2008 Awards

PRINT JOURNALISM

FEATURE
$300 first place feature
Maria Brundage
“Wrestlers Cope with Skin Disease”
Dexter High Schol (Mich.)
Adviser: Rod Satterthwaite

$150 second place
Andrew Lee
“Battling the Bacteria”
Harvard-Westlake School (North Hollywood, Calif.)
Adviser: Kathleen Neumeyer

$100 third place feature
Andrew Lee and Cody Schott
“Swimmers Soak Up Too Much Sun”
Harvard-Westlake School (North Hollywood, Calif.)
Adviser: Kathleen Neumeyer

$50 honorable mention
(JEA Bookstore gift certificate)
Cassandra Hall
“Student Lives a Life Without Wheat in His Diet”
Dexter High School (Mich.)
Adviser: Rod Satterthwaite

DOUBLE TRUCK
$300 first place
Sarah Semmel, Kaila Kamp, DJ Shewmaker, Vicki Viehman, Logan Ponche
“Fact or Fiction: Separating Truth from Decption”
Francis Howell High School (St. Charles, Mo.)
Adviser: Aaron Manfull

EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY
$150 second place
Emily G. Kesner
“Life Education Curriculum Needs Dose of Reality”
Wauwotosa East H.S.
Waukesha, WI 53186
Adviser: Elaina Meier

$50 honorable mention
(JEA Bookstore gift certificate)
Michael Kaplan
“Sleep Week Just a Wakeup Call”
Harvard-Westlake School (North Hollywood, Calif.)
Adviser: Kathleen Neumeyer

About the Award

Ryan White, born with hemophilia, was diagnosed with AIDS at age 13. White became a pioneer in AIDS education, spending the remaining years of his young life trying to help slow the spread of AIDS and reduce prejudice against people living with AIDS. He was persistent in his efforts to educate his community, teachers and the American public until his death in 1990.

Because a responsible student press informs its community and student journalists should tell the truth about health issues in an interesting and relevant manner, the Ryan White Excellence in Journalism Award was established in 1999. In 2005, the Radio and Television News Directors Foundation joined the National Education Association Health Information Network and JEA in sponsoring this recognition.

The Ryan White award was established so:

• High school newspapers, newsmagazines, literary-art magazines, yearbooks, online and broadcast media will cover health issues.
• Students will learn that their First Amendment press and speech rights include publishing and discussing health issues.
• Coverage will be well researched, will inform students and will promote dialogue in school communities.
• Student editors and writers will learn the best resources available to write on health issues.

Entry Criteria

Clearly indicate category of entry. Print categories are 1) Editorial/commentary; 2) Feature; and 3) Double truck/feature package, which will be judged on content, including graphics and layout. Broadcast categories are 1) Feature, television; 2) Commentary, television or radio; and 3) Feature, Web or podcast; 4) Public Service Announcement, radio. No more than four entries per category per school publication or broadcast program.

The entry must be original student work and must have been published or broadcast within one year of the contest deadline. Date of publication/broadcast must be indicated. The individual (or team of students who worked on the same entry) must be a member of his or her high school’s newspaper, newsmagazine, yearbook or literary-art magazine staff or a member of his or her high school’s radio, television or Web production class or staff.

Deadline

Received by July 1.

Each entrant must:

• Submit three copies of the published feature, editorial or commentary, and double truck.
• Submit a taped copy with a typed transcript of radio or television entries.
• Complete the entry form. CLICK HERE
• Provide a statement indicating the sources used for background information, a list of individuals interviewed (include job title and why selected) and whether there was community response to this work. For purposes of this contest, “community” is defined as the high school, the city or county or a targeted segment of the population.

All entries in this competition become the property of JEA, RTNDF and HIN. They will not be returned. By entering this competition, entrants give JEA, RTNDF and NEA HIN permission to reproduce their work with appropriate attribution to the author(s).

Award Recognition

• The Ryan White Excellence in Journalism Award is a juried award. It is administered and grant-funded as a collaborative endeavor of the National Education Association’s Health Information Network, the Radio and Television News Directors Foundation, and the Journalism Education Association.
• Professionals who cover health issues and have experience in the category evaluate entries.
• The award program will include a cash prize of $300 for the first-place winning entry in print and in broadcast categories.
• The second-place winning entry in each category will receive $150.
• The three honorable mention entries in each print category and the two honorable mention entries in each broadcast category will receive $50 gift certificates to the JEA Bookstore.
• All prizes will not be given if judges find the entries do not meet contest requirements.
• The winners will be announced at the fall JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention. The parent(s)/guardian(s), teacher and principal of the recipients will be notified. JEA, NEA and local media contacts will be made.

Mail entries to

Ryan White Excellence in Journalism Award
Journalism Education Association
Kansas State University
103 Kedzie Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506

For more information contact Carol Lange at langejour@aol.com.