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Remember to follow the most up-to-date HiJOY rubric because it may differ from the national rubric and previous state rubrics.
The basics and deadlines for 2025
Each year Hawaii recognizes a student Journalist of the Year. The student must be a senior who has been involved in student journalism at some time in their high school career. The journalist could work/have worked for their school newspaper, yearbook, broadcast media, … . The student does not have to be involved in student journalism their senior year. What matters is that they have evidence of work in rubric categories from at least one year of student journalism.
Hawaii’s chapter of the Asian American Journalist Association has sponsored HiJOY since 2022 and has committed for 2024 to provide a total of $400 to the HIJOY 2024 Contest if there are 6 or fewer participants. If there are 7+ participants, they will provide $500 total.The student must write a Personal Narrative and provide evidence of work in the following three categories: Reporting/Writing, Editing/Leadership/Teamwork, and Law/Ethics/News Literacy, plus evidence from one choice category. Evidence for more than one of the choice categories can earn the student extra points.
The HiJOY winner can apply for national Journalist of the Year.
National deadline is March 10 at 11:59 CTS if you win the state contest. Remember, the mainland converts to Daylight Savings Time in March, so triple confirm that you have calculated the time difference to Hawaii correctly.
Here are requirements and suggestions for this:
REQUIRED:
-Complete an online application with contact information, a transcript, three letters of recommendation, a resume, an action photo of applicant involved in some aspect of student media, and the link to the digital portfolio of their work.
-Your adviser must be a member of the Journalism Education Association
SUGGESTED
-Add evidence for the categories not completed for HiJOY
OR
- Find a way to use the language of those categories in the evidence/reflections you have already done.
-If the HiJOY was a Google Slideshow, consider transferring your work to a website.
Organization and Documentation
The HiJOY portfolio can be Google Slides or a website such as Wix, WordPress, a student-created site, …
*If you create a website, use a personal account just to be safe. Last year, some students created a Google Site using their DOE account and it was not viewable to anyone outside the DOE.
Each portfolio can earn up to 5 points for organization and documentation.
If you make a website:
It would help if at the END of each webpage, there is a link judges can click taking them to the NEXT page. Right now, judges scroll through your page and then have to scroll back up and choose the next page.
Your Name’s Journalism Portfolio
Your profile picture
(optional - also add an “action photo” of you
Table of Contents | |
Personal Narrative | |
Reporting and Writing | |
Editing, Leadership and Team Building | |
Law, Ethics, News Literacy | |
Required optional category | |
Any bonus categories | |
(optional - a brief welcome message to those viewing your portfolio)
Resources for student
Personal Narrative
• Journalist’s personal narrative reflects on their scholastic media experience and how it shaped both current success and future goals.
• Personal Narrative addresses challenges applicant faced along the way and how these were solved.
• Personal Narrative exhibits the applicant's strong, vibrant voice. Write with passion and make an impact on the judges because this narrative functions as your one-on-one interview with the judges.
Even though this is an essay that reveals your growth in scholastic media, TREAT THIS LIKE A FEATURE ARTICLE.
● START WITH AN ENGAGING LEAD.
● TELL THE JUDGES A STORY.
HiJOY suggested length - around 500 words
Personal Narrative
Consider describing how you got involved with your school’s journalism program(s):
Consider describing what you are most proud of in your journalism journey.
Personal Narrative (continued)
Consider describing a challenge you faced and overcame or are working to overcome in your journalism journey
Consider describing how your journalism journey has shaped your future goals
A note about artifacts and explanations
Each artifact must be accompanied by an explanation/reasoning. The explanation/reasoning should include the student’s explanation about the specific task/work. Include any difficulties encountered with the task/work and special circumstances affecting it. Explanation should typically be less than 100 words in length, easy to read and should explain why this entry is important and was chosen for the portfolio.
If the artifact is content that was submitted for a contest or recognition, did it place or get recognized in some other way?
There are so many options for artifacts.
If the work has not been published, it still can be included, but the student must explain in the explanation why the work was included. Journalistic work created outside of your school media is also acceptable as an artifact.
There are no limits on how many work examples a candidate can enter, but students are encouraged to keep in mind that judges only have a certain amount of time to review a portfolio. So quality over quantity is important when considering what work to include. The goal is to showcase the student journalist.
Resources for student
Reporting and Writing
• Applicant’s artifacts exemplify excellence in reporting and writing.
• Included work should include meaningful, impactful, enterprising journalism.
• It should showcase the applicant’s writing and ability to synthesize information from a rich array of reliable sources.
• Applicants are encouraged to include a variety of work including news, feature, sports and opinion.
What are the characteristics of excellent reporting?
Consider:
What are the characteristics of excellent journalistic writing?
Consider:
Reporting and Writing Defined
What are the characteristics of quality reporting?
What are the characteristics of quality journalistic writing?
Reporting
journalism-related artifact
How does this journalism-related artifact demonstrate quality or growth in reporting?
Reporting
journalism-related artifact
How does this journalism-related artifact demonstrate quality or growth in reporting?
Writing
journalism-related artifact
How does this journalism-related artifact demonstrate quality or growth in journalistic writing?
Writing
journalism-related artifact
How does this journalism-related artifact demonstrate quality or growth in journalistic writing?
Resources for student
Editing, Leadership and Team Building
• Applicants should include examples that demonstrate their abilities as an editor or leader, even if they do not hold a formal “leadership position” on staff.
• Artifacts may include hands-on editing work that demonstrates excellence in providing feedback aimed at improving growth and building capacity; student-produced resource documents; excerpts from recommendation letters.
• Applicants may also demonstrate editing proficiency by “revisiting” and updating work from earlier in their journalistic career and providing a look at how they might handle the piece differently now that they are more experienced.
What are the characteristics of excellent editing?
Consider:
What are the characteristics of excellent leadership?
Consider:
What are the characteristics of team building?
Consider:
Editing, Leadership and Team Building Defined
What are the characteristics of quality editing?
What are the characteristics of quality leadership?
What are the characteristics of quality team building?
Editing
journalism-related artifact
How does this journalism-related artifact demonstrate quality or growth in editing?
Leadership
journalism-related artifact
How does this journalism-related artifact demonstrate quality or growth in leadership?
Team Building
journalism-related artifact
How does this journalism-related artifact demonstrate quality or growth in team building?
Resources for student
Law, Ethics, News Literacy
• Do you have evidence that demonstrates a command of the legal and ethical knowledge necessary for producing responsible journalism?
• Do you have evidence that demonstrates a firm grasp of the importance of excelling in these areas and ensuring other members of your team do the same?
• Do you have evidence that you actively work to improve news literacy for yourself, your fellow journalists, on your campus and in your community?
Law, Ethics and News Literacy Defined
What is journalism law and how should it impact a journalist’s work?
What is journalism ethics and how should it impact a journalist’s work?
What does it mean to be news literate?
Law
journalism-related artifact
How does this journalism-related artifact demonstrate quality or growth in understanding and implementing journalism law and/or in helping others excel in this area?
Ethics
journalism-related artifact
How does this journalism-related artifact demonstrate quality or growth in understanding and implementing journalism ethics and/or in helping others excel in this area?
News Literacy
journalism-related artifact
How does this journalism-related artifact demonstrate your active improvement in news literacy for yourself and/or your fellow journalists, on your campus and in your community?
Choice Categories
CHOICE CATEGORIES
There are six choice categories. The Hawaii student must choose ONE of these categories. This choice category will be scored on the 7-point scale, so the student wants to put just as much effort into this category as they did for the Reporting/Writing, Editing/Leadership/Team Building, and Law/Ethics/News Literacy.
BONUS POINTS
If the student has evidence for any of the other five choice categories, they can provide one or two artifacts/explanations for each category.
Choice Categories
Web and Social Media • Do you have evidence that you plan and execute timely coverage, selecting the appropriate presentation for the story -- audio, video, social media, photo galleries and other multimedia tools? • Do you have evidence that you use social media to tell engaging stories? Explanation - HOW does this artifact show your skills/growth in this category? |
Design • Do you have evidence that demonstrates an understanding of the elements of design, including dominance, contrast, eye flow, balance, alignment and unity? • Do you have evidence of work that reveals both proficiency and originality in packaging work? • Do you have evidence that extends beyond print to outstanding design samples from web, social media and broadcast? Explanation - HOW does this artifact show your skills/growth in this category? |
Photojournalism • Do you have evidence that you can plan, shoot and edit high quality photographs that demonstrate application of effective exposure, composition and color balance/contrast AND that you can use photos to capture unique storytelling moments? • Do you have evidence that you can write effective captions that give all essential facts plus additional context? Explanation - HOW does this artifact show your skills/growth in this category? |
Marketing and Audience Engagement • • Do you have evidence that you engage audiences in a meaningful, impactful and original way? Do you have evidence that you engage our audience through branding, marketing, sales, fundraising, distribution and/or social media? • Do you have evidence that demonstrates a working knowledge of funding, analytics and the “business side” of student media? Explanation - HOW does this artifact show your skills/growth in this category? |
Commitment to Diversity • Do you have evidence that you are committed to diversity – in all ways? This could include coverage that amplifies concerns of underrepresented communities and reflects the diverse makeup of the community; practices that cultivate a diverse staff; or other efforts to meet this important objective? Explanation - HOW does this artifact show your skills/growth in this category? |
Broadcast Journalism • Do you have evidence of broadcast artifacts that showcase work of journalistic merit such as video packages, anchoring work, broadcast commentaries or event coverage? Documentary work is also encouraged. • Do you have evidence that you can effectively edit text, audio, video, graphics and other elements that tell a story in context? (PSAs, commercials and film are welcome here, but the primary focus of this category is journalistic work.) Explanation - HOW does this artifact show your skills/growth in this category? |
Choice Category
How would you define quality in this category?
journalism-related artifact
How does this journalism-related artifact demonstrate quality or growth in this category?
journalism-related artifact
How does this journalism-related artifact demonstrate quality or growth in this category?
journalism-related artifact
How does this journalism-related artifact demonstrate quality or growth in this category?
Optional - evidence for bonus points
Category?
Category?
Category?
Category?
Category?