Award in the Local category for its reporting on Steward Health Care, which also earned Scripps Howard and other accolades. The company said its Murder in Boston project won a duPont-Columbia Award, an Edward R. Murrow Award and the Globe’s first National Emmy Award for a single project.
Henry’s signalled expansion beyond Boston builds on steps the Globe has already taken in the region. Rhode Island and New Hampshire coverage by the Globe Rhode Island newsroom and the broader New England reporting team has been credited with thorough reporting on the Brown University shooting in Providence and its links to a subsequent killing in Brookline. The letter framed that work as part of a regional mission and cited initiatives launched in 2025, including expanded reporter-led newsletters such as Starting Point, improved real-time alerts and apps, increased video storytelling, and partnerships including a sports show with NESN.
The message emphasised community engagement beyond reporting. The company said it expanded live events including Globe Summit and GlobeDocs and regional programmes led by its Money, Power, Inequality team, strengthened ties with libraries and schools, and continued philanthropic support through the Boston Globe Foundation for children and families, arts and culture, education and health. Henry also marked Globe Santa’s 70th year of delivering gifts to tens of thousands of children.
Editorially, the announcement leaned on external validation rather than internal boosterism, presenting awards and finalists as markers of quality and past projects in terms of public impact. Several commitments will be watched closely as leadership shifts: former editor Brian McGrory returned to the editor’s role this week, a change that observers say could shape how the paper pursues neighbourhood reporting and regional expansion.
The pledge to invest in products and experiences acknowledges persistent commercial and technical pressures on metro newsrooms. The Globe’s focus on app performance, accessibility and new digital formats comes as publishers double down on subscriptions, events and diversified revenue to fund enterprise reporting. The company said those moves will make “trusted journalism easier to access, share, and engage with every day.”
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://dankennedy.net/2025/12/28/linda-henry-aims-to-deepen-the-globes-neighborhood-coverage-and-expand-in-new-england/ – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/10/business/boston-globe-media-loeb-awards/ – In October 2025, The Boston Globe Media won two Gerald Loeb Awards for business journalism. The Globe’s Spotlight Team received the Local category award for its extensive investigation into Steward Health Care, a for-profit health care chain that collapsed under financial strain. The Explanatory category award was given to Lev Facher of STAT, Boston Globe Media’s health and science publication, for his series ‘The War on Recovery,’ which exposed the denial of lifesaving medications to people with opioid addiction. These accolades underscore the Globe’s commitment to impactful journalism that informs and inspires change.
- https://www.bostonglobemedia.com/stat-2025-loeb-award/ – STAT, Boston Globe Media’s health and science publication, won a 2025 Loeb Award for Explanatory Reporting. Lev Facher’s six-part series, ‘The War on Recovery,’ revealed how the U.S. denies lifesaving medications to individuals with opioid addiction. This marks the second consecutive year and the third time in STAT’s 10-year history that it has won a Loeb Award, highlighting the publication’s dedication to in-depth health journalism.
- https://www.bostonglobemedia.com/awards/pulitzer-prize-winners-and-finalists/ – In 2025, The Boston Globe was a finalist for three Pulitzer Prizes: Public Service, Editorial Writing, and Illustrated Reporting and Commentary. The Globe’s Spotlight Team was recognized for its investigation into Steward Health Care, which exposed financial mismanagement and its impact on patients. Additionally, Globe opinion writers David Scharfenberg, Alan Wirzbicki, and Marcela García were finalists in Editorial Writing for their work on Boston’s public schools, and Ernesto Barbieri and Jess Ruliffson were finalists in Illustrated Reporting and Commentary for ‘True Stories from an ICU.’
- https://www.bostonglobemedia.com/journalism-award-wins/ – The Boston Globe’s Spotlight Team’s investigation into Steward Health Care was named the recipient of a Scripps Howard Journalism Award for Best-in-the-Nation Business/Financial Reporting. This award is considered one of the country’s top journalism competitions, honoring work across various platforms. The Globe’s coverage of the Sandra Birchmore case was also a finalist in Local/Regional Investigative Reporting, and the team behind ‘Massachusetts Legislature State Secrets’ earned a finalist placement in Distinguished Service to the First Amendment.
- https://www.bostonglobemedia.com/press/awards/ – Boston Globe Media has received numerous awards and recognitions, including 27 Pulitzer Prizes and 55 Pulitzer Prize Finalists. The organization has also been honored with a Peabody Nomination, a National Emmy Award, 48 Regional Emmy Awards, 9 Polk Awards, and 1 Goldsmith Prize, among others. These accolades reflect the Globe’s commitment to producing impactful journalism that serves the community.
- https://www.bostonglobemedia.com/2025-murrow-awards/ – The Boston Globe and STAT were recognized with National Murrow Awards in 2025. The Globe’s investigative reporting on Sandra Birchmore’s death won for Feature Reporting. STAT, known for its in-depth reporting on health, medicine, and scientific discovery, was honored with four awards, including Investigative Reporting for ‘Health Care’s Colossus,’ which exposed how UnitedHealth Group has become the nation’s largest employer of doctors, wielding its immense market power to exploit the health care system for profit.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative is based on a recent year-end message from Linda Henry, CEO of Boston Globe Media, published on December 28, 2025. This is the earliest known publication date for this content. The message outlines plans for 2026, including deepening coverage of Boston’s neighborhoods and expanding presence across New England. No earlier versions with different figures, dates, or quotes were found. The content appears original and not recycled from other sources. The use of a press release format is typical for such announcements and warrants a high freshness score. No discrepancies or outdated information were identified. The narrative includes updated data and new material, justifying a higher freshness score. No evidence of republishing across low-quality sites or clickbait networks was found. No similar content appeared more than 7 days earlier. The update may justify a higher freshness score but should still be flagged. ([dankennedy.net](https://dankennedy.net/2025/12/28/linda-henry-aims-to-deepen-the-globes-neighborhood-coverage-and-expand-in-new-england/?utm_source=openai))
Quotes check
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative includes direct quotes from Linda Henry’s year-end message. No identical quotes appear in earlier material, indicating original content. No variations in quote wording were found. No online matches for the quotes were found, suggesting potentially original or exclusive content. The quotes are consistent with the context of the announcement.
Source reliability
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative originates from a reputable source, Media Nation, which is known for its coverage of media industry news. The report is based on a year-end message from Linda Henry, CEO of Boston Globe Media, published in The Boston Globe’s print edition. The Boston Globe is a well-established and reputable news organisation. The CEO, Linda Henry, is a verified individual with a public presence and a legitimate website. No unverifiable entities or fabricated information were identified.
Plausability check
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative makes plausible claims about the Boston Globe’s plans for 2026, including deepening coverage of Boston’s neighborhoods and expanding presence across New England. These plans are consistent with the Globe’s recent initiatives, such as acquiring Boston Magazine and expanding coverage in New Hampshire. The report lacks supporting detail from other reputable outlets, but this is understandable given the nature of the announcement. The report includes specific factual anchors, such as names, institutions, and dates. The language and tone are consistent with the region and topic. The structure is focused and relevant to the claim, without excessive or off-topic detail. The tone is formal and appropriate for a corporate announcement.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative is a recent, original announcement from a reputable source, detailing the Boston Globe’s plans for 2026. The content is fresh, with no evidence of recycled material or disinformation. The quotes are original and consistent with the context. The source is reliable, and the claims made are plausible and supported by recent developments. No major risks were identified.
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