2026 IJEA Newspaper & Digital News Media Contest

Best Illustration ( Enrollment Division 1) Back

  • Place Name: First Place
    Contestant Name: Herscher High School
    Entry Title: Lights! Camera! Action!
    Entry Credit: Alex Graefnitz
    Judge Comment: Art work draws the attention to the story nicely. The second art is best. The top art pulls the reader away from it. Work on clear wording- less is more.
  • Place Name: Second Place
    Contestant Name: Harrisburg High School
    Entry Title: All I want for Christmas - Pet Christmas Tree
    Entry Credit: Gabby Dooley
    Judge Comment: Lots of nice art- but too much- reader needs a focus. Advertises the story accurately. Wrap the text on the paws closer.
  • Place Name: Third Place
    Contestant Name: Herscher High School
    Entry Title: Happy Holidays
    Entry Credit: Alex Graefnitz
    Judge Comment: Lots of good art- needs a dominate image- wording is distracting.
  • Place Name: Honorable Mention
    Contestant Name: Harrisburg High School
    Entry Title: Snakes of Southern Illinois
    Entry Credit: Gabby Dooley
    Judge Comment: A good idea and informative. Works well with the story. Maybe make one photo larger to lead eyes into the story. Photo credits needed.
  • Competition Comment: All work shows good art skills and nicely advertises the stories. Wording needs to be clear, so the readers don't struggle. Art work should not dominate the page but lead readers into the stories.