Oct. 27, 2021

National Scholastic Press Association announces the finalists in its 2021 Digital Story of the Year competition.

Winners in this and all Individual Award categories, as well as the NSPA Pacemaker Awards in Broadcast, Newspaper/Newsmagazine and Specialty Magazine, will be announced virtually at 4 p.m. ET Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021.

Finalists are alphabetical by state.

Register for the JEA/NSPA Fall National High School Journalism Convention, presented virtually Nov. 1, 2021, to Jan. 15, 2022.

Enter the Best of Show competition for the fall virtual convention.

Register for the Philadelphia Storytelling Workshop.

NSPA’s first in-person Pacemaker Master Class will be presented Nov. 11-13, 2021, at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown.

“The surge of Asian hate”
Staff
Scot Scoop
Carlmont High School
Belmont, California

“For past 25 years, high school enrollment on the decline”
Candice Anvari-Ghasr
Highlights
Beverly Hills High School
Beverly Hills, California

“Rampant wildfires lead to poor air quality for weeks”
Staff
El Estoque
Monta Vista High School
Cupertino, California

“Amidst dancing and ‘pure happiness,’ alumni saw tragedy unfold on Israel’s Mount Meron”
Keira Beller
The Boiling Point
Shalhevet High School
Los Angeles, California

“The Rise and Fall of CUSDs Enrollment and Expenditures”
Lance Tong
El Estoque
Monta Vista High School
Webster Groves, California

“Pandemic pressures school finances”
Gabrielle Meidar
The Standard
The American School in London
London, United Kingdom

“Black Lives Matter movement gains support in South Florida”
Staff
The Eagle Eye
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
Parkland, Florida

“Divided we stand”
Cameron Rozek
Central Times
Naperville Central High School
Naperville, Illinois

“Community reflects on police presence in schools”
Ulaa Kuziez
Pathfinder
Parkway West High School
Ballwin, Missouri

“Not in the books: Board faces months of deliberating on budget with projected $7 million deficit”
Neha Desaraju
Coppell Student Media
Coppell High School
Coppell, Texas

“Academics to incarceration”
Raina Lahiri, Aylin Salahifar
Scot Scoop
Carlmont High School
Belmont, California

“Permanent Resident”
Staff
El Estoque
Monta Vista High School
Cupertino, California

“Sexual Assault”
Staff
El Estoque
Monta Vista High School
Cupertino, California

“Veterans Day 2020”
Samuel Elliott, Thomas Langston James
Eagle Valley Student Media
Eagle Valley High School
Gypsum, Colorado

“Confronting toxic masculinity”
Emily Forgash, Cameron Spurr, Zainab Shafqat Adil
The Standard
The American School in London
London, United Kingdom

“Sexual Harassment: Shattering the Silence”
Grace Hamilton, Maddy Whitman, Zainab Shafqat Adil
The Standard
The American School in London
London, United Kingdom

“Navigating the media terrain in the 21st century”
Leland Pan
Metea Media
Metea Valley High School
Aurora, Illinois

“Photo Essay: Band Improvises During COVID-19”
Edan Zinn
The Gator
Brimmer and May School
Chestnut Hill, Massachussetts

“American Policing”
Staff
Globe
Clayton High School
St. Louis, Missouri

“The State of Equity in Emmaus High School”
Staff
The Stinger
Emmaus High School
Emmaus, Pennsylvania

“Carlmont Jumps pave the way for a bright future”
Hayes Gaboury, Kenzo Peraire
Scot Scoop
Carlmont High School
Belmont, California

“Preparing for battle: 2021 varsity football”
Jack Watson
Redwood Bark
Redwood High School
Larkspur, California

“Walkoff single by J. Harrison lifts Firehawks over Panthers 6-5”
Benjamin Gamson, Jacob Hoenig
The Boiling Point
Shalhevet High School
Los Angeles, California

“On the count of 6”
Hayden Turner
The BluePrint
Hagerty High School
Oviedo, Florida

“Professional athletes boycott scheduled games to show their support for the Black Lives Matter movement”
Staff
The Eagle Eye
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
Parkland, Florida

“Broken season”
Krisha Kapoor, Alaina Greenlee, Tosh Klever, Hanah Kitamoto
West Side Story
Iowa City West High School
Iowa City, Iowa

“Stepping up as leaders”
Alice Scott, Makenzie Mason
The Shield Online
McCallum High School
Austin, Texas

“KCBY livestreams making Coppell sports a click away”
Sapna Amin, Sally Parampottil
Coppell Student Media
Coppell High School
Coppell, Texas

“Sisters in everything but name:
Friends fostering four year relationship through tennis”
Sally Parampottil, Angelina Liu
Coppell Student Media
Coppell High School
Coppell, Texas

“8 months later and the championship memory lives on”
Erika Pernis, Remi Williams
Liberty Wingspan
Liberty High School
Frisco, Texas

“Students participate in Aequitas workshops”
Staff
The Standard
The American School in London
London, United Kingdom

“Graduation Ceremony for the Class of 2021”
Autumn Zayas, Pravalika Balajivaishnavi, Christina Guckel
Metea Media
Metea Valley High School
Aurora, Illinois

“One Year Later”
Lily Hieronymus
Drops of Ink
Libertyville High School
Libertyville, Illinois

“Trojan football team shuts out Liberty in season opener”
Owen Aanestad
West Side Story
Iowa City West High School
Iowa City, Iowa

“Walkout”
Talia Lissauer, Henry Harper, Ayelet Prottas
Echo
St. Louis Park High School
St. Louis Park, Minnesota

“One last visit to Urinetown”
Staff
The Shield Online
McCallum High School
Austin, Texas

“Austin community gathers for COVID-19 vaccinations”
Julia Franco
Featherduster
Westlake High School
Austin, Texas

“Track, field competes at regional meet”
Katie Dolberry, Olivia Lauter
The Red Ledger
Lovejoy High School
Lucas, Texas

“Girls Basketball — Undefeated District Champs”
Madison Moyer, Madison Gonzales, Landri Hargrove
The Rider Online
Mansfield High School
Mansfield, Texas

“McFootball wins first game against Mount Vernon”
Katie Romhilt, Addie Brown
The Highlander
McLean High School
McLean, Virginia

“California fires over time”
Jack Hansen, Kaylene Lin, Cambell Kirk
Scot Scoop
Carlmont High School
Belmont, California

“Interactive Map of HHS”
Miya Liu, Sahil Venkatesan, Allen Zhang
The Epitaph
Homestead High School
Cupertino, California

“High School community showcases language diversity”
Amber de Saint-Exupéry, Tristan Weiss, Nick Zirinis
The Standard
The American School in London
London, United Kingdom

“Unprecedented: One year with the virus”
Clara Martinez
The Standard
The American School in London
London, United Kingdom

“Covid-19 Vaccinations in Michigan”
Mori Ono
The Communicator Magazine
Community High School
Ann Arbor, Michigan

“Mascot controversies sweep the state”
Abby Shapiro, Sarah Shapiro
PV Student Publication
Pascack Valley High School
Oradell, New Jersey

“A virtual VASE gallery of MAC state finalists”
Staff
The Shield Online
McCallum High School
Austin, Texas

“Rocking the vote by wearing the vote”
Jordan Battey, Erika Pernis, Athena Tseng
Liberty Wingspan
Liberty High School
Frisco, Texas

“Wreaking Havoc on Houston:
Winter storm impacts St. John’s community”
Ashley Yen, Megan Chang
Review
St. John’s School
Houston, Texas

“College destinations”
Andy Chung
The Highlander
McLean High School
McLean, Virginia

“SA/SH/Misogyny Awareness: Breaking The Silence”
Jenny Wu, Megumi Ondo, Henry Ma
The Prospector
Cupertino High School
Cupertino, California

“Game-changing therapy”
Brian Xu
El Estoque
Monta Vista High School
Cupertino, California

“Behind the Song: Sarah Gross”
Ella Rosenblum
C Magazine
Palo Alto High School
Palo Alto, California

“Choir students discuss highs and lows of virtual learning”
Emily Yun, Arohi Bhattacharya, Daniel Garepis-Holland
The Paly Voice
Palo Alto High School
Palo Alto, California

“RC Update: Andy Abner”
Matthew Fink, Jack Gianetto
Rockmedia Online
Rock Canyon High School
Highlands Ranch, Colorado

“Chaos at the Capitol”
Dana Richie
The Southerner
Midtown High School
Atlanta, Georgia

“Episode One: Carieal Doss, Forever 18”
Zoe DeYoung
Pathfinder
Parkway West High School
Ballwin, Missouri

“Inside the Mob: Jan. 6, 2021 Photojournalist shares harrowing experience covering Capitol insurrection”
Logan Schiciano
Tower
The Masters School
Dobbs Ferry, New York

“History’s Forgotten: Episode 5 — Jane Bolin, Black History Month”
Christi Norris, Maddie Moats, Caroline Wilburn
Eagle Nation Online
Prosper High School
Prosper, Texas

“Voices of the Pandemic”
Jessica Chung, Whitman Ochiai, Mayuka Valluri, Laura Zhang
TJTV Podcast Network
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Alexandria, Virginia

“The Lord of the Reads”
Rachel McCrea
Scot Scoop
Carlmont High School
Belmont, California

“Covid Tracker”
Benjamin Gamson, Eli Weiss, Molly Litvak
The Boiling Point
Shalhevet High School
Los Angeles, California

“To be more like my father”
Tomas Dougan
Odyssey Media Group
Clarke Central High School
Athens, Georgia

“MUSE”
Grace Xu, Wendy Zhu
HiLite
Carmel High School
Carmel, Indiana

“Breaking the Fourth Wall”
Addison Etnier
The Black and White
Johnston High School
Johnston, Iowa

“Coronavirus Chronicles”
Claire Powell
The Tiger Print
Blue Valley High School
Overland Park, Kansas

“Making yourself at gnome”
Lucy Marco
The Shield Online
McCallum High School
Austin, Texas

“Mispronouncing names = misunderstanding identities”
Akhila Gunturu
Coppell Student Media
Coppell High School
Coppell, Texas

“Vegan View”
Ally Lastovica
Liberty Wingspan
Liberty High School
Frisco, Texas

“Viral Thoughts”
Haille Hughes
Liberty Wingspan
Liberty High School
Frisco, Texas