JEA invites prospective Journalist of the Year applicants and their advisers to the first informational Portfolio Polish Zoom-in of the 2021-22 contest cycle, which will explore the audience engagement and marketing section of the online portfolio.

The sessions, launched last school year, offer students and educators a chance to learn more about specific areas required in the award rubric used by journalist of the year jurors.

The Audience Engagement and Marketing Zoom-in will be held Monday, Dec. 13 at 7:30 p.m. CST. Sign-up here to request login details.

Panelists will include 2021 JEA Journalist of the Year Riley Atkinson of Kansas, along with Florida adviser Courtney Hanks, MJE, and South Carolina adviser Phillip Caston, CJE. Journalist of the Year coordinator Joe Humphrey, MJE, will serve as moderator.

“Dozens of students and teachers participated in last year’s Zoom-ins and it definitely helped students craft stronger portfolios,” Humphrey said. “We are excited to have Riley and some amazing educators joining us Monday and then more great students and advisers sharing their expertise in early 2022.”

This Audience Engagement and Marketing Portfolio Polish will join a growing collection of tutorial videos and other resources aimed at helping applicants for Journalist of the Year. Additional Portfolio Polish Zoom-ins, with topics to be announced, will be held Jan. 3, Jan. 10, Jan. 17, Jan. 24 and Jan. 31. Students and teachers are encouraged to bring questions.

“But as journalists,” Humphrey said, “we know attendees will be able to come up with some great follow-ups for the panelists.”The Journalist of the Year scholarship competition begins at the state level, with winning portfolios advancing to JEA, which will name one $3,000 scholarship winner and four runners-up, who each will receive $1,000 scholarships.