Iowa Journalist of the Year Contest
The Iowa Journalist of the Year contest honors the state’s most accomplished high school journalists. This prestigious award recognizes students who demonstrate excellence across multiple facets of journalism including reporting, editing, design, broadcast, photojournalism, and digital media.
The Iowa Journalist of the Year will receive a $500 scholarship sponsored by Iowa High School Press Association and Iowa Newspaper Foundation. The first runner-up receives a $300 scholarship with the second runner-up receivinga $100 scholarship.
The winner will also have the opportunity to compete for the National Journalist of the Year award, where the winner receives a $3,000 scholarship. Up to four $1,000 runner-up scholarships are also given for the national compeition.
About the Contest
For the contest, students will compile a portfolio of work and reflect on the work they’ve completed. Iowa JOY submission guidelines are the same as the National JEA JOY submission guidelines.
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
Each artifact/item within the portfolio should be accompanied by a clear, concise revealing reflection that outlines the following:
- If the work was published, the evidence of usage/publication (should the candidate see it fit to include)
- If the work was entered in any contest, how it place, if applicable
- An explanation/reasoning for each example. The explanation should include the applicant’s explanation about the specific assignment. Include any difficulties encountered with the assignment and special circumstances affecting it. Explanation should typically be less than 100 words in length, be easy to read, and explain why this entry is important and was chosen for the portfolio
Students may not have examples that fit all 9 categories, which is fine. The categories are an attempt to include the vast types of experiences students encounter while working on a media staff.
Here are links to help students while working on their JOY submission:
Eligibility Requirements
- 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 submitted as a URL
- Portfolios must be public and not password protected
- Places to consider when deciding where to host work examples for the portfolio include the following:
- For Print: Issuu.com, Livebinders.com, Adobe Acrobrat PDF portfolio, WordPress, Blog.com, Blogger, Wix.com
- For Broadcast: Google Sites, Weebly.com, Wix.com
When your entry is complete and submitted, you will be redirected to a page confirming your submission and later receive a confirmation email. If you are not redirected to the confirmation page and do not receive the confirmation email, please email [email protected] or [email protected].
Fill out the form below to submit for the JOY Contest:
Items to Consider
The JEA website provides details about the national JOY submission process.
The portfolio created for this contest can 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
January 16, 2025
Applications and portfolios must be submitted. The state winner will be announced in February, giving them time to revise their application if desired before submitting to the national competition.
March 10, 2025
Winning entry must be submitted to the JEA national office.
https://jea.submittable.com/submit
Early April 2025
National winners will be announced.
April 2025
National winners will be introduced at the National Journalism convention.
Sister Rita Jeanne Scholarships, named for JEA’s longtime treasurer, recognizes some of the top high school journalists in the country. Scholarship funds — $3,000 for the top winner, and $1000 each for runners-up (up to six runners-up awards are usually given) — are released to the student after the winners are announced.
Questions for the JEA JOY Contest?
Contact the Iowa JEA State Director, Leslie Ship at [email protected]