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  • 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

2025 Fall Conference



Friday, Oct. 3, 2025

State Farm Hall of Business
Illinois State University
410 S. University St.
Normal, IL 61761
2025 IJEA Fall Conference Registration Form
(This link will be added later in the summer)
Conference Program
(This link will be added later in the summer)

We are delighted to announce that our 2025 Fall Conference will once again be held on the campus of Illinois State University. Sessions will take place at the State Farm Hall of Business, a short walk from Fell Hall, home of ISU’s School of Communication and the student-run FM station WZND and TV-10 News.

This will be the third year in which ISU has hosted the conference. We will continue to feature a keynote event, as well as multiple breakout sessions throughout the day covering all aspects of journalism. Students will also have the opportunity to compete in our popular onsite write-off competitions.

State Farm Hall of Business is located at 410 S. University St. in Normal, on the west end of the quad.


2025 Fees, Registration & Parking Info


PLEASE NOTE: The following fees and early bird deadline may be subject to change. These were the fees and deadline for the 2024 conference. The final 2025 fees and deadline will be posted here by June 30.

Adviser Fee: $20

Student Fee: $10

Registration: Please fill out and submit our 2025 IJEA Fall Conference Registration Form. (This link will be added in the summer.)

Early Bird Deadline: Early bird registration lasts until Aug. 30. Register early to be eligible for swag drawings the day of the conference!

Parking: Car and small bus parking adjacent to the Bone Student Center is $1 per hour. Full-sized buses may drop students off at Fell Hall and park in a nearby free off-site lot.

Payment: Checks are accepted at the registration table during check-in at the conference. Checks should be made out to Illinois Journalism Education Association.


What You Can Expect


The final schedule for our 2025 conference is being prepared. In 2024, the conference schedule was:

• Session I (including write-offs speaker) — 9:15 to 10 a.m.
• Session II — 10:15 to 11 a.m.
• Session III — 11:15 to noon
• Lunch, keynote event and awards — 12:15 to 1:15 p.m.

The complete 2024 conference program is available here.

Sessions included tips and advice on:

• Broadcast journalism
• Print and online journalism
• Yearbook design and writing
• Digital reporting
• Journalism preparation for college

We expect to offer similar sessions in 2025. As soon as the overall schedule and specific sessions are finalized, we will post that information here.


More Information


Questions about the conference? Please contact:

Linda Jones, Executive Director
Illinois Journalism Education Association
[email protected]


 

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2025 Fall Conference