# Journalism & Media Programs & Competitions for High School Students

Journalism programs — school-press associations, summer newsrooms, and national student-media competitions — build reporting, editing, and publication-leadership credentials.

Editor-in-chief of a real publication remains one of the most convincing leadership lines on any application.

39 verified programs match this page; 22 of the featured listings are free; 9 can be done online.

## Programs (39 total, first 30 shown — full list on the canonical page)

| Program | Organization | Cost | Format | Grades | Deadline |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Forbes 30 Under 30 Recognition](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/forbes-30-under-30) | Forbes Magazine | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2026-10-31 |
| [Northwestern University Medill-Northwestern Journalism Institute](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/northwestern-summer-journalism) | Northwestern University | $6,000 | in_person | Grades 10–11 | 2027-03-02 |
| [Columbia Scholastic Press Association Crown Awards](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/columbia-scholastic-press) | Columbia University | $100 | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | 2026-08-31 |
| [MIT Media Lab High School Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/mit-media-lab-high-school-program) | MIT Media Lab | Free | in_person | Grades 10–12 | 2027-03-01 |
| [JCamp High School Journalism](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/jcamp-high-school-journalism) | Asian American Journalists Association | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2027-01-11 |
| [Northwestern Medill-Northwestern Journalism Institute (Cherubs) - Writing & Reporting](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/northwestern-medill-northwestern-journalism-institute-cherubs-writing-reporting) | Northwestern Medill | $6,200 | in_person | Grade 11 | 2027-03-02 |
| [Northwestern National High School Institute (Cherubs) - Journalism](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/northwestern-national-high-school-institute-cherubs-journalism) | Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University | Free | in_person | Grades 11–12 | 2027-03-02 |
| [Student Press Law Center Free Press Advocacy](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/student-press-law-center-free-press-advocacy) | Student Press Law Center | Free | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | 2027-05-20 |
| [The World in 2050 Writing Competition](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/the-world-in-2050) | Brookings Institution & Financial Times | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | Rolling |
| [Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/al-neuharth-free-spirit) | Freedom Forum | Free | in_person | Grades 11–12 | 2027-02-01 |
| [Washington Journalism and Media Conference](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/washington-journalism-media-conf) | George Mason University | $2,500 | in_person | Grades 10–12 | 2027-02-16 |
| [Dow Jones News Fund High School Journalism Workshops](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/dow-jones-news-fund-high-school-journalism-workshops) | Dow Jones News Fund | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2027-03-01 |
| [Journalism Education Association Writing Competitions](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/jea-journalism-awards) | JEA | $50 | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2026-10-20 |
| [Dow Jones News Fund](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/dow-jones-news-fund) | Dow Jones News Fund | Free | hybrid | Grades 11–12 | 2027-05-01 |
| [National Student Production Awards](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/broadcast-education-media-awards) | Broadcast Education Association | $25 | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2026-12-15 |
| [School of The New York Times - Summer Academy](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/school-of-the-new-york-times-summer-academy) | The New York Times | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2027-04-09 |
| [Palm Springs International ShortFest](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/palm-springs-international-festival-of-short-films) | Palm Springs International Film Society | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2027-02-07 |
| [New York Times Student Editorial Contest](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/new-york-times-student-editorial-contest) | The New York Times Learning Network | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2027-04-08 |
| [PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/pbs-newshour-student-reporting-labs) | PBS NewsHour | Free | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | Rolling |
| [New York Times Personal Narrative Contest](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/nyt-personal-narrative) | The New York Times | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2026-12-03 |
| [AAAS Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellows](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/aaas-mass-media-science-engineering-fellows) | American Association for the Advancement of Science | $3,000 | in_person | Grade 12 | 2027-01-01 |
| [Global Kids Online Leaders Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/global-kids-online-leaders-program) | Global Kids | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2027-06-01 |
| [Quill and Scroll International Writing, Photo Contests](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/quill-scroll-awards) | Quill and Scroll | $15 | virtual | Grades 10–12 | 2027-02-05 |
| [C-SPAN StudentCam](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/c-span-studentcam) | C-SPAN | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2027-01-20 |
| [AAJA Journalism Camp (JCamp)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/aaja-jcamp) | Asian American Journalists Association | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2027-01-11 |
| [New York Times Student Review Contest](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/nyt-student-review) | The New York Times | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2027-02-24 |
| [Princeton Summer Journalism Program (PSJP)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/princeton-summer-journalism-program-psjp) | Princeton University | Free | hybrid | Grade 11 | 2027-01-26 |
| [Al Neuharth Free Spirit Scholar](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/al-neuharth-free-spirit-scholar) | Freedom Forum | Free | in_person | Grade 11 | 2027-03-15 |
| [Bentley Film Festival (MA High School Film Fest)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/bentley-film-festival) | Bentley University Media and Culture Department | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | Rolling |
| [Poynter High School Journalism Workshops](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/poynter-high-school-journalism-workshops) | Poynter Institute | Free | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | Rolling |

## Frequently asked questions

### How many journalism & media programs are listed for high school students?

ExtracurricularHub currently lists 39 verified journalism & media opportunities for high school students, each with cost, eligibility, deadline, and an official application link.

### Are any of these journalism & media programs free?

Yes — 22 of the programs featured on this page charge no participation fee. Free programs are often funded and can be more selective, so apply early.

### Which deadlines are coming up soonest?

The next deadlines: Columbia Scholastic Press Association Crown Awards (August 31, 2026); Journalism Education Association Writing Competitions (October 20, 2026); Forbes 30 Under 30 Recognition (October 31, 2026). Deadlines change every cycle — always confirm on the program's official site.

### Do journalism & media extracurriculars help with college admissions?

Yes — sustained, escalating involvement in journalism & media (participation → awards or leadership → independent work) reads far stronger than scattered one-off activities. Pick one or two programs from this page and go deep.

## Related pages

- [Writing Programs & Competitions for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/writing)
- [Film & Video Programs & Competitions for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/film)
- [Leadership for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/leadership)
- [Arts for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/arts)
- [Browse all extracurriculars](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars)
- [Find My Fit — 3-minute matching quiz](https://extracurricularhub.com/find-my-fit)

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Canonical page: https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/journalism
Source: ExtracurricularHub (https://extracurricularhub.com) — a free directory of 1,826 verified extracurricular programs for high school students. Cite the canonical page above; always confirm binding details on each program's official site.