Whitney High Student Media brought home top national honors for the journalism program and Whitney High School as six student delegates attended the spring National High School Journalism Convention in Los Angeles April 14-17 with more than 4,000 students.

The Roar won the NSPA Best of Show competition (First Place), the student-produced news publication’s first time taking the top spot in national competition after three previous Second Place wins.

Details yearbook brought home the trophy in its category, too, winning First Place Best of Show Yearbook for the first time since 2009.

In the Special Edition magazine category, The Roar earned Fourth Place.

The Best of Show competition is hosted by the National Scholastic Press Association, ranking the best high school media out of those in attendance at the convention.

In the same awards ceremony April 16, Details yearbook also won its 10th consecutive Pacemaker Award. Pacemaker Awards are granted by the NSPA based on excellence in coverage and content, quality of writing and reporting, leadership, design, photography and graphics. This is the top honor awarded to high school publications.

“It’s really a neat accomplishment for students to hear that their work is being recognized at the highest level when we know already it’s so popular with the students they created it for. It takes an incredible amount of work to produce good journalism on a consistent basis, so I’m really glad these students are getting the recognition they deserve. To know that the book being honored was our 10th anniversary edition makes it all the sweeter for our school,” adviser Mrs. Sarah Nichols said. 

In addition to these honors, Whitney High Student Media was awarded the First Amendment Press Freedom Award from the Journalism Education Association.This award celebrates high school journalism programs who exemplify press freedom at their school. It was the second consecutive award for WHS.

Sierra Young was one of the six attendees and accepted the First Amendment Press Freedom Award at the convention.

“It was nerve-racking going in front of that many people, but it was exciting. It felt so amazing to be able to go in front of everyone who attended the convention and be honored for our work, not only once, but now twice,” Young said.

Three students received individual awards in the National Write-off Contest hosted by the Journalism Education Association. Morgan Hawkins received an Honorable Mention in Sports Photography, Rylea Gillis an Excellent in Sports Reporting and Rachel Marquardt an Excellent in Review Writing. Out of the 1,268 participants in the on-site competitions, only 475 were recognized at the April 17 closing ceremony.

The convention itself is a gathering of high school journalism students, advisers and media professionals hosted by the National Scholastic Press Association and the Journalism Education Association. Attendees participate in on-site contests, workshops and sessions led by media professionals and journalism educators.
Nichols said, “Bringing students to these national conventions is an excellent way to continue their college and career readiness in media and communications. The opportunity to network with others in our field, learn first-hand from industry professionals and compete for awards and scholarships is something above and beyond what we do each day in the classroom. Beyond that, it’s fun for them to experience a new city together and to strengthen the bonds. These students work incredibly hard all year long to tell the stories of our school, and I’m thrilled they continued to be recognized for the important work they do.”