Results of State Media Competition, Scholarships and California All Stars 2026
2026 SoCal JEA State Student Media Contests Coming to Harvard-Westlake on March 14
SoCal JEA President Adriana Chavira shares opening remarks for the 2025 State Student Media Contest at El Camino College on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Daniel Langhorne)
Our annual SoCal JEA State Student Media Contests will be held Saturday, March 14 at Harvard-Westlake School, 3700 Coldwater Canyon, Studio City, CA 91604. The campus map with directions will be sent the week before the event.
REGISTRATION CLOSED ON MARCH 7. There will be NO REFUNDS granted. The number of students you register is the number that will need to be paid for.
All categories are $20 per student and each adviser must pay a $35 SoCal JEA dues fee (if they are not current with their annual dues). Fees cover cost of trophies, certificates, supplies and morning refreshments for students. We also provide lunch and a small gift for the speakers and judges.
Invoices will be emailed. Please make checks payable to "SCJEA" and PLEASE BRING WITH YOU TO THE WRITE-OFF (if not, you can mail BEFORE the event or you can Zelle your payment to [email protected]). You may substitute students on the day of the competition, if necessary, but ONLY in non-qualifying contests. If you want to make a substitution in News, Opinion, Feature or Sports, the sub MUST HAVE QUALIFIED at one of the four regional competitions.
Students competing at the state level in NEWS, FEATURES, EDITORIAL and SPORTS writing need to have qualified at one of the local contests held in February. All other categories are open to any student and they did not have to qualify to compete at the state level.
Students competing in yearbook design, yearbook theme development or newspaper design need to bring their own laptops and have their own software. We will not have access to computers but there will be Wi-Fi available.
Students in the writing categories (and editorial cartoon) will write on paper. So please be sure to tell students to bring plenty of paper ( 8" by 11") and pens/pencils. (Pen is preferred for stories.) AP Style books are fine, as well. Students cannot use their cellphones.
Photos and videos will be submitted before the contest. Instructions will be emailed to advisers once registration closes.
REGISTRATION CLOSED ON MARCH 7. There will be NO REFUNDS granted. The number of students you register is the number that will need to be paid for.
All categories are $20 per student and each adviser must pay a $35 SoCal JEA dues fee (if they are not current with their annual dues). Fees cover cost of trophies, certificates, supplies and morning refreshments for students. We also provide lunch and a small gift for the speakers and judges.
Invoices will be emailed. Please make checks payable to "SCJEA" and PLEASE BRING WITH YOU TO THE WRITE-OFF (if not, you can mail BEFORE the event or you can Zelle your payment to [email protected]). You may substitute students on the day of the competition, if necessary, but ONLY in non-qualifying contests. If you want to make a substitution in News, Opinion, Feature or Sports, the sub MUST HAVE QUALIFIED at one of the four regional competitions.
Students competing at the state level in NEWS, FEATURES, EDITORIAL and SPORTS writing need to have qualified at one of the local contests held in February. All other categories are open to any student and they did not have to qualify to compete at the state level.
Students competing in yearbook design, yearbook theme development or newspaper design need to bring their own laptops and have their own software. We will not have access to computers but there will be Wi-Fi available.
Students in the writing categories (and editorial cartoon) will write on paper. So please be sure to tell students to bring plenty of paper ( 8" by 11") and pens/pencils. (Pen is preferred for stories.) AP Style books are fine, as well. Students cannot use their cellphones.
Photos and videos will be submitted before the contest. Instructions will be emailed to advisers once registration closes.
Journalism Advisers Will Gather at Cal Poly SLO for 3rd Annual Teach-In
The 2026 Adviser Teach-In will take place at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on Saturday, Jan. 17. Cal Poly’s journalism department is excited to host us for a third year, and we’ll have a chance to check out the impressive facilities while we’re there. See the full agenda below.
In the spirt of unity, our theme for this year's event is "Together."
This retreat-style event, which is co-sponsored by our friends at JEANC, will include two strands of learning sessions throughout the day Saturday, as well as an a social gathering that evening. We know it’s a long haul for some advisers but are hopeful that this central location will allow for participants from both of our regional scholastic journalism groups. We are happy to help facilitate carpooling and room-sharing options if you let us know you’d like some help.
A morning group hike will also trek out to Montana de Oro State Park in Los Osos before advisers head home on Sunday, Jan. 18.
Here is our speaker proposal form inviting you to serve as a potential presenter. Proposals were due Nov. 23 but we're still accepting submissions.
You can find the Google Registration form here. A late registration rate of $85 will be in effect from Jan. 1-15. All attendees, including speakers, must register. The teach-in includes a certificate of completion that may help you secure professional development funding from your site/district.
We've reserved a block of rooms at SpringHill Suites by Marriott San Luis Obispo for $199 per night - Last Day to Book : Wednesday, Dec. 17. Book your group rate for SoCal NorCal Journalism Education Association.
Proposed presentation topics include:
Please email [email protected] with questions.
In the spirt of unity, our theme for this year's event is "Together."
This retreat-style event, which is co-sponsored by our friends at JEANC, will include two strands of learning sessions throughout the day Saturday, as well as an a social gathering that evening. We know it’s a long haul for some advisers but are hopeful that this central location will allow for participants from both of our regional scholastic journalism groups. We are happy to help facilitate carpooling and room-sharing options if you let us know you’d like some help.
A morning group hike will also trek out to Montana de Oro State Park in Los Osos before advisers head home on Sunday, Jan. 18.
Here is our speaker proposal form inviting you to serve as a potential presenter. Proposals were due Nov. 23 but we're still accepting submissions.
You can find the Google Registration form here. A late registration rate of $85 will be in effect from Jan. 1-15. All attendees, including speakers, must register. The teach-in includes a certificate of completion that may help you secure professional development funding from your site/district.
We've reserved a block of rooms at SpringHill Suites by Marriott San Luis Obispo for $199 per night - Last Day to Book : Wednesday, Dec. 17. Book your group rate for SoCal NorCal Journalism Education Association.
Proposed presentation topics include:
- Yearbook-focused session addressing standards, guidelines, trends and common weaknesses.
- You don’t have to be bilingual to help your staffs create bilingual coverage
- Knowing First Amendment Rights
- Recruiting & Retaining Students
- Teaching with GenAI
- Feature Writing Like a Boss
- How to teach video without crying (much)
- Wield Public Records Like A Pro
- Overcoming Censorship
- Smooth(er) Sailing with Deadlines
- Reporting via TikTok
- Maximizing mentorship and retention
Please email [email protected] with questions.
Speakers and attendees at the 2025 Teach-In at Cal Poly SLO.
Registration Opens for 2025 State Student Media Contests
The Portola Pilot staff during the 2024 State Student Media Contests at Cal State University, Long Beach.
The Southern California JEA State Student Media Contests will be held Saturday, April 5 at El Camino College, 16007 Crenshaw Blvd., in Torrance.
All categories are $20 per student and each adviser must pay a $35 SoCal JEA dues fee (if they are not current with their annual dues). Fees cover the location to host this event, cost of trophies, certificates, supplies and morning refreshments for students. We also provide lunch and a small gift for the speakers and judges.
Please make checks payable to "SCJEA" and PLEASE BRING WITH YOU TO THE WRITE-OFF (if not, you can mail BEFORE the event or you can Zelle your payment to [email protected]). You may substitute students on the day of the competition, if necessary, but ONLY in non-qualifying contests. If you want to make a substitution in News, Opinion, Feature or Sports, the sub MUST HAVE QUALIFIED at one of the three regional competitions.
Students competing at the state level in NEWS, FEATURES, EDITORIAL and SPORTS writing need to have qualified at one of the local contests on Feb. 22. All other categories are open to any student and they did not have to qualify to compete at the state level.
The deadline to register is Sunday, March 24. There will be NO REFUNDS granted. The number of students you register is the number that will need to be paid for. Please click here to register via Google Form.
All categories are $20 per student and each adviser must pay a $35 SoCal JEA dues fee (if they are not current with their annual dues). Fees cover the location to host this event, cost of trophies, certificates, supplies and morning refreshments for students. We also provide lunch and a small gift for the speakers and judges.
Please make checks payable to "SCJEA" and PLEASE BRING WITH YOU TO THE WRITE-OFF (if not, you can mail BEFORE the event or you can Zelle your payment to [email protected]). You may substitute students on the day of the competition, if necessary, but ONLY in non-qualifying contests. If you want to make a substitution in News, Opinion, Feature or Sports, the sub MUST HAVE QUALIFIED at one of the three regional competitions.
Students competing at the state level in NEWS, FEATURES, EDITORIAL and SPORTS writing need to have qualified at one of the local contests on Feb. 22. All other categories are open to any student and they did not have to qualify to compete at the state level.
The deadline to register is Sunday, March 24. There will be NO REFUNDS granted. The number of students you register is the number that will need to be paid for. Please click here to register via Google Form.