The Journalism Education Association has named Margie Raper, MJE, of Rock Hill High School, Frisco, Texas, its 2024 Broadcast Adviser of the Year.

JEA Assistant Director Lindsay Porter, CJE, and 2023 Broadcast Adviser of the Year Terry Cassreino, CJE, surprised Raper with the announcement at Rock Hill High School Thursday, Aug. 29, during her broadcast journalism class.

The Broadcast Adviser of the Year Award honors outstanding high school advisers and their exemplary work from the previous year, as well as throughout their careers.

JEA also named Jeff Doles, CJE, of Barrington (Illinois) High School as Distinguished Broadcast Adviser and Katrina Berry-Ivy of Tupelo (Mississippi) High School as Special Recognition Broadcast Adviser.

Raper receives a $1,000 prize, and her school receives $500, which may be used to buy equipment for the broadcast classroom or to fund student scholarships for summer media workshops.

Doles’ school also receives $500 for broadcast equipment or to fund student scholarships to summer workshops.

Broadcast Adviser of the Year

Margie Raper, MJE, has advised publications since 2006 after working as a professional journalist. In August 2020, she started the Rock Hill Media journalism program at the new Prosper-Rock Hill High School in Frisco, Texas, where she is team lead for the Arts/Audio Video and Communication cohort, as well as the adviser for the Hill Top News broadcast, Blue Hawk yearbook, Rock Hill Media online and social media platforms.

“Margie Raper is a new generation journalism instructor teaching a new generation of high school journalists,” Laura Widmer, National Scholastic Press Association executive director, said. “She teaches her students the importance of collaborative, multi-platform student media operations.”

Those students have won numerous awards on the state and national level, including a Broadcast Pacemaker in 2022. Raper also has received many awards, including Columbia Scholastic Press Association Distinguished Adviser in 2023, Texas Association of Journalism Educators Trailblazer in 2022 and JEA Distinguished Yearbook Adviser in 2019.

During the post-show debrief, Hill Top News adviser Margie Raper, MJE, laughs with technical director Aiden Richmond as they reflect on the live newscast for April 8 that featured solar eclipse coverage. Photo courtesy of Margie Raper, MJE.

2021 National High School Journalist of the Year runner-up Grant Johnson said when he taught workshops with Raper she would inform the crowd that she just wants to be known as “Grant Johnson’s adviser.”

“As a former student who sat in her classroom every day for a school year, I felt her passion for what she did every day,” Johnson said. “She doesn’t take all the credit and tell people that she taught her students everything they know about shot composition, writing, editing and other topics. Instead, she shares her pride in being their adviser. Margie introducing herself to a group of people she has never met as ‘Grant Johnson’s adviser’ proves it.”

Raper said her job is to walk beside the students as their guide and adviser working with them to have the resources, knowledge and skills to tell stories and have a voice that doesn’t always echo the community they live in.

Broadcast program produced by Rock Hill High School students.

“As an educator, I strive to develop a community culture with students where they can develop their voice and vision as storytellers and journalists,” Raper said. “My mission is to guide students to be responsible media consumers and productive global citizens.”

“Our journalism program is a student-led, student-created, student-edited publication and production. I advise. I teach. I question. I motivate. I guide. The students brainstorm. The students interview. The students report. The students capture. The students edit. The students decide. The students lead.”

Raper teaches at workshops and conventions across the country, including as a JEA Partner Project instructor for three years. She served as assistant to the chair of the local committee for the 2017 JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention in Dallas. She is currently on the NSPA/ACP board and served on the TAJE board from 2013-2022.

Texas Interscholastic League Press Conference Director Alyssa Boehringer said it was a “no-brainer” to hire Raper as the Video Storytelling instructor for the Summer Workshop.

“When I get phone calls from teachers about how to set up a studio, what equipment to buy or how to organize a broadcast staff (several a year), I always send those advisers to Margie,” Boehringer said. “For scholastic journalism workshops and conventions, fundraising, teacher support, technology training and when it comes to setting the tone for the future of broadcast journalism education, Margie Raper is a shot of adrenaline to each project she takes on, not just in Texas, but all over the country.”

Broadcast program produced by Rock Hill High School students.

Distinguished Broadcast Adviser

Jeff Doles, CJE, has taught the TV production program, BHS-TV, at Barrington (Illinois) High School for two decades.

“Jeff has earned my respect and admiration for his continued drive in seeking new and unique opportunities that serve to improve the educational environment for all students,” Barrington High School Associate Principal Heath McFaul said. “He is conscientious of his instructional efforts, creating a safe, yet challenging atmosphere that allows students to express their creativity and grow as videographers, editors, directors and ultimately, as life-long learners.”

Doles said being a part of the career and technical education and fine arts programs is a source of great pride.

“BHS-TV exemplifies how these two areas seamlessly merge to showcase student creativity and skill,” Doles said. “Projects are centered around the students’ interests, allowing them to explore and express themselves in meaningful ways.

Many graduates from his program have gone on to work in the industry. In fact, five commercials from the 2024 Super Bowl were created by BHS-TV alumni.

“I take great pride in my role as a teacher and mentor in scholastic journalism, guiding and inspiring the next generation of media creators and future journalists,” Doles said. “I actively support and celebrate student achievement in various capacities.”

He is a member of the National Television Academy and has served as a judge for the Daily Herald Leadership Team. He also serves on the District Technology Committee, where his focus is researching the proper use of artificial intelligence in the classroom.

“I believe in harnessing the power of AI to enhance learning experiences and empower students to thrive in the digital age,” Doles said. “Overall, I am dedicated to nurturing the talents and passions of students, fostering a culture of excellence, and exploring innovative ways to enrich the educational journey through journalism and technology.”

Broadcast program produced by Barrington High School students.

Special Recognition Broadcast Adviser

Katrina Berry-Ivy began teaching and advising broadcast journalism at Tupelo (Mississippi) High School in January of 2019 after a decade of professional broadcast experience.

“Katrina’s biggest strengths are her work ethic and can-do attitude. She has a unique ability to inspire students, and she has the content knowledge to coach them toward an elite level of performance,” JEA Mississippi State Director R.J. Morgan, MJE, said. “Beyond her exemplary work with her own program, her service to our discipline is enthusiastic and beyond reproach.”

Berry-Ivy is an MSPA board member and board secretary for the Southern Interscholastic Press Association. She also has published two articles in Communication: Journalism Education Today.

Her students have won numerous awards at the state, regional and national level. She was a 2023 JEA Rising Star and 2021 Mississippi Scholastic Press Association Broadcast Adviser of the Year.

One improvement Berry-Ivy has made to the program is increased diversity with the goal of finding voices that are not being heard as well as discovering what makes a student or teacher unique.

“People in the community are now suggesting story ideas, which is a complement to the program,” Berry-Ivy said. “Students feel valued because members of the community are now watching their show.”

 

Broadcast program produced by Tupelo High School students.

 

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Founded in 1924, JEA supports free and responsible scholastic journalism by providing resources and educational opportunities, promoting professionalism, encouraging and rewarding student excellence and teacher achievement, and an atmosphere which encompasses diversity yet builds unity. It is headquartered at Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas.