With a pandemic affecting nearly every aspect of their lives, Illinois high school journalists truly rose to the occasion during the 12 months covered by our 2022 competition. Overcoming one challenge after another, these students made us proud to be associated with Illinois scholastic journalism!
Olivia Kim, a senior at Prospect High School, has been named the 2022 Illinois Journalist of the Year. She is IJEA’s 33rd Journalist of the Year, and she will now compete for national honors against the top high school journalists from other states. Congratulations to Olivia and her adviser, Jason Block!
Dave Porreca, CJE, IJEA Newspaper Contest Coordinator
• February 24, 2022
We have joined with BetterBNC to provide a new and more efficient platform for submitting contest entries. The new platform for the IJEA Newspaper & Digital News Media Contest is now up and running! The entry deadline is Friday, March 25. Good luck to all!
Using every ounce of their resourcefulness and creativity, 2020-21 high school yearbook staffs in Illinois told powerful stories of a school year few will forget. In recognition of that work, the IJEA is proud to announce the winners of our 2021 Yearbook Contest!
Dave Porreca, CJE, IJEA Newspaper Contest Coordinator
• December 19, 2021
Although many things about our annual newspaper competition will remain the same, we will be partnering with BetterBNC to provide a new and more efficient platform for submitting entries. Check inside for more info. (UPDATE: The new contest platform is up and running! Check inside for the link. Thank you, IJEA members!)
Jason Block, Teacher & Adviser, Prospect High School
• December 19, 2021
Prospect High's Jason Block recently made the transition from offering traditional journalistic writing courses to implementing a multimedia communication model. The result has been invigorating as students learn how to tell stories in multiple ways.
Although IJEA’s fall conference was canceled this year, a free virtual version of our popular write-off contest was held in late October — and the results are in. Congratulations to our winners in news writing, feature writing and editorial writing!
The Illinois Journalism Education Association's 2021 Fall Conference, originally scheduled for Friday, Sept. 17, at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has been canceled due to complications related to COVID. Check inside for IJEA President John Gonczy's statement explaining the reasons for the decision.
The IJEA is proud to announce the members of the 2021 All-State Journalism Team. The 11 students selected for this year's honor were nominated by their advisers in recognition of the indispensable contributions they made to their publications during 2020-21. Congratulations to these MVPs who rose to the occasion in this most challenging of years!
From the initial lockdown to the arrival of multiple vaccines, Illinois high school journalists saw it all during the 12 months covered by our 2021 competition. Facing one challenge after another, IJEA student journalists and their advisers truly rose to the occasion! Check inside for links to the winning entries.
Sam Bull, a senior at Downers Grove North H.S., has been named the 2021 Illinois Journalist of the Year. He is IJEA’s 32nd Journalist of the Year, and he will now compete for national honors against the top high school journalists from other states. Congratulations to Sam and his adviser, Elizabeth Levin!
In the wake of the events on Jan. 6 in our nation's capital, the IJEA wishes to express its wholehearted support of the recent statement by JEA President Sarah Nichols on this topic. We are proud to stand with JEA in this and all matters regarding the role of a free press in the defense of democratic values.
