The deadline to enter applications, including digital portfolios, for the California High School Journalist of the Year, the preliminary round for the 2026 JEA Journalist of the Year competition is Feb. 16 at 9 p.m. PST. JEANC member advisers may nominate one student journalist per school for the award. For contest details, please visit the JEA website.
Completed applications include:
- Application form
- Online Portfolio (see JEA link above for portfolio requirements, including demonstration videos)
- Action photo of the applicant
- 3 letters of recommendation
- 2-page self-analytical essay
- Transcript
- Resume
The top three NorCal portfolios will be awarded JEANC’s Arnetta Garcin Memorial Scholarship, and the winner will qualify for an additional travel stipend to attend the JEA/NSPA National Convention in Minneapolis, April 20-22.
The JEA website has complete contest requirements and guidelines, the scoring rubric, past winners with sample portfolios, and portfolio polish videos.
NorCal journalism students have traditionally done well in the national competition, and they have been named Journalist of the Year four times in the past 10 years. The 2025 winner was Alan Tai, editor of El Estoque at Monta Vista High School in Cupertino.
Contact JEA State Director Mitch Ziegler with any questions.
