• 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
Annual awards event recognizes All-State Team, Journalist of Year and former IJEA director

Annual awards event recognizes All-State Team, Journalist of Year and former IJEA director

June 17, 2022
We honored our 2022 All-State Journalism Team, Illinois Journalist of the Year and IJOY runner-up as well as former IJEA Executive Director Dr. Sally Renaud on June 4 in Springfield. Thank you to the Illinois Press Foundation for making this event possible and to film critic Matt Fagerholm for serving as our keynote speaker. Congrats to all!
NSPA awards

“NSPA Live from Minneapolis”: Illinois students honored at virtual ceremony

Dave Porreca, CJE, Illinois JEA Board Member • April 19, 2020
Even though the 2020 Spring National High School Journalism Conference was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Illinois student journalists nonetheless received national recognition for their work thanks to a virtual ceremony held April 17. Congratulations to all!
The 2017 IJEA Yearbook Contest General Excellence Winners (top to bottom; left to right): West Prairie High School (Division 1), Taylorville High School (Division 4), Meridian High School (Division 2), McHenry High School (Division 5), Glenbrook South High School (Division 6), Richmond-Burton High School (Division 3)

Congratulations, 2017 IJEA Yearbook Contest winners!

By Amanda Bright, IJEA Co-Secretary and At-Large Board Member • January 10, 2018
Whether it was copy writing, sports coverage, photography, graphics, layout and design, divider pages, theme development or overall coverage of the 2016-17 school year, Illinois high school journalists shined in IJEA's 2017 Yearbook Contest. Check out the complete results inside.
IJEA selects All-State Journalism Team for 2017

IJEA selects All-State Journalism Team for 2017

By Amanda Bright, IJEA Co-Secretary and Region 5 Board Member • April 28, 2017

The All-State Journalism Team began in spring of 2005, when the Illinois Journalism Education Association recognized a need to honor those students who have proven themselves indispensable to their...

The five division winners of the 2016 IJEA Yearbook Contest include, top to bottom, left to right, University of Chicago Laboratory High School, Glenbrook South High School, and Richmond-Burton Community High School, Brown County High School and Calhoun High School. Congratulations!

Congratulations, 2016 IJEA Yearbook Contest winners!

By Amanda Bright, IJEA Co-Secretary and Region 5 Board Member • January 5, 2017
Whether it was copy writing, sports coverage, photography, graphics, layout and design, divider pages, theme development or overall coverage of the 2015-16 school year, Illinois high school journalists shined in IJEA's 2016 Yearbook Contest. Check out the complete results inside.
Meet the Winners: IJOYs and All-State Team honored at annual IPF/IJEA Luncheon

Meet the Winners: IJOYs and All-State Team honored at annual IPF/IJEA Luncheon

By Amanda Bright, IJEA Co-Secretary and Region 5 Board Member • June 6, 2016

Keynote speaker Jamey Dunn-Thomason noted that it was so good to see so many great student journalists. It gave her hope for the future of journalism. All of the advisers, parents, and student...

IJEA selects All-State Journalism Team for 2016

IJEA selects All-State Journalism Team for 2016

By Amanda Bright, IJEA Co-Secretary and Region 5 Board Member • May 2, 2016

The All-State Journalism Team began in spring of 2005, when the Illinois Journalism Education Association recognized a need to honor those students who have proven themselves indispensable to their...

The 2015 IJEA winners for Best Overall Yearbook in each enrollment division are shown here. Back row from left: Taylorville (Division 4); University of Chicago Laboratory High School (Division 3); Okawville High School (Division 1). Front row from left: Meridian High School (Division 2); Glenbrook South High School (Division 5). Congratulations to all who competed!

Congratulations, 2015 IJEA Yearbook Contest winners!

By Dave Porreca, IJEA Website Editor • January 6, 2016
Whether it was copy writing, sports coverage, photography, graphics, layout and design, divider pages, theme development or overall coverage of the 2014-15 school year, Illinois high school journalists shined in IJEA's 2015 Yearbook Contest. Check out the complete results inside.
The IJEA and Illinois Press Foundation recognized the achievements of some of the state's top high school journalists with an awards luncheon Saturday in Springfield at the offices of The State Journal-Register. Honored were Illinois Journalist of the Year Ashley Yong and members of the IJEA All-State Journalism Team. Not all honorees were able to attend the event. From left: Isabel Rich, Belvidere North High School; Ashley Yong, Hinsdale South High School; Isabella Murray, John Hersey High School; Rachel Krusenoski, Downers Grove North High School; Kaitlyn Morrill, Elk Grove High School; Gabrielle Cano, Kaneland High School.

The future is looking bright: IJEA, Illinois Press Foundation honor high school journalism standouts

By Sally Renaud, IJEA Executive Director • June 7, 2015
With the end of the school year came IJEA's annual awards — a chance to salute some of the most talented j-students in the state.
This photo by Ivan Cervantes of Chicago's Phoenix Military Academy won first place for best photograph in the Division 1 category of our newspaper contest this year. Check out the coverage below not only for the names of all our winners but also for links to all the first-place entries in the categories of features, blogging, headlines, photos, infographics and websites.

Print, online winners announced in IJEA’s 2014-15 Newspaper Contest

By Dave Porreca, IJEA Website Editor • May 9, 2015
Student news publications from around the state competed in our annual newspaper contest. Check out the winners, like this photo from Phoenix Military Academy of Chicago.
Meet our new All-State Team!

Meet our new All-State Team!

By Dave Porreca, IJEA Website Editor • May 5, 2015
Whether they're editing copy, writing headlines, designing pages or otherwise saving the day behind the scenes, these nine students make sure their school publications deliver excellence in journalism.
Janet Levin, who has advised The Correspondent newspaper at John Hersey High School in Arlington Heights for 30 years, receives the news that she has won the IJEA's highest honor for a journalism educator: the James A Tidwell Award.

Hersey adviser Janet Levin receives honor

By Amanda Bright, IJEA Board Member • April 17, 2015
The long-time journalism educator has earned the 2015 James A. Tidwell Award for Excellence in Scholastic Media Education.
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