Grade Eligibility
Rising Seniors
Geographic Eligibility
US, International
Discipline
Journalism, Photojournalism, Visual Media, Design, Editing, Reporting, Writing
Judging Format
Scoring based, Jurors, Letters of Recommendation
Entries
~250
Percent Awarded
~2%
Registration Cost
No entry fee
Important Dates
State round
Varies by state
National round
March 15, 2026
The JEA Journalist of the Year, administered by the Journalism Education Association, is the nation's most comprehensive journalism recognition for high school seniors — a portfolio-based competition evaluating quality, scope, impact, leadership, and commitment to diversity across a student's full body of published work. Nominated by a JEA member adviser, state winners advance to national judging; one national winner and up to five finalists are announced each spring.
Top Winner: $4,000
Top Five Finalists: $1,200 each
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