• 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
York Community High School students and advisers surprised Kate Brody, third from left, with news of her selection as IJEA's 2025 Illinois Journalist of the Year. From left are Matt Bourke, last year's journalism teacher and adviser; Payton Froats, current journalism course teacher and yearbook adviser; Kate; and Kaitlyn Metzler, current journalism adviser. Not pictured is Brendan Chambers, the school's current broadcasting adviser. (Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 photograph)

York Community High School’s Kate Brody wins 2025 Illinois Journalist of the Year

Linda Jones, IJEA Executive Director, and Dave Porreca, IJEA Contest Committee Chair • March 31, 2025
Kate is IJEA’s 36th Journalist of the Year and the first from York Community High School! She has been an award-wining journalist at her school since her freshman year. The senior is co-editor-in-chief of the online news site This is York and the magazine York-hi. Kate will now compete for national honors against the top high school journalists from other states. Congrats, Kate!
Advisers, we're adjusting fees for the IJEA Newspaper & Digital News Media Contest

Advisers, we’re adjusting fees for the IJEA Newspaper & Digital News Media Contest

Keith Carlson, CJE, IJEA President • February 1, 2025
So that we may continue to use the Better BNC platform as a submission and organizational tool for our annual Newspaper & Digital News Media Contest, the IJEA board recently voted to approve a modified fee structure for participating schools. The primary change is that after a school's first five entries, each entry will cost $5. We thank for understanding our efforts to be good stewards of our resources.
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.
Congratulations to our 2024 Yearbook Contest winners!

Congratulations to our 2024 Yearbook Contest winners!

Dave Porreca, CJE, IJEA Board Member • November 20, 2024
More than 30 schools participated in this year's contest, which was for books covering the 2023-24 school year. Congratulations to all of our yearbook advisers and students! We are proud of the amazing work you did last year! Best of luck on your continuing coverage of the current school year. We can't wait to see the entries for 2024-25!
UPDATE: Our 2024 Yearbook Contest deadline has passed. Good luck to your students!

UPDATE: Our 2024 Yearbook Contest deadline has passed. Good luck to your students!

Dave Porreca, CJE, IJEA Board Member • May 27, 2024
We want recognize the amazing work your students have done documenting the 2023-24 school year! Our 2024 Yearbook Contest is now open and will accept submissions through Oct. 15. Please note that this deadline is a month earlier than usual. By using this earlier deadline, we hope to have the results back to you by Thanksgiving!
Meet our 2024 All-State Journalism Team, MVPs of their school media!

Meet our 2024 All-State Journalism Team, MVPs of their school media!

Dave Porreca, CJE, IJEA Board Member • April 30, 2024
For the past 20 years, the IJEA All-State Journalism Team has recognized those students who have proven themselves indispensable to their respective school media. These are the student journalists who are the “MVPs” of their publications, dedicated and energetic team leaders whose main contributions often occur behind the scenes.
Congratulations to our 2024 Newspaper & Digital News winners!

Congratulations to our 2024 Newspaper & Digital News winners!

Dave Porreca, CJE, IJEA Newspaper Contest Coordinator • April 28, 2024
Congratulations to all of our participating advisers and students! This year's competition received more than 1,000 entries from a total of 30 schools. The quality of entries was outstanding! Best of luck to everyone as you wrap up the school year. You make us proud to be associated with Illinois scholastic journalism!
Nominate your staff MVP for the IJEA's All-State Journalism Team by April 5!

Nominate your staff MVP for the IJEA’s All-State Journalism Team by April 5!

Dave Porreca, CJE, IJEA Board Member • March 29, 2024
[PLEASE NOTE: Our extended deadline has passed. Good luck to everyone who was nominated!] We've extended the All-State Journalism Team nomination deadline to 11:59 p.m. Friday, April 5! The IJEA All-State Team recognizes the MVPs of Illinois high school journalism staffs — those indispensable students who do much of their work behind the scenes.
Naperville Central newspaper adviser Keith Carlson congratulates senior Jake Pfeiffer on winning the 2024 Illinois Journalist of the Year Award. Jake is editor-in-chief of both the print and online versions of the school's newspaper, Central Times. (Photo courtesy of Keith Carlson)

Naperville Central’s Jake Pfeiffer wins 2024 Illinois Journalist of the Year

Dave Porreca, CJE, IJEA Contest Committee Chair • February 26, 2024
Jake Peiffer, editor-in-chief of the Central Times, has been named the 2024 Illinois Journalist of the Year. Jake is IJEA’s 35th Journalist of the Year and just the second from Naperville Central High School. Jake will now compete for national honors against the top high school journalists from other states. Congrats, Jake!
UPDATE: Deadline for 2024 Newspaper & Digital News Media Contest extended to Friday, March 22

UPDATE: Deadline for 2024 Newspaper & Digital News Media Contest extended to Friday, March 22

Dave Porreca, CJE, IJEA Newspaper Contest Coordinator • February 25, 2024
In recognition of the time crunch that many of our members face at this time of the school year, we have extended by one week the deadline for submitting entries to the 2024 IJEA News & Digital News Media Contest. The deadline is now 10:59 p.m. Friday, March 22. Good luck to our members and their students!
Congratulations to our 2023 Yearbook Contest winners!

Congratulations to our 2023 Yearbook Contest winners!

Dave Porreca, CJE, IJEA Yearbook Contest Co-Coordnator • January 10, 2024
Nearly 40 schools from throughout the state participated in this year's contest, which was for books covering the 2022-23 school year. Congratulations to all of our yearbook advisers and students! We are proud of the amazing work you did last year! Best of luck on your continuing coverage of the current school year. We can't wait to see the entries for 2023-24!
Congratulations to our 2023 All-State Journalism Team!

Congratulations to our 2023 All-State Journalism Team!

Linda Jones, IJEA Executive Director and Dave Porreca, CJE • May 16, 2023
The IJEA is proud to announce the members of the 2023 All-State Journalism Team. The 12 students selected for this year's honor were nominated by their advisers in recognition of the indispensable contributions they made to their publications during 2022-23. Congratulations to these MVPs who rose to the occasion in yet another challenging year!
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