The Journalism Education Association has named Joseph Lister of West Chester, Pennsylvania, the 2017 Aspiring Young Journalist Award honoree. JEA presents this award to junior high/middle school students to acknowledge and reward their work, and to encourage them to continue their journalistic studies in high school.

Bryn Valdez of Parker, Colorado, was selected as runner-up.
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Joseph served as a reporter for The Blackfriar Chronicle newspaper at Malvern (Pennsylvania) Preparatory School for all three years of middle school. While this publication served the high school grade levels of his school, he was the only middle school student who kept showing up for staff meetings, eager to take on reporting assignments.

 READ MORE AT JEA.ORG 
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Video created by Will Yurman, Senior Lecturer, PSU College of Communications.

The highlights below represent work completed by just some of the students who have qualified for the PSPA State Finals.

PSPA State Journalism Contest Finalists Named

PENNSYLVANIA (special) – For local high school journalists, the quest to become a State Champion commenced once again when the Pennsylvania School Press Association opened up its Third Annual State Journalism Contests. On November 4, over 50 students from eastern Pennsylvania traveled to PSU Berks in the hopes of advancing to the State Finals held at Penn State Main on March 29, 2017. PSPA President Paul Fantaski expressed his appreciation for several aspects about the event.

“It just amazes me how institutions like PSU Berks truly advocate and super-support journalism in Pennsylvania schools. On behalf of PSPA, I simply must thank Keysha Whitaker and all of Berks for their willingness to host a SJC Regional this fall. Most importantly, 20 student journalists from outstanding eastern PA schools will advance to the State Championships.”

Contests involved literary design, photography, copywriting, sports-writing, editorial cartoon, broadcast media, and poetry talents. Only the top-scoring competitor in each Regional contest category qualified to attend the State Finals. PSPA proudly announces the following students as 2016-17 State Finalists:
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• Chava Kornblatt - Yearbook Caption Writing - MMI Preparatory School
• Rachel Scull - Yearbook Copywriting - Owen J. Roberts HS
• Anuj Arora - Yearbook Sports Writing - Emmaus HS
• Rachel McQuiston - Yearbook Spread Design - Emmaus HS
• Isabella Wegner - Yearbook Spread Design - Emmaus HS
• Bianca Contino - Newspaper News Story - Pleasant Valley HS
• Lucas Maake - Newspaper News Story - Emmaus HS
• Kamryn Scrivens - Newspaper Feature Story - Pleasant Valley HS
• James Marler - Newspaper Sports Story - Emmaus HS
• Angeline Stein - Editorial Cartoon - Emmaus HS
• Steven Lipson - Editorial Writing - Parkland HS
• Angelo Vasilopolous - Editorial Writing - Parkland HS
• Josh Narrow - Literary Magazine Poetry - MMI Preparatory School
• Danielle Pileggi - Literary Magazine Poetry - MMI Preparatory School
• Julia Snyder - Literary Magazine Poetry - MMI Preparatory School
• Haille Kern - Yearbook News Photos - Eastern Lebanon County HS
• Hayley Tracewell - Yearbook Sports Photos - Owen J. Roberts HS
• Hannah Tobinus - Yearbook Sports Photos - Owen J. Roberts HS
• Rachel Reed - Newspaper Feature Photos - Emmaus HS
• Dani Pluchinsky - Newspaper Sports Photos - Catasauqua HS

The Pennsylvania School Press Association originated in 1925 and stands as one of the oldest scholastic journalistic organizations in the country. The group presently is headquartered in Manchester, PA and welcomes all to apply for membership. For details, visit www.paschoolpress.org.

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