Georgia Journalist of the Year entries due Jan. 23

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Each year, GSPA recognizes the top student journalist in the state with the Georgia Champion Journalist Award. The winner receives a monetary prize and advances to represent the state in the Journalism Education Association's National Journalist of the Year competition. This year, the prizes at the state level have increased!

Supported by the Carolyn McKenzie and Don E. Carter Chair for Excellence in Journalism at the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, winners in 2022 will receive the following monetary prizes:

  • Senior Champion Journalist of the Year - $1,000

  • Senior runner-up - $750

  • Junior Journalist of the Year - $750

  • Junior runner-up - $500

Entrants for the Georgia Champion Journalist of the Year contest must be seniors, maintain a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, have at least two years of journalism experience and be planning to major in journalism in college. They must submit an official transcript and three letters of recommendation, among other requirements. The Georgia Junior Journalist of the Year contest, open only to juniors, follows the same guidelines as the senior contest. Please review the complete 2022 Champion Journalist & Jr. Champion Journalist Guidelines here.

Entrants of either competition must submit a comprehensive online portfolio of their work. The state contest is scored using the same guidelines and rubric as the JEA. It is important for entrants to thoroughly review the JEA guidelines for portfolios. (Do NOT submit an entry to the JEA contest, as only the state winner is allowed to be entered). It is also helpful to review the judging rubric. NOTE: The JEA JOY rubric was updated in 2021 to include a diversity element and other changes. It is highly recommended that entrants view this JEA JOY Guidelines video. Additionally, the JEA is offering a series of portfolio polishing Zoom sessions on Jan. 3, Jan. 10, and Jan. 17.

Check out recent state winners from 2021, 2020, and 2019 for some inspiration.