• Our 2025 Newspaper & Digital News Media Contest is now open for entries! Advisers, we want to recognize your students' great work! Deadline is March 15.
  • Congratulations to IJEA Executive Director Linda Jones on receiving the national JEA's Lifetime Achievement Award! She will be honored at the 2025 Spring JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention in Seattle.
  • Congratulations to IJEA member Leslie Fireman, journalism adviser at West Chicago High School, on winning the national JEA's Rising Star Award! She was honored at the 2024 Fall JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention in Philadelphia.
  • Congratulations to IJEA Hall of Fame member Stan Zoller, MJE, on being the inaugural winner of the National JEA's Candace and John Bowen Adviser First Amendment Leadership Award! He was honored at the 2024 Fall JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention in Philadelphia.
  • It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Sarah Doerner, IJEA’s longest-serving president. Sarah died Nov. 29 in Du Quoin at the age of 86. Services were held Dec. 7. See below for our tribute to this great journalism educator.
  • Advisers! Join IJEA today! Annual memberships and lifetime memberships are available. Use our online form or fillable PDF to join!
Illinois Journalism Education Association, 2501 Chatham Road, Suite 200, Springfield, IL 62704

Illinois JEA
Illinois Journalism Education Association, 2501 Chatham Road, Suite 200, Springfield, IL 62704

Illinois JEA
Illinois Journalism Education Association, 2501 Chatham Road, Suite 200, Springfield, IL 62704

Illinois JEA
Sarah Doerner, who died Nov. 29 at the age of 86, served as IJEA present for 10 years. A year after she stepped down as president, she received the IJEA Lifetime Achievement Award at the organization's 2017 Fall Conference. Then-IJEA Vice President John Gonczy presented the award. (Photo by Amanda Bright)

A tribute to former IJEA President Sarah Doerner, RIP (1937-2024)

Linda Jones and Dave Porreca, CJE • December 15, 2024
Sarah Doerner, IJEA's longest-serving president, died Nov. 29 at the age of 86. After teaching for 37 years, the final 21 in Du Quoin District 300 in Perry County, she served IJEA in many capacities, including president from 2006 to 2016. Her dedication to scholastic journalism was second to none. Read on for tributes to this wonderful educator.
The 2015 staff of the MHS Mirror newspaper stands in the halls of Mattoon High School for our annual photo. Several would go on to major in journalism, at least for a while, and one would end up in my first college news writing classroom.

IJEA Blog: Teaching my journalism students—again

By Amanda C. Bright, Co-Secretary and At-Large Board Member • October 11, 2017

It was as surprising to them as it was to me. Two of my former high school journalists were now in my college section of news writing. I was thrilled, and I was hoping they were as well. As the...

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