April 14 Deadline to Enter 2017 High School Student Journalist of the Year Competition!

Calling all high school journalists in Northern Illinois!

Know any high school seniors who have done outstanding work in the past year on a student newspaper, as a freelancer for a professional publication or as a contributor to a high school yearbook or literary magazine?

The Northern Illinois Newspaper Association, a professional organization with member newspapers throughout the region, is seeking the best and brightest students in the region to compete for the title of 2017 Northern Illinois High School Journalist of the Year.

The winner will receive a $1,000 scholarship, the endorsement of the professional organization, a presentation at your home school and a title that will stand out on any resume or college application. The announcement of the winning student will be distributed via news release to all NINA member publications and will appear on the NINA website and in the NINA newsletter.

The second-place winner will receive a $500 scholarship along with the accolades that go with the title.

The competition is open to graduating high school seniors who plan to continue their journalism education at the college level.

All entries must be postmarked no later than Friday, April 14. Competitors are asked to send entries to The Northern Illinois Newspaper Association, c/o John Etheredge, Record Newspapers, 109 W. Veterans Parkway, Yorkville, IL 60560.

Eligibility requirements and other criteria are listed below and available by clicking this link.

The scholarship competition entry form is available by clicking here.

The NINA Board of Directors is asking high school principals, student advisers and guidance counselors throughout Northern Illinois to help spread the word about this vital and prestigious award opportunity.

NINA maintains this scholarship fund to encourage high school students to continue to study journalism and to promote journalism careers.

NINA past president and Kendall County Record Newspapers Editor John Etheredge says that in days when “fake news” and social media snarkiness are almost ubiquitous, it’s more important than ever to support young people who are committed to professional journalism.

“As a professional organization dedicated to advancing print and online journalism education and training in Northern Illinois, we are excited at the prospect of awarding this scholarship to a student who shows promise for a career in our profession,” he said. “As always, welcome comments and suggestions about the scholarship program and how we can work together to advance journalism education at the high school level.”

2017 scholarship rules

Purpose

Northern Illinois High School Journalism Scholarship recognizes outstanding achievement by high school students in print and/or online journalism.

Awards

A winner will receive a cash scholarship from the Northern Illinois Newspaper Association, a plaque and an announcement of the award in the NINA online newsletter. Arrangements will be made for a formal presentation of the scholarship award and plaque.

Eligibility

The scholarship award will be presented to a high school senior who demonstrates the standards of honesty, integrity, attention to detail, hard work, creativity and an understanding and commitment to quality community journalism.

The successful candidate may be an editor, writer, photographer, manager, marketing or advertising representative or graphic designer at a high school newspaper and/or website, or a professional news publication, either print or online.

All applicants should show an intent to attend college as a journalism or communications major with an emphasis on print and/or online journalism.

Students must attend high school within the Northern Illinois region. The primary counties include Boone, Bureau, Carroll, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Henry, Jo Daviess, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, Lake, LaSalle, Lee, Marshall, McHenry, Mercer, Ogle, Putnam, Rock Island, Stephenson, Whiteside, Will and Winnebago.

Selection criteria

Applicants must submit a copy of their high school transcripts, which must include grade-point average.

They also must submit:

• A letter of recommendation from a high school counselor, newspaper adviser or professional supervisor. Additional letters of recommendation are welcome.
• A portfolio of published newspaper work. Examples include articles, display or classified advertisements, photographs or photo pages, page layouts or full copies of a newspaper showing the student’s contribution to the overall product.
• An autobiographical essay that includes a description of career goals.
• A completed nomination form (next page).

Submissions

Applications must be postmarked by the April 14 deadline, which was extended from March 17. Send to: Northern Illinois Newspaper Association, c/o John Etheredge, Record Newspapers, 109 W. Veterans Parkway, Yorkville, IL 60560

Judging

All applications will be judged by members of the NINA board of directors. The scholarship winner will be notified in April.

2017 scholarship entry form

Nomination Form

Nominee: ________________________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________

(street, city, state, ZIP)

Email: ________________________________________________________

High school: _______________________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________

Nomination submitted by: ____________________________________________________

Title: ________________________________________________________

Telephone number (day): ___________________________________________________

Email: ________________________________________________________________

List all materials submitted with this entry:

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

How did you learn about this opportunity? ________________________________________

Send entries to:

Northern Illinois Newspaper Association
c/o John Etheredge
Record Newspapers
109 W. Veterans Parkway
Yorkville, IL 60560

Deadline extended: April 14, 2017

About the Northern Illinois Newspaper Association

NINA was founded by Northern Illinois University journalism faculty and newspaper editors and publishers throughout the Northern Illinois region. Its present board consists of some of the top online and print publications in Illinois and the United States, including but not limited to the Chicago Tribune, Daily Herald, Shaw Media, The Register-Mail, Galesburg, The Times, Ottawa, The Dispatch / The Rock Island Argus, The Hinsdalean, Rockford Register Star, The Observer, Rockford Diocese, the Northern Star and The Galena Gazette.

Membership is open to print and digital publication professionals, freelancers, educators, students and others working in or supporting professional journalism in northern Illinois. For more information, visit the NINA website or Facebook page.

2012 contest winners posted

Here’s the list of winners, announced at the Fall Conference on Thursday, Oct. 18, at NIU-DeKalb. Congrats to all, and special thanks to Maria Krull and Shelley Hendricks at the Northern Star for coordinating this year’s contest.

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General membership meeting

As required by the NINA constitution, a general membership meeting has been called for Friday, Dec. 7, to vote on proposed changes to the NINA constitution and bylaws. The meeting will be held at 10 a.m. at the Northern Star office, Campus Life Building, NIU-DeKalb. Anyone who works at a NINA member publication, or who is an individual member, is invited to attend (but attendance is not required for membership).

View the proposed changes HERE.

Photos from Fall Conference 2012

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Southtown Star’s Matt Marton wins top prize

Matt Marton (right) chats w

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ith Kane County Chronicle editor Kathy Gresey and State Rep. Bob Pritchard after Thursday’s NINA awards banquet at NIU.

Matt Marton, a photographer for the Southtown Star, has won NINA’s Excellence in Journalism Award and the accompanying $1,000 prize for his work on the series, “Haiti: Two Years Later.”

The award was presented Thursday night at NINA’s 50th Anniversary Fall Conference, at the Northern Illinois University Convocation Center. The Excellence in Journalism competition invited journalists to submit their best piece of work, published between May 1, 2011, and April 30, 2012.

Here are judges’ remarks about Marton’s work:

In February 2012, the Southtown Star send photographer Matt Marton and reporter Donna Vickroy to Haiti. “We wanted to find out where cargo containers full of shoes, bicycles, medical supplies and musical instruments, donated by our readers, ended up,” Marton wrote. “In following the trail of compassion, we hoped to form a bridge, built on communication and understanding, from here to Haiti.”

Marton’s stunning series of photos didn’t just follow that trail of compassion. It stirred it anew in readers. It’s difficult to imagine any reader being confronted with these photos and not feeling changed. This series – both the photos and the words – shines the light of truth and compassion on the people of Haiti, for the benefit of an audience who may have given money, time and/or prayer for them. It’s a sterling example of the type of journalism that newspapers still must find a way to produce – despite budget crunches and staff shortages.

Not insignificant is that this series comes from a newspaper whose newsroom has been gutted by layoffs in recent years. Yet, the Southtown Star saw an opportunity to connect local efforts to an international story that’s fallen from the public eye but is every bit as urgent as it was two years ago. The paper made a significant investment to send these two journalists to Haiti for five days. The journalists stepped into harm’s way at times, witnessed the horror of extreme poverty, and also chronicled hope for better days.

Vickroy’s heroic series of stories was a runner-up, and ordinarily could have won a competition like this. But in this case, judges felt that Marton’s Pulitzer-quality photos were so compelling that they merited singular attention.

Thank you to the Southtown Star for seeing the value and importance of this story. Congratulations to Matt Marton, and thank you for the reminder of why most of us became journalists – to tell stories like this, and to make a difference in the world.

See this series at the Southtown Star website

Matt Marton’s blog

Shaw Media buys Suburban Life

DIXON – Shaw Media has purchased Suburban Life publications and affiliated operations from GateHouse Media. The purchase is effective today. <a href="http://www.daily-chronicle.com/2012/10/01/shaw-media-acquires-suburban-life-publications/arvwnw1/&quot; t

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arget=”_blank”>Full story from the Daily Chronicle.

Fall Conference features watchdog, nostalgia, awards

NINA’s 50^th anniversary celebration features lots of nostalgia, a respected government watchdog and our annual awards presentation – including a special journalism prize worth $1,000 to the winner.

The Fall Conference will be held Thursday evening, Oct. 18, at the Northern Illinois University Convocation Center in DeKalb. The keynote speaker is Andy Shaw, longtime Chicago newspaper and TV news reporter and currently president and CEO of the Better Government Association.

“Andy Shaw has long been one of Chicago’s most prominent journalists — in television and print before that,” said Dirk Johnson, NINA executive secretary. “He now shines a bright light on the unsavory and shadowy in Illinois government. NINA is honored to welcome him in discussing the role of journalists in watching the foxes near the chicken coops.”

Shaw spent 37 years covering politics, business and education and general assignments for City News Bureau, the Chicago Sun-Times, NBC 5 and ABC 7. He was ABC 7’s political reporter, retiring after the Obama inauguration in 2009. He’s an Evanston native and an alumnus of the University of Illinois at Chicago.

The BGA “works for integrity, transparency, and accountability in government by exposing corruption and inefficiency; identifying and advocating effective public policy; and engaging and mobilizing the electorate to achieve authentic and responsible reform,” according to its mission statement. The association’s Investigative Unit tackles waste, fraud and corruption in local and state government, and publicizes the results through local media partnerships.

Special guests and a multimedia presentation will look back on NINA’s 50-year history, beginning with its founding in 1962 by Dr. Donald Grubb, founder of the NIU journalism department.

Judging is complete and we’ll award the annual winners in 23 categories for both daily and nondaily publications. Plus, we’ll announce the winner of the NINA Excellence in Journalism Award. This special contest rewards what our judges panel considers the best single work of journalism over the past year. The winner gets $1,000 in cash from NINA.

The dinner is being subsidized this year both by NINA and by the NIU Department of Communication. That means the evening’s cost, including dinner and program, is just $15 a person for NINA members and employees of member publications. Registration deadline is Friday, Oct. 5. Register HERE.

 

NINA 2012 Fall Conference

50^th Anniversary Celebration
Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012
NIU Convocation Center
1525 W. Lincoln Highway
DeKalb, Illinois

Program

6 p.m. Cash bar

7 p.m. Dinner

7:45 p.m. Keynote speaker Andy Shaw

8:15 p.m. Awards

Cost: $15 for NINA members and employees of member publications. $25 for nonmembers. Payable at the door. Please register by Friday, Oct. 5.

Parking is free in the NIU Convocation Center lot.

For more information, call 815-753-0707.

Editors and publishers: We can tell you in advance who from your staff won awards, but we can’t tell you what place they won.

NINA future: Your ideas wanted

JASON SCHAUMBURG
2012 NINA President

As we draw closer to NINA’s Fall Conference and celebration of its 50th anniversary, work still is being done to keep NINA relevant for another 50 years.

You might recall that in this space earlier this year I announced that a task force was going to tackle an examination of our organization. Task force members include myself, Sauk Valley Media Executive Editor Larry Lough, Ottawa Times Managing Editor Lonny Cain, Suburban Life Publications Publisher Mark Colosimo, former Northern Star Adviser Jim Killam, The Observer Features Editor Sharon Boehlefeld, Kane County Chronicle Editor Kathy Gresey and Rock Island Argus Managing Editor Roger Ruthhart.

The goal: Determine what NINA is, what it wants to be and how its structure can better reflect the organization’s membership and mission. To this point, discussions have focused on the following areas:

Training

The amount of money media organizations spend has been cut. The number of editors and reporters in newsrooms has been cut. With no money and fewer people, training has taken a backseat. We’re examining ways to develop meaningful training and make sure people receive that training. One possibility is to bring our training sessions to members. Another possibility is more webinars. What do you think?

Education

It is becoming more difficult to for media organizations to find quality journalists coming out of college. That’s partly because it’s becoming more difficult for college newspapers buy personal narrative essay to find students interested in journalism. We’re examining ways to get more involved in journalism education at the high school level.

Networking

Socializing and making connections with peers in our industry also has taken a hit as newsroom budgets have decreased. Networking, however, can help spur the sharing of ideas, the recruiting of talent and the building of friendships. We’d like to bring networking back to our business.

Advocacy

As government continues its assault on the state’s revised Freedom of Information Act, it’s clear many public officials would rather do the public’s business without the public interfering. We’d like to take a larger role in advocacy of issues pertaining to journalism and serve as a watchdog.

Contest

Each year, it seems the same handful of member organizations are the only ones to enter NINA’s annual contest to recognize outstanding journalism. We are looking at ways to make the NINA contest relevant and increase participation.

The task force is scheduled to have an all-day meeting Sept. 28 to tackle these issues. It is our goal to have our work done – or nearly done – before the Fall Conference on Oct. 18. If you have any ideas that fall into five areas, please email them to me for consideration.

Jason Schaumburg is executive editor of Sun-Times Media’s Pioneer Press newspapers and websites. If you would like to weigh in on the future of NINA, email Jason at jschaumburg@pioneerlocal.com.

J foundations to university presidents: Wake up

Six foundations have urged university presidents to get on the ball in re-inventing their journalism programs to fit the needs of the 21st century. Here’s the line that ought to get their attention:

Schools that do not update their curriculum and upgrade their faculties to reflect the profoundly different digital age of communication will find it

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difficult to raise money from foundations interested in the future of news.

See the Poynter post here.

2012 NINA scholarship winners named

The Northern Illinois Newspaper Association honored two outstanding student journalists this spring in the association’s 15th annual Northern Illinois High School Journalist of the Year scholarship competition. Winners are:

First Place

Taylor Wanbaugh

Libertyville High School

Taylor Wanbaugh

Taylor has served as editor-in-chief of Libertyville High School’s “Drops of Ink,” the school’s newsmagazine. She plans to continue her journalism education this fall at University of Missouri. In selecting Taylor for top honors in this year’s scholarship competition, NINA judges were impressed with the professional quality of “Drops of Ink” and the versatility Taylor showed as a reporter and layout editor.

She will receive a total scholarship award of $1,200: $1,000 from NINA and $200 from The Daily Herald.

In a letter of recommendation, Michael Gluskin, faculty adviser for “Drops of Ink,” said as a first-year adviser he has consistently relied on Taylor to be a leader for the publication and to assist her fellow staff members when needed.

“She has published several in-depth feature stories (two personality profiles and one on distracted driving) that combined effective reporting, talented writing and creative layout skills,” Gluskin wrote.

“Taylor is a highly qualified candidate for this scholarship and is a great example of a student who can be successful in the 21st century journalism world,” he added.

In her autobiographical essay, Taylor recalled becoming transfixed with journalism while reading “Drops of Ink” as a freshman.

“I was instantly attracted to the publication and was always one of the first to delve into the new issues…I was amazed that high school students could impact our school and our community so powerfully just by using their own words.”

Taylor said she has enjoyed her tenure as editor of “Drops of Ink.”

“There is no feeling in the world like physically holding something that you know you were able to create and that you feel such a sense of pride about. The experience has taught me cheap car insurance quotes so much: how to be a leader, how to work with others, and, perhaps most importantly, how to feel truly passionate about something. I have poured my heart and soul into this publication, and I can only hope the readership reaps the labors of my heartfelt endeavors.”

Libertyville High School journalism student Taylor Wanbaugh receives her first-place award and scholarship from Jason Schaumburg, President of the Northern Illinois Newspapers Association.

 

Second Place

Jessica Van Kley

Illiana Christian High School

Jessica Van Kley

Jessica has worked on Illiana Christian’s student newspaper, “The Echo” since her sophomore year when she worked as a reporter. During her junior year, she was feature editor and this year has served as editor-in-chief.

She will receive an $800 scholarship from NINA and plans to major in journalism at Purdue University.

In selecting Jessica for a second place scholarship award, NINA judges said they were impressed with her writing style, especially as evidenced in several columns and features.

In recommending Jessica, Jeffrey DeVries, faculty adviser to “The Echo,” said he has thoroughly enjoyed watching Jessica grow as a writer.

“She has developed a breezy, off-the-cuff, self-deprecating style that is enjoyable to read. After every issue the staff votes on the best pieces in that edition and Jessica’s column routinely win that contest,” DeVries said.

Noting that Jessica has also served as co-editor of the Illiana Christian yearbook, DeVries added, “Jessica has consistently performed far and above the call of duty. She has a passion for journalism, a passion for words, a passion for finding the truth.”

In her autobiographical essay, Jessica said working on “The Echo” provided a learning experience as she worked on stories and layouts on sensitive topics such as race relations and student depression.

“But the largest aspect of journalism I learned and developed over the past there years was to listen. I listen to people constantly…listening is and always will be key for any journalist.”

Jessica plans a career in print journalism and hopes to one day work for a major metropolitan newspaper, covering beats such as news and politics.

“I hope that with a career in journalism I can spread the trust and uphold the shining archetype of the journalist — giving the world unbiased news, ensuring political honesty and provoking thoughtful discussion,” she wrote.

15-year history

A total of $2,000 in scholarships was awarded, including $1,800 from NINA and $200 from The Daily Herald.

The annual scholarship competition is open to all graduating high school seniors living in northern Illinois and recognizes outstanding achievement by high school students in the field of print and/or online journalism.

NINA has received more than 525 scholarship applications and awarded more than $22,000 in scholarships over the past 15 years.

Revenues for the scholarship program come from NINA member dues and proceeds from NINA training seminars and programs.

John Etheredge, NINA scholarship coordinator, said he and other scholarship judges look forward to examining the students’ portfolios each spring.

“The passion and commitment that these students have for their high school newspapers, news magazines and websites is clearly evident and continues to impress me,” Etheredge said. “Like good professional journalists, these students are already using their talents to seek the truth and better inform their readers.

“As an organization, NINA is proud to be able to help these students further their journalism education at the college level,” he said. “We look forward to seeing these students in our newsrooms in the future.”

Etheredge said he appreciates the NINA Board’s continued financial support for the scholarship program.

“I also want to give a special thanks to The Daily Herald for their contribution to this year’s scholarship program,” he said. “Since we started the program in 1998, The Daily Herald has consistently contributed additional funds to our scholarship winners. These funds have helped the scholarship winners pay for college, while making our scholarship program even more attractive to students.”

 

Honorable mentions

Elizabeth Amanieh

NINA judges also selected two other students as honorable mention winners in this year’s scholarship program: Elizabeth Amanieh, a student at William Fremd High School in Palatine, and Marissa Blachard, a student at Harry D. Jacobs High School in Algonquin.

Elizabeth has served as lead news editor for Fremd’s student newspaper, the “Viking Logue.”

Her adviser, Russ Anderson wrote in his letter of recommendation: “With the inclusion of online-exclusive articles, Facebook, and Twitter feeds, Liz has taken a department that in the past has struggled for direction and connection to the student body and has given it a distinct voice…”

Elizabeth plans to major in broadcast journalism as an undergraduate and then earn a master’s degree in journalism at Northwestern’s Medill Journalism Institute.

Marissa has served as assistant news editor for Jacobs’ student newspaper, the Talon. Her duties have included writing news and feature articles, page layout and launching the paper’s website.

Among Marissa’s reporting assignments was to cover a dispute between Hoffman Estates and Community Unit School District 300 over tax benefits from an economic development area.

In a letter of recommendation, John Bigler, an AP English teacher at Jacobs described Marissa as a highly motivated student.

“Her writing exemplified the attention to detail and critical thought necessary to succeed on a higher level,” Bigler wrote.

Marissa plans to continue her journalism education in college. She has been accepted to both the University of Missouri and the University of Illinois.