• 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.
  • High school seniors! Get your portfolios ready for the 2025 Illinois Journalist of the Year Contest! Entries will be due Feb. 15.
  • The winners of the 2024 IJEA Yearbook Contest have been announced! Check out our article below for the full listing of honorees!
  • A big thank you to everyone who attended our 2024 Fall Conference, which took place Sept. 20 at Illinois State University. The sessions were amazing! Thank you to all of our presenters!
  • 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
Congratulations to our 2023 Yearbook Contest winners!

Congratulations to our 2023 Yearbook Contest winners!

Dave Porreca, CJE, IJEA Yearbook Contest Co-Coordnator • January 9, 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 2022 Yearbook Contest winners!

Congratulations to our 2022 Yearbook Contest winners!

Dave Porreca, CJE, IJEA Yearbook Contest Co-Coordnator • January 8, 2023
With creativity and style, 2021-22 yearbook staffs told their stories of a school year in which the rituals, milestones and traditions of high school life were celebrated precisely because they had become part of normal life once again. In recognition of that work, the IJEA is proud to announce the winners of our 2022 Yearbook Contest!
Congratulations to our 2021 Yearbook Contest winners!

Congratulations to our 2021 Yearbook Contest winners!

Dave Porreca, CJE, Illinois JEA Board Member • February 1, 2022
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!
2021 All-State Team

Congratulations to our 2021 All-State Journalism Team!

Dave Porreca, CJE and Linda Jones, IJEA Executive Director • June 25, 2021
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!
2020 Yearbook Contest winners

Congratulations to our 2020 Yearbook Contest winners!

Dave Porreca, CJE, Illinois JEA Board Member • January 10, 2021
Throughout Illinois, high school yearbook staffs large and small overcame numerous obstacles to meet the challenge of doing great journalism during the time of COVID. In recognition of that work, the IJEA is proud to announce the winners of our 2020 Yearbook Contest!
2020 All-State Team Members

Congratulations to our 2020 All-State Journalism Team!

Dave Porreca, CJE, Illinois JEA Board Member • May 20, 2020
The IJEA is proud to announce the members of the 2020 All-State Journalism Team. The 12 students selected for the honor were nominated by their respective advisers in recognition of the indispensable contributions they made to their publications during the 2019-20 school year.
Congratulations to our 2019 Yearbook Contest winners!

Congratulations to our 2019 Yearbook Contest winners!

Dave Porreca, CJE, Illinois JEA Board Member • January 6, 2020
Throughout Illinois, no matter the size of the school or program, yearbook staffs and advisers created wonderful journalism as they told the stories of their 2018-19 school year. In recognition of that work, the IJEA is proud to announce the winners of our 2019 Yearbook Contest!
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...

Abigail "Abbe" Murphy was named the 2017 Illinois Journalist of the Year by IJEA. Runner-up was Marissa Martinez of University of Chicago Laboratory High School.

Meet our 2017 Illinois Journalist of the Year: Downers Grove North’s Abigail “Abbe” Murphy

By Amanda Bright, MJE, IJEA Co-Secretary and Region 5 Board Member • March 4, 2017
The editor-in-chief of the awarding-winning Omega newspaper of Downers Grove North High School is our choice for top high school journalist in Illinois. Check inside for more about Abbe and runner-up, Marissa Martinez!
IJEA Blog: Reflections on winning the James A. Tidwell Award

IJEA Blog: Reflections on winning the James A. Tidwell Award

Mike Doyle, CJE, Former IJEA Board Member • February 21, 2017
The IJEA's annual James A. Tidwell Award recognizes our state's top journalism educators. With the March 1 deadline for 2017 nominations quickly approaching, we asked a recent Tidwell honoree, Mike Doyle, to discuss what winning the award has meant to him. "It means that every day I know I made a difference in the lives of so many students and that I was able to teach the values of fairness, ethics and integrity to so many of them," he writes.
From left, the IHSA's Matt Troha, Tidwell award recipient Cathy Wall, IJEA President Sarah Doerner, and former SISPA leader and journalism adviser Herman Albers celebrate after Wall's acceptance speech.

Know of a deserving colleague? Deadlines are drawing near for IJEA educator and friend awards

Dr. Sally Renaud, IJEA Executive Director • February 21, 2017
Although we love to honor student journalists, we also strive to recognize their elders — the teachers, advisers, administrators and friends who make outstanding scholastic journalism possible with their guidance and support. Do you know of deserving candidates? Submit your nominations — or your own applications — today!
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