Styles and fads come and go, but one thing that NEVER goes out of style is the First Amendment. That is why for the past eight years SchoolJournalism.org invited students to enter the The First Amendment Matters PSA contest.
This year’s contest featured the theme “The First Amendment Never Goes Out of Style.” After a few weeks of reviewing the entries, our three judges selected three winning teams hailing from Missouri and New Jersey. 
The Grand Prize Winner is “Catwalk” by Emma Nelson, Marisela Farrell, Emily McEwen, and Brooklynn Wallen of Lee’s Summit North High School in Lee’s Summit, Mo. Terry Durnell is their adviser.
This PSA not only fits the theme and contest guidelines, but takes a clever and creative spin on the five freedoms protected by the First Amendment. The judges had the following to say about the top PSA:
Judge #1: “I love the creativity and the work they put into this, along with the adherence to the theme of the contest. It’s clever and well executed.”
Judge #2: “Super clever and well produced. Nice script. Fresh take on a historical document.”
Judge #3: “Creative, fun, and gets the point across.”
The Grand Prize winning team will receive a total of $100 in Amazon Gift Card(s) to use at their discretion courtesy of the East Central College, Union, Mo., Media Studies Program, along with a box of prizes from SchoolJournalism.org, East Central College’s Media Studies Program, and the Academy of Scholastic Broadcasting.
Second Place goes to “Your First Amendment Rights Never Go Out of Style” by Abbie Simpson, Emma Haig, and Julia Hirsch who attend Delaware Valley Regional High School in Frenchtown, N.J. Their adviser is Brian Smith.
Our judges felt that this PSA creatively adhered to the contest’s theme and rules with a well-researched solid concept. They also noted that the specific historical examples give viewers topics to dig into more and it also highlights the importance of doing research to create a solid PSA.
The Second Place team will receive $50 in Amazon Gift Card(s) for the winner(s) to use at their discretion courtesy of the East Central College, Union, Mo., Media Studies Program, along with a box of prizes from SchoolJournalism.org, East Central College’s Media Studies Program, and the Academy of Scholastic Broadcasting.
Last, but certainly not least, SchoolJournalism.org would also like to recognize the team of Henry Farmer, Keanu Johnson, Sage Sommerhauser, and Carsen Spieth from Lee’s Summit North High School in Lee’s Summit, Mo under the direction of Terry Durnell for their Honorable Mention PSA “Know Your Rights.”
The HM honorees will receive $50 in Amazon Gift Card(s) for the winner(s) to use at their discretion courtesy of the East Central College, Union, Mo., Media Studies Program.
SchoolJournalism.org would like to thank all the schools who participated this year. We look forward to hosting this contest again in 2025. Remember, the First Amendment matters!