National Journalism Quiz Bowl - Journalism Education Association

Are you ready to test your staff’s skills and knowledge against teams from across the country? Then start prepping and putting together four-person teams for the National Journalism Quiz Bowl competition, part of the JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention.

About the Quiz Bowl

The quiz bowl-style competition and qualifying exam will include questions related to current events, pop culture, journalism terminology, Associated Press style, spelling and usage, scholastic media law, civics/American government, classic and modern literature, sports and general knowledge (example: How many pints in a quart?).

National Convention Participation Deadlines and Registration

Quiz Bowl teams will take a written test at 8 a.m. Friday at the convention. Each team of four will take one test together on one computer. Each team is responsible for bringing one computer/laptop/Chromebook (no iPads/tablets) to take the test on. If you need to borrow a JEA laptop, email Porter@jea.org.

The test scores will be used to seed the top teams that will compete in the live buzzer rounds 8-10 a.m. Saturday.

Teams participating in the live buzzer rounds will be recognized at the JEA awards ceremony (on Saturday in the spring and on Sunday in the fall). The winning team will receive a trophy.

The registration fee for each four-person team is $50.

Register here

Preparation

Four team members can divide up the topics to study in preparation for the quiz bowl. For example, have Team Member 1 study the terms in the glossary of a good journalism textbook. Remember the test represents all media: newspaper, magazine, yearbook, broadcast, photography, graphic design and online publications.

Team Member 2 can review the major legal cases that impact scholastic journalism. The SPLC Law of the Student Press is a good resource as are the splc.org and jeasprc.org.

Team Member 3 can review terms and concepts from civics. Websites that help immigrants prepare for the citizenship test are a good place to start. Most civics teachers have study sheets.

Team Member 4 should brush up on Associated Press style and basic grammar and usage.

Finally, have the whole team review the major news and sports stories from the past 12 months. There are a number of websites that list major news events from each month.

Watch for details about how to register a team for the National Journalism Quiz Bowl.

National Journalism Quiz Bowl Frequently Asked Questions

1. How many students are on a team? A team for the National Journalism Quiz Bowl has four students. This is a good way to get the different publication staffs at a school working together. For instance, a team might include one representative from the newspaper, yearbook, broadcast and literary magazine staffs at a school.

2. How much does it cost to enter a team? The entry fee for the National Journalism Quiz Bowl is $50 per team.

3. How many teams may a school have?
There is no limit to the number of teams a school may enter. It is fun to have a varsity team of upperclassmen and a junior varsity team of underclassmen.

4. What topics are covered in the questions for the National Journalism Quiz Bowl? The topics include AP Style, current events, journalism terminology, scholastic media law and civics/American government. The current events questions are taken from the 12 months preceding the convention where the quiz bowl is held.

5. How does the quiz bowl work? On Friday morning at the convention, the members of each team collaborate to take a 50-question multiple-choice test that is used to cut the number of teams for the live buzzer rounds and to seed the teams. The questions cover AP Style, current events, journalism terminology, scholastic media law and civics/American government. On Saturday morning, the teams compete in live buzzer rounds with a moderator asking the questions and the team members buzzing in to answer. The student who buzzes in must answer the question. The moderator goes over the rules of the competition before the rounds begin.

6. Is there a prize for winning? Yes, the winning team receives a trophy to take home.

7. How can students prepare for the quiz bowl? A good way to prepare for the quiz bowl is to have each member of the team “specialize” in one of the subject areas covered in the quiz bowl. For instance, one team member can review AP style while another studies the basic facts of civics and American government. The entire team could review current events, or the team could divide up the previous 12 months and have individual team members focus on specific months. There are plenty of resources available to study. Most journalism textbooks have glossaries of terms. The practice citizenship tests on the Internet provide a way to study for the civics questions. There are numerous sites that list major current events.

8. When does the quiz bowl take place? The preliminary test for the National Journalism Quiz Bowl is given at 8 a.m. on Friday morning during the convention. The buzzer rounds begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning. The bracket for the buzzer rounds is posted by 10 a.m. on Friday.