Top journalists celebrated at symposium

Southport student Madelyn Knight was named the 2019 Indiana High School Journalist of the Year during the 12th annual IHSPA First Amendment Symposium March 14 at the Indiana Statehouse. One of four finalists from across the state, contest judges selected Knight’s comprehensive portfolio because it not only showcased her talents within the field, but also highlighted the progression of a lifelong learner dedicated to the craft and her peers.

“This student journalist does it all,” competition judge Teresa White of Indiana University said in her evaluation of Knight’s portfolio. “She gets journalism and its purpose. She uses all the tools at her disposal. So impressive.”

Knight will receive a $1,000 scholarship from IHSPA and serve as the Indiana representative for the national journalist of the year award where she will be eligible for a scholarship of up to $3,000. Journalist of the year winners will be recognized, and the national winner will be named, during the 2019 JEA/NSPA spring national convention in Anaheim, April 25-27.

SYMPOSIUM CONTEST RESULTS

Indiana Journalist of the Year Finalists
Evan Gerike, Portage HS
Madelyn Knight, Southport HS
Haley Pritchett, Greenwood Community HS
Morgan Taylor, Crown Point HS

First Amendment Design Contest
Winner – Nasiba Naku, Pike HS
Second Place – Anna Lowe, Greenwood Community HS

Sports Journalism Contest
Winner – Russell Peterson-Womack, Southport HS
Second Place – Logan Zrebiec, Southport HS

SPJ/JEA Essay Contest Indiana Winners
Anna Eggers, Ben Davis HS
Kyra Gegner, Paoli Jr.-Sr. HS
Hannah Heilman, Greenwood Community HS

The symposium also featured IHSPA student board member speeches about the importance of journalism and a keynote by Jon Webb from the Evansville Courier & Press who discussed five things student journalists can do to better serve their readers and improve the quality of their content. Full scripts for each presentation are available here.

(left to right) IHSPA Student Board members Haley Pritchett, Greenwood Community HS; Brianna Brown, Pike HS; Haley Miller, Southport HS; Peighton Noel, Mooresville HS; Anu Nattam, Plainfield HS; Betty Huang, Highland HS; Emma Uber, Carmel HS. Photo by Leslie Velez, Pike HS

IHSPA President and Pike HS Adviser April Moss. Photo by Leslie Velez, Pike HS

(left to right) Brianna Brown, Pike HS; Anu Nattam, Plainfield HS. Photo by Leslie Velez, Pike HS

(left to right) Peighton Noel, Mooresville HS; Brianna Brown, Pike HS. Photo by Leslie Velez, Pike HS

IHSPA Student Board President Haley Pritchett, Greenwood Community HS. Photo by Leslie Velez, Pike HS

IHSPA Student Board President Haley Pritchett, Greenwood Community HS. Photo by Leslie Velez, Pike HS

Emma Uber, Carmel HS. Photo by Leslie Velez, Pike HS

Betty Huang, Highland HS. Photo by Leslie Velez, Pike HS

Betty Huang, Highland HS. Photo by Leslie Velez, Pike HS

Haley Miller, Southport HS. Photo by Leslie Velez, Pike HS

Peighton Noel, Mooresville HS. Photo by Leslie Velez, Pike HS

Brianna Brown, Pike HS. Photo by Leslie Velez, Pike HS

Anu Nattam, Plainfield HS. Photo by Leslie Velez, Pike HS

Keynote speaker Jon Webb, Evansville Courier & Press. Photo by Leslie Velez, Pike HS

Keynote speaker Jon Webb, Evansville Courier & Press. Photo by Leslie Velez, Pike HS

(left to right) Sports journalism contest finalists Logan Zrebiec, Southport HS and Russell Peterson-Womack, Southport HS. Photo by Leslie Velez, Pike HS

(left to right) First Amendment design contest finalists Nasiba Naku, Pike HS and Anna Lowe, Greenwood Community HS. Photo by Leslie Velez, Pike HS

2019 Indiana high school journalist of the year finalist Evan Gerike, Portage HS and IHSPA President April Moss. Photo by Leslie Velez, Pike HS

2019 Indiana high school journalist of the year finalist Madelyn Knight, Southport HS and IHSPA President April Moss. Photo by Leslie Velez, Pike HS

2019 Indiana high school journalist of the year finalist Haley Pritchett, Greenwood Community HS and IHSPA President April Moss. Photo by Leslie Velez, Pike HS

2019 Indiana high school journalist of the year finalist Morgan Taylor, Crown Point HS and IHSPA President April Moss. Photo by Leslie Velez, Pike HS

(left to right) 2019 Indiana high school journalist of the year finalists Morgan Taylor, Crown Point HS; Haley Pritchett, Greenwood Community HS; Madelyn Knight, Southport HS; Evan Gerike, Portage HS. Photo by Leslie Velez, Pike HS

2019 Indiana high school journalist of the year winner Madelyn Knight, Southport HS and IHSPA President April Moss. Photo by Leslie Velez, Pike HS

For more information about the event and contest results, please contact IHSPA Executive Director Ryan Gunterman at rgunterman@franklincollege.edu.