After reviewing comprehensive applications and portfolios, the MIPA judge has selected Zoe Butler, a senior at St. Teresa’s Academy in Kansas City, Mo., as the 2018 MIPA Student Journalist of the Year (SJOY).
Butler is the editor-in-chief of Dart and DartNewsOnline, the school’s nationally award-winning student-run newspaper and news website, advised by Brad Lewis. Student portfolios were judged in nine categories: candidate background, news gathering, writing, editing, design, multimedia broadcast, photojournalism, web, and law and ethics.
Butler will be recognized at the annual MIPA Journalism Day scheduled for Wednesday, March 28, in Jesse Hall on the MU campus in front of more than 1000 Missouri high school journalism students and advisers. The MIPA SJOY winner traditionally delivers a brief speech when accepting the award. In addition to the award this year, these sponsors have provided a cash award valued at $500 from sponsors: Balfour Yearbooks, Jostens, and MIPA Judges’ Fund.
The purpose of our state contest is to honor the work of Missouri’s student journalists and to provide professional critiques and services to support and enhance their education in the area of journalism. The MIPA SJOY is the longest running SJOY contest in the state, started 49 years ago. It is also the only one with a cash award.
