MEMBERSHIP

The S.C. Scholastic Press Association's purpose is to promote responsible scholastic journalism in South Carolina.

To achieve this goal we educate, evaluate, advocate and empower students and advisers who work with middle and high school newspapers, yearbooks, literary magazines and the broadcast programs in the state.

SCSPA has both publication and student memberships. Publications must be a member to receive critiques or participate in any of the individual competitions. Students must be members to apply for scholarships.

Publications have two membership options: one year ($40) or three years ($100). Students have two levels: high school ($20) and middle school ($10).

The membership year is Sept. 1 to Aug. 31.

Evaluations:

Experienced scholastic judges evaluate SCSPA magazines, newspapers, yearbooks and broadcast programs. They provide valuable feedback to help staffs improve as well as award excellence according to established scholastic journalism standards.

Newspaper and broadcast evaluations are due March 1. Awards are presented at the spring conference, usually the fourth Monday in April.

Newspapers may also receive a mini-evaluation in the fall - no rating, just feedback about weaknesses to improve and strenths to build on the remainder of the year.

Magazine and yearbook evaluations are due June 5. Awards are presented at the fall conference, usually the fourth Monday in September.

Individual Contests:

Broadcast staffs may compete in seven areas: news and feature stories, public service announcements, graphics, sports coverage, news anchor and reporter.

Magazine staffs may compete in seven areas: art, cover, non-fiction, photography, poetry, short story and spread design.

Newspaper staffs may enter SCSPA's Excellence in Scholastic Newspaper Award contest. Awards are presented in 12 categories to schools divided into three classes. Classes A & B are high school staffs based on enrollment: 1-1,550 and 1,551 and over. Class C is for middle schools.

Yearbook stafs may compete in six areas: cover, feature and sports photography, feature writing, spread design and theme development.

Photographers can compete in a mail-in contest in September and April.

Broadcast and newspaper individual competition awards are presented at the spring conference while yearbook and magazine individual competition awards are presented at the fall conference. Mail-in photography awards are presented at both the spring and fall conferences.

QUICK LINKS

Check out the 2009 Fall ESNA Winners

2009-10 Membership Application and Evaluation Form

Why join?

What is ESNA, individual competition and mini-evaluation?

Check out cool designs by SCSPA members

Check out election coverage from high schools around S.C.