Last weekend, five Harker students were awarded in the Journalism Education’s spring 2023 National Student Media Contest. Jessica Wang, grade 10, received a Superior award in Editorial Writing; junior Desiree Luo was given an Excellent award in the Sports Writing category; sophomore Felix Chen received an Excellent award in Press Law and Ethics; Mirabelle Feng, grade 10, was awarded Superior in Literary Magazine: Illustration; and senior Katie Wang received an Honorable Mention in Photography Portfolio.
National Student Media Contests are held twice a year in the fall and spring. Submissions are evaluated by a team of judges, whose critiques are made available to the students entering the competition. Winning entries receive awards at three levels: Superior, Excellent and Honorable Mention.
Yesterday, the Journalism Education Association awarded Harker’s journalism programs its First Amendment Press Freedom Award. Harker was one of just 16 high schools nationwide to receive the award, which is given annually to high schools that uphold First Amendment rights for students and teachers through student-run media. Awardees are chosen by representatives from the JEA, National Scholastic Press Association and Scroll International Honorary Society. Harker received the award for the first time last year.
“The three-month-long application process incorporated two rounds and required statements from publication advisers, student editors and administration,” said journalism director Whitney Huang. “We believe that this award validates Harker Journalism’s commitment to civic engagement hand-in-hand with the embodiment of Harker’s mission statement.”
All of the schools that received the award will be recognized at the Spring JEA/NSPA High School Journalism Convention, which will take place April 20 in San Francisco.
Today, the Journalism Education Association (JEA) named Harker as one of 17 recipients of the 2022 First Amendment Press Freedom Award. Public and private high schools selected for this recognition — determined by representatives from the JEA, National Scholastic Press Association and Quill and Scroll International Honorary Society — are judged to have actively upheld their students’ and teachers’ First Amendment Rights, particularly as they concern student-run media. This marks Harker’s first time receiving the award.
The process of selecting schools for the award began with a questionnaire submitted by advisors and at least one editor. Schools advancing to the next stage were then tasked with submitting responses by their principals, media advisers and student editors, as well as published media and school policies.
All 17 schools receiving the award will be honored at a special ceremony in Los Angeles on April 7, as part of the Spring JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention.