NCSMA News
2024 N.C. High School Journalist of the Year Announced
The North Carolina Scholastic Media Association has announced Riverside High School journalist Elena Paces-Wiles as the 2024 Rachel Rivers-Coffey North Carolina High School Journalist of the Year.
Paces-Wiles is the co-editor-in-chief of the Riverside High school newspaper, The Pirates’ Hook. Her portfolio featured investigative work focused on exposing inequities.
Alternates for Journalist of the Year are Courtney Weston of West Brunswick High in Shallotte, Charlize Andrews of Green Level High in Cary and Reagan Bell of East Mecklenburg High in Charlotte.
Weston is editor-in-chief of her school’s newspaper, West Wind. Andrews is editor-in-chief of her school’s newspaper, The Gator’s Eye. Bell is editor-in-chief of her school’s newspaper, The Eagle.
Since 2001, the North Carolina Press Foundation (NCPF) has funded the annual scholarship award in memory of Rachel Rivers-Coffey, former N.C. Press Association president.
NCPF will award a $3,000 scholarship to Paces-Wiles. The three alternates will each receive $1,000.
The foundation will also award the winners’ journalism programs. The Journalist of the Year’s program will receive $500. The three alternates’ programs will each receive $250.
The Rivers-Coffey state scholarships and awards will be presented June 20-22 during the N.C. Scholastic Media Institute, a summer journalism workshop open to students and teachers across the state.
Paces-Wiles will now represent the state in the National High School Journalist of the Year scholarship competition. Winners will be announced in April at the National High School Journalism Convention in Kansas City.
Apply for North Carolina Journalist of the Year
Each year the Student Journalist of the Year is selected from among the graduating seniors in scholastic journalism programs across the state. The winner receives the $3,000 Rachel Rivers-Coffey Scholarship from the N.C. Press Foundation and is eligible to submit a portfolio to compete for scholarships in the national Journalism Education Association High School Journalist of the Year contest. Three alternates in the North Carolina contest will each receive $1,000 scholarships from the N.C. Press Foundation.
High school seniors who have been involved with student media for at least two years and have at least a 3.0 unweighted GPA are eligible to apply. Applicants submit a portfolio as well as an entry form, transcript, self evaluation of one’s “journalistic life” and letters of recommendation.
Register for 2023 Fall Regional Workshops
Journalism advisers and students from across the state are invited to attend an N.C. Scholastic Media Association regional workshop! The four workshops cover all eight NCSMA regions and are co-hosted with various universities and news outlets in North Carolina. The workshops provide opportunities for students to improve their journalistic and editorial leadership skills and to network with other student media outlets in the state. Various sessions for advisers and students are planned at each site, along with keynote panels and speakers.
2023 Statewide Scholastic Media Contest Awards Announced
Student media staffs were recognized at the North Carolina Scholastic Media Association’s annual Institute, held at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Hussman School of Journalism and Media June 20-22. During the Institute, high school journalism students and teachers from across the state participated in instructional sessions led by university faculty and featured writers, designers and journalists.
Students attending focused on paying attention to details in reporting, writing, broadcast, design, editing and photography. Student officers chose the theme On Watch to highlight the importance of being watchful for ideas and injustices while bearing witness to people’s stories in local communities.
Student publications submitted their work in broadcast, radio/podcast, literary magazine, print news, online news and yearbook categories to be judged in NCSMA’s statewide media contest. At the Institute, more than 400 awards were distributed to schools and high school student journalists.
- The top award, the Tar Heel, was presented to the following student media:
- Radio 101 radio program at R.J. Reynolds High in Winston-Salem
- Tiger Eye News broadcast program at Fred T. Foard High in Newton
- Black Hawk Broadcast program at North Buncombe High in Weaverville
- The Howler online site at Wakefield High in Raleigh
- Roars and Whispers literary magazine at Providence Senior High in Charlotte
- Nighthawk News Magazine at First Flight High in Kill Devil Hills
- The Rooster newspaper at Ronald W. Reagan High in Pfafftown
- The West Wind newspaper at West Brunswick High in Shallotte
- The Torch yearbook at Athens Drive High in Raleigh
- East Wind yearbook at East Surry High in Pilot Mountain
- Shorelines yearbook at First Flight High in Kill Devil Hills
- Quatralog yearbook at Fred T. Foard High in Newton
- Prowler yearbook at Providence Senior High in Charlotte
- Patriot yearbook at Arendell Parrott Academy in Kinston
- Hilltopper yearbook at North Buncombe High in Weaverville
- Eyry yearbook at Charlotte Latin School in Charlotte
N.C. High School Journalist of the Year Announced
The North Carolina Scholastic Media Association has announced Green Level High School journalist Daneen Khan as the 2023 Rachel Rivers-Coffey North Carolina High School Journalist of the Year.
Khan is the co-editor-in-chief of the Green Level High school newspaper, The Gator’s Eye. Judges emphasized the strength of Khan’s writing across different platforms and creating an engaged newsroom.
One judge wrote, “Daneen displayed an impressive variety of writing in her portfolio, handling news, feature and opinion well, showing that she has mastered many types of journalistic writing.”
Another said, “Daneen Kahn’s submission reflects a student who is engaged not just in journalism, but the world around her. She displays an innate curiosity and willingness to test her own boundaries that is crucial to success as a reporter, editor and leader. The depth and breadth of her interests are clear in her reporting and writing, as is her commitment to building an engaged, diverse and relevant newsroom for her school.”
Alternates for Journalist of the Year are Emmy Benton of First Flight High School in Kill Devil Hills, Olivia Metelo of Enloe Magnet High School in Raleigh and Taylor Newton of First Flight High School in Kill Devil Hills.
Benton is the co-editor-in-chief of her school newspaper, Nighthawk News Magazine. Metelo is the news editor of her school newspaper, the Enloe Eagle’s Eye. Newton is the co-editor-in-chief of his school’s yearbook, Shorelines. He is also the photo editor of his school’s newspaper, Nighthawk News Magazine.
Since 2001, the North Carolina Press Foundation (NCPF) has funded the annual scholarship award in memory of Rachel Rivers-Coffey, former N.C. Press Association president.
NCPF will award a $3,000 scholarship to Khan. The three alternates will each receive $1,000.
The foundation will also award the winners’ journalism programs. The Journalist of the Year’s program will receive $500. The three alternates’ programs will each receive $250.
The Rivers-Coffey state scholarships and awards will be presented June 20-22 during the N.C. Scholastic Media Institute, a summer journalism workshop open to students and teachers across the state.
Khan will now represent the state in the National High School Journalist of the Year scholarship competition. Winners will be announced in April at the National High School Journalism Convention in San Francisco.
Apply for North Carolina Journalist of the Year
Each year the Student Journalist of the Year is selected from among the graduating seniors in scholastic journalism programs across the state. The winner receives the $3,000 Rachel Rivers-Coffey Scholarship from the N.C. Press Foundation and is eligible to submit a portfolio to compete for scholarships in the national Journalism Education Association High School Journalist of the Year contest. Three alternates in the North Carolina contest will each receive $1,000 scholarships from the N.C. Press Foundation.
High school seniors who have been involved with student media for at least two years and have at least a 3.0 unweighted GPA are eligible to apply. Applicants submit a portfolio as well as an entry form, transcript, self evaluation of one’s “journalistic life” and letters of recommendation.
Register Now for Fall Regional Workshops
NCSMA’s fall regional workshops will be co-hosted by universities and newspapers around North Carolina, offering opportunities for students and advisers to hone their journalism skills for the year’s publications. Sessions include topics relating to news writing, podcasting, fiction writing, yearbook trends, broadcast, photography/videography, editors’ roundtables, advisers’ roundtables and many more!
2022 Statewide Scholastic Media Contests Announced
Student media staffs were recognized at the North Carolina Scholastic Media Association’s annual Institute, held at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Hussman School of Journalism and Media, June 13-15. During the Institute, high school journalism students and teachers from across the state participated in instructional sessions led by university faculty and featured writers, designers and journalists.
Students attending focused on journalism’s transition during the pandemic through reporting, writing, broadcast, design, editing and photography. Student officers chose the theme, “Journalism’s New Day.”
Student media staffs submitted their work in broadcast, radio/podcast, literary magazine, print news, online news and yearbook categories to be judged in NCSMA’s statewide media contest. At the Institute, more than 450 awards were distributed to schools and high school student journalists.
The top award, the Tar Heel, was presented to the following student media:
- Radio 101 radio program at R.J. Reynolds High in Winston-Salem
- Nighthawk News Online site at First Flight High in Kill Devil Hills
- The Howler online site at Wakefield High in Raleigh
- Blue Review literary magazine at Charlotte Latin School in Charlotte
- Roars and Whispers literary magazine at Providence Senior High in Charlotte
- Nighthawk News Magazine at First Flight High in Kill Devil Hills
- The Hurricane newspaper at Cape Fear Academy in Wilmington
- The Torch yearbook at Athens Drive High in Raleigh
- Shoreline yearbook at Cape Fear Academy in Wilmington
- Prowler yearbook at Providence Senior High in Charlotte
- Westwind yearbook at West Henderson High in Hendersonville
- Patriot yearbook at Arendell Parrott Academy in Kinston
- Journeys yearbook at Carmel Christian School in Matthews
- Hilltopper yearbook at North Buncombe High in Weaverville
- Revolution yearbook at Davidson Day School in Davidson
- Eyry yearbook at Charlotte Latin School in Charlotte
N.C. High School Journalist of the Year Announced
The North Carolina Scholastic Media Association has announced East Chapel Hill High School journalist Caroline Chen as the 2022 Rachel Rivers-Coffey North Carolina High School Journalist of the Year.
Chen is the co-editor-in-chief of the East Chapel Hill school newspaper, the East Chapel Hill Observer (ECHO). Judges cited her journalism portfolio as “strong from top to bottom.”
One judge wrote, “Caroline impressed me with the depth and breadth of her reporting, and her leadership during a tough time for student journalists. Most of all, she shows great promise in her willingness to take on controversial and crucial issues not just in her school but in her local community.”
Another wrote, “I was particularly impressed that she had two stories get followed up on by local media outlets. It was also impossible to ignore the impact of her opinion piece on CHALT and the local elections.”
Alternates for Journalist of the Year are Maren Ingram of First Flight High School in Kill Devil Hills, Maggie McNinch of First Flight High School in Kill Devil Hills and Aida Guo of Green Level High School in Cary.
Ingram is the co-editor-in-chief of her school’s newspaper, Nighthawk News Magazine; McNinch is the co-editor-in-chief of her school newspaper, Nighthawk News Magazine; and Guo is the editor-in-chief of her school newspaper, The Gator’s Eye.
Since 2001, the North Carolina Press Foundation (NCPF) has funded the annual scholarship award in memory of Rachel Rivers-Coffey, former N.C. Press Association president.
NCPF will award a $3,000 scholarship to Chen. The three alternates will each receive $1,000.
The foundation will also award the winners’ journalism programs. The Journalist of the Year’s program will receive $500. The three alternates’ programs will each receive $250.
Chen will now represent the state in the National High School Journalist of the Year scholarship competition. Winners will be announced virtually at the National High School Journalism Convention.
The Rivers-Coffey state scholarships and awards will be presented during the N.C. Scholastic Media Institute, a summer journalism workshop open to students and teachers across the state.