COVID-19 continues to impact our nation. As more and more schooling is delivered via eLearning, a spotlight shines on the “digital divide.”  

What is a digital divide? It is the uneven distribution in the access to, use of, or impact of information and communications technologies between any number of distinct groups, which can be defined based on social, geographical, or geopolitical criteria, or otherwise.

What are schools and communities doing to ensure all students have equitable access to the tools and resources needed to carry out successful eLearning? 

It is up to you, as reporters, to find out. 

This contest is fairly flexible, but has a few guidelines that must be followed.

You may write as an individual, or as a team of no more than three student reporters, a feature article geared toward a yearbook and/or newspaper publication that addresses this issue. This is open to online publications, as well. A link to the article must be submitted in the form of a Google Doc share or a published piece in an online publication, etc. No file uploads will be accepted.  (Please do not exceed 750 words.)

OR

You may produce as an individual, or as a team of no more than three student reporters, a broadcast feature story that addresses this issue. Broadcast includes: Podcast, Radio, and Video. (Please do not exceed 2 minutes and 30 seconds.)

PRIZES:

Prize sponsors include: the East Central College, Union, Mo., Journalism and Mass Media Program and an anonymous donor to SchoolJournalism.org. 

The Grand Prize (broadcast journalism) winner(s) will receive a total of $75 in Amazon Gift Card(s) for the winners to use at their discretion. Winners will also receive these three books: Ghosting the News: Local Journalism and the Crisis of American Democracy, This Is Not Propaganda: Adventures in the War Against Reality, and Aim for the Heart: Write for the Ear, Shoot for the Eye: A Guide for TV Producers and Reporters.

Just like with the broadcast winner(s), the Grand Prize (print journalism) winner(s) will receive a total of $75 in Amazon Gift Card(s) for the winners to use at their discretion. Winners will also receive these three books: This Is Not Propaganda: Adventures in the War Against Reality,  The Art of Fact, and Telling True Stories.

SPECIFICATIONS:

1. Students who reside in the United States may enter individually, or in teams of up to three people (no more than three).
2. Schools may enter more than one entry, but individual students may not enter more than one entry. Their name may not appear on more than one entry. 
3. Students in 7th to 12th grade may enter. NOTE: This is open to home school students, too.
4. There is no entry fee to enter.
5. Students will have until midnight Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, to enter.
6. Each entry will be judged. One Grand Prize Winner in Broadcast and one Grand Prize Winner in Print will be named.
7. All winners will be listed on the SchoolJournalism.org website, and promoted and shared on our social media platforms.
8. All winners grant SchoolJournalism.org permission to share, post, or embed the winning entries. 
9. SchoolJournalism.org will not provide written feedback due to the fast turn-around time involved with judging.
10. Students will be disqualified if copyright is violated, entry requirements are not met, or it is found out that content used was not written, recorded, created, etc. by the students creating the story. Content should be original.
11. Broadcast students must upload their finished story to YouTube or Vimeo. Print students must submit a link to a document judges can open to score/read. 
12. Submit the link to their article or video to this link by midnight Friday, Oct. 30, 2020.
13. The submission will include the following information: Student’s(s’) first and last name(s), name and contact phone number and email address for adult who oversaw the project (including and not limited to: teacher, adviser, youth group leader, or a parent if home school), article/story title, and link.
14. We look forward to your participation. Our hope is that, win or lose, YOU are increasing awareness, knowledge, and understanding of the Digital Divide in your community and across our nation.