If you feel your school actively supports and honors the First Amendment through its student media, consider submitting an entry for this year’s First Amendment Press Freedom Award. The award looks at the entire student media program at the school: digital and print newspaper, yearbook and student broadcast.
Information and Round One submission forms for the First Amendment Press Freedom Award (formerly the Let Freedom Ring Award) in the how to apply section.
The award focuses on press freedom. Round One questions must be completed by a student editor and an adviser or administrator filling out separate forms. Please read and respond carefully to Round One questions. Even if your school has received FAPFA recognition before, you must reapply each year.
The award is juried by Journalism Education Association, National Scholastic Press Association and Quill and Scroll Society.
About the logoÂ
The logo was designed by Gloria Guo in 2019. Guo was a four-year member of the journalism program and editor-in-chief of the 2018 Talon yearbook at The Harker School in San Jose, California.
APPLY BY DEC. 15, 2026 – ONLINE APPLICATION HERE
How to Apply
DEADLINE: Round One applications must be received by Dec. 15.
Those whose responses qualify them to go further in the competition will receive information about Round Two questionnaires early the following year.
Application Process
Standard application explainer
This video explains the standard application process for the First Amendment Press Freedom Award. FAPFA is an award that celebrates schools who support press freedom throughout their entire student media program. This screencast discusses the criteria for winning the award and the two-round application process.
Past winner application explainer
This video explains the FAPFA application process for schools who won the past year. All schools must resubmit each year, but our goal is to streamline the process for last year's winners if their student media advisers and supervising administrator haven’t changed. If your school won in the previous award cycle, watch this video to learn more.
26 years, 67 schools
Award Recognition
Those schools receiving the award will be honored at the opening ceremony of the Spring JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention.