National High School Journalism Contest Sparks Systemic Change Reporting

Women’s bodies on the line; the stripping of protections for LGBTQ+ Americans; dead bodies on Ukrainian streets, raging gun violence across the U.S., racial, economic and environmental injustice; consistent threats to democracy both nationally and internationally —these are just a sampling of human-made disasters taking place all over the world. 

How do we create sustainable solutions? One way is our next generation of journalists.

This past year, on behalf of the Foundation For Systemic Change, JT assisted with creating and implementing a national journalism competition for high school students that aims to tackle these pressing issues. Thus, the Fred Ross Systemic Change Journalism Competition was born. 

Named after the remarkable grassroots organizer who trained and mentored iconic leaders like Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, Fred Ross dedicated his life to organizing working men and women to better help themselves. Ross demonstrated how to channel anger and frustration into building member-led movements to change institutions and policies in meaningful ways that improve lives. He worked from the understanding that persistence and organization are required in order to build power and give people a voice in the decisions that shape their lives.

In tandem with the Foundation’s support of the new documentary, to be released next winter,  The Fred Ross Project, the competition aims to illustrate the ways in which organized collective action can combat racism, bigotry, and greed - all while inspiring a new generation of journalists.

Through a partnership with the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA), the competition launched at the organization’s national conference in St. Louis last November. Senior Account Executive Morgan McDonough, who attended the same conference himself as a high school journalist, gave an inspiring speech inviting high school students from every U.S. state to participate. 

In just its first year, the Fred Ross Systemic Change Journalism Competition received over 125 entries from hundreds of high school students all across the country. Submissions covered topics such as union negotiations, local food insecurity, antisemitism, environmental justice and much more through mediums like traditional print, websites, documentaries and short-form videos.

Although optional for submissions, the Foundation also offered one-on-one mentorship opportunities for interested students. These young reporters worked hand-in-hand with working journalists, including Eric Schmitt from the New York Times. Students took advantage of this opportunity to dive deeper into their reporting, edit their stories and build relationships with industry professionals.

Winners will be announced at this year’s NSPA Fall National High School Journalism Convention in Boston.