Iowa Journalist of the Year Contest

December 9, 2022

This contest recognizes the state’s top high school journalism students!

Journalists interested in submitting for the contest must do so electronically by February 15, 2023. The contest will open in January 2023.

The 2023 Iowa Journalist of the Year will receive a $500 scholarship sponsored by Iowa High School Press Association and Iowa Newspaper Foundation. The winning student will also have the opportunity to compete for the national Journalist of the Year award, the winner of which receives an additional $3,000 scholarship. Six $1,000 runner-up scholarships are also given for the national competition.

ABOUT THE CONTEST

There are 9 judging categories included in the contest:

Reporting and Writing
Editing, Leadership and Team Building
Design
Broadcast Journalism
Photojournalism
Web and Social Media
Law, Ethics and News Literacy
Marketing and Audience Engagement
Commitment to Diversity (Note: Work in this area can also be embedded in other categories in lieu of creating a dedicated category in the portfolio)

The JEA website provides a plethora of information in the following areas:

*Please note there have been changes and the links reflect the updated information

Contest requirements and guidelines
A candidate toolbox that explains options for hosting the online portfolio
Organizing work samples
A judging rubric
Past winners
Examples of winning JOY entries

FAQs – CLICK HERE TO FIND THE ANSWERS

ELIGIBILITY Requirements:

Eligible students:

Must be seniors.
Applicants are no longer required to have two years of scholastic journalism experience, though most will have served on a media staff for two years.
Can be planning to study any major in college.
Have an adviser who is a current Journalism Education Association member.

SUBMISSION Process

All entries must be digital. Entries are submitting as a URL. Places to consider when deciding where to host work examples include the following:
For Print: Issuu.com – Livebinders.com- Adobe Acrobrat PDF portfolio – WordPress – Blog.com – Blogger
For Broadcast: Google Sites – Weebly.com – Wix.com

All entries should be submitted here:

Name*
First Last
Address
Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code Country
Email*
School*
City*
Journalism adviser*
Adviser email*
Entry URL*
Password

We encourage you to password protect that private data this is required such as transcripts and scores. Please provide the password so the judge can access the material.

The JEA website has a tutorial “Options for Online Presentation” that explains these options.

ITEMS TO CONSIDER

Students may not have examples that fit all 11 categories. That is fine. The categories are an attempt to include the vast types of experiences students may encounter working on a media staff.

The portfolio could be used in other ways: for scholarships, for job interviews, when applying for leadership positions in organizations. Compiling a portfolio of work and reflecting on it is something most teenagers have not done. It sets you apart.

TIMELINE

February 15, 2023

Applications and portfolios must be submitted. In early March the state winner will be announced.

March 15, 2023

Winning entry must be submitted to the JEA national office.

https://jea.submittable.com/submit

Early April 2023

National winners will be announced.

April 2023

National winners will be introduced at the National Journalism convention.

Sister Rita Jeanne Scholarships, named for JEA’s longtime treasurer, recognize some of the top high school journalists in the country. Scholarship funds — $3,000 for the top winner, and $850 each for runners-up (up to six runners-up awards are usually given) — are released to the student after the winners are announced.