Paul Jensen, former IHSPA executive director, has earned the Journalism Education Association’s Friends of Scholastic Journalism award. One of six nationwide honorees, he will be presented with the award at the National Convention in Boston on Nov. 4.
What people say about Jensen:
Lyle Muller, editor and former co-worker at the Cedar Rapids Gazette. I am a long-time member of the Iowa High School Press Association’s Board of Directors but have known Paul since we were colleagues and collaborators at the Cedar Rapids Gazette, one of Iowa’s largest newspapers. While at The Gazette, Paul was a solid photo journalist, editor and newsroom leader who had great organizational skills. He worked with college interns during that time and was ready to take all his skills to the University of Iowa when The Gazette, like all newspapers around 2009-10, dealt with industry disruption. I left The Gazette a few years after Paul did to run a nonprofit news startup that was created at the U of I and, again, was able to work closely with Paul in the same building. I saw the way he invested himself in how young people developed for their futures and, later, celebrated their adult work.
Natalie Niemeyer-Lorenz, former IHSPA president and Des Moines East journalism adviser. From the moment Paul began his role at IHSPA, he worked hard to build relationships with advisers. He took time to get to know not only us, but our students. Paul frequently called and emailed me just to check in. He would talk through ideas and want perspective from advisers, because he understood that IHSPA only meant something if it was serving Iowa advisers and student journalists. Paul made a huge effort to be in Iowa journalism classrooms. Any time he was in the vicinity of East High School, he would email me asking if he could pop in. He would sit down and talk to students, ask questions, build relationships. This went way beyond the scope of his job description, but Paul believed this would improve IHSPA and it did.
Leslie Shipp, IHSPA president and JEA Iowa Director. Paul’s considerable array of acquaintances was instrumental in the Iowa Legislature passing and Governor Kim Reynolds signing an adviser protection law. Historically, Iowa has strong student expression laws, but nothing about advisers who support student First Amendment rights in the face of administrative pressure and threats. Paul convinced a House member from Cedar Rapids to introduce the legislation, and it took off from there. It was well on its way through the House when the session was doused by covid. Paul helped bring it back to life the following year. He spoke at the Education Sub-Committee meeting to discuss why advisers need protection. One of my students spoke at the meeting. She felt comfortable going to the Capitol and speaking to 15 legislators because she knew Paul would be there.
