Student Media Contest

Annual Student Contest

2025 Student Media Contest Winners

The 2025 JDay+/CCIM+ Student Media Contest is an opportunity for middle and high school student journalists and media producers to be recognized for the outstanding work they published/created over the 2024-25 school year. Contest winners will be announced on Friday, April 25, 2025.

Contest submissions accepted through March 12, 2025!

Enter Student Contest

Student Contest Categories

Ball State’s 2025 student media contest provides abundant opportunities for students and staffs to compete for top journalism, media and communications awards — including the CARDINAL AWARD for top student news, yearbook and broadcast programs!

*NEW: Be the first to enter your 2025 yearbook for national judging! The all-digital submission process will assess the content and design of your 2025 book. Get results and celebrate your successes before the school year is over!

New Opportunity! Individual students producing communications work outside of their school’s student media program may enter our “Open Form” contest category!

Low Cost! All contests are $6 per entry. Unless noted, there is no limit to the number of entries you can submit in any category.

Cardinal Award

Broadcast

A series of three consecutive broadcasts showcasing the overall production, graphics, content and delivery of the student news broadcast. Only one entry per student news show.

Online News

A link to an online news site showcasing the overall writing, editing, design and photography of the student news publication. Only content published from April 2024-March 2025 will be evaluated. Only one entry per publication.

Print News

Two consecutive publications showcasing the overall writing, editing, design and photography of the student news publication. Publications must have been published between July 2024-March 2025 will be evaluated. Only one entry per publication.

Yearbook

Upload eight different spreads, the book cover and end sheets that demonstrates the overall writing, editing, design, theme development and photography of the student yearbook. Only one entry per publication.

Broadcast News

Feature Story Package

A link to a human interest story package that may include voice-over, b-roll, graphics, transitions and music. No limit to entries for this category.

Intro Opening

A link to the short edited sequence that plays before the main broadcast identifying the broadcast station name or program. Only one entry per program.

News Announcements

A link to a video broadcast segment providing news and announcements for the school audience. Only one entry per program.

News Story Package

A link to an informative story package that may include voice-over, b-roll, graphics, transitions and music to tell an important community story. No limit to entries for this category.

Sports Play by Play

A link to a segment that includes the audio and/or video play-by-play storytelling of a school sporting event. No limit to entries for this category.

Sports Story Package

A link to an informative story package that may include voice-over, b-roll, graphics, transitions and music to tell a school sports story. No limit to entries for this category.

News Media

Feature Story

An online or print human interest story about a person, place, thing or event. No limit to entries for this category.

Illustration / Cartoon

An online or print illustration or cartoon made to illustrate a story, event or noteworthy topic. No limit to entries for this category.

Information Graphic

A single information graphic in an online or printed publication used to tell a story through the use of charts, graphs, illustration, or other type of alternative story form. No limit to entries for this category.

Multimedia Story

An online or print story that uses multiple forms of media such as photos, illustrations, audio, video and the written word to tell the story. No limit to entries for this category.

News Story

An online or print story highlighting key facts about an event or happening that would be of interest to your general audience. No limit to entries for this category.

Podcast

A link to a regularly produced audio file hosted by staff members that entertains and/or informs your audience about a topic or issue. No limit to entries for this category.

Print Feature or Entertainment Design

A single-page or spread of a printed publication used for feature or entertainment stories. No limit to entries for this category.

Print Front Page Design

The full front page design of a printed publication. No limit to entries for this category.

Print Sports Design

A single-page or spread of a printed publication used for sports stories. No limit to entries for this category.

Review / Analysis

An online or print story offering the writer’s opinion or critical analysis of a place, product, policy, or event, such as a book, recital, play, restaurant, movie, legislation, etc. No limit to entries for this category.

Sports Story

An online or print story about a sport, sporting event, team, coach or player. No limit to entries for this category.

Staff Editorial

An online or print non-bylined story written on behalf of the entire editorial board which draws attention to an issue and offers persuasive reasoning or solutions. No limit to entries for this category.

Open Form

Creative Writing

A story written for personal pleasure or in an academic class outside of journalism showcasing the student’s creative writing skills, e.g. fiction, poetry, narrative non-fiction, etc. No limit to entries for this category.

Illustration / Graphics

An illustration, graphic or drawing created for personal pleasure or in an academic class outside of journalism showcasing the student’s creative illustration/graphic skills through painting, drawing, digital imagery, photo manipulation, etc. No limit to entries for this category.

Nature Photography

Any nature photo taken for personal pleasure or in an academic class outside of journalism showcasing the student’s creative nature photography skills, e.g. landscape, animals and plants. No limit to entries for this category.

Personality Portrait

Any personality photo taken for personal pleasure or in an academic class outside of journalism showcasing the student’s ability to capture the essence of a person's personality, e.g. emotion, expression, hobby, etc. No limit to entries for this category.

Short Film / Documentary

A link to an original creative piece (fiction or non-fiction) created for personal pleasure or in an academic class outside of journalism that is written, directed and produced. No limit to entries for this category.

Photojournalism

Event Photo

A single photo and caption that captures the visual essence of a school event such as homecoming, a school play, concert performance, etc. No limit to entries for this category.

Feature Photo

A single photo and caption that captures the visual essence of the feature story. No limit to entries for this category.

News Photo

A single photo and caption that captures the visual essence of the news story. No limit to entries for this category.

Photo of the Year

Any one photograph taken by a student staff photographer that captures the life, times or emotion of the school surrounding an important school event. The photograph demonstrates an outstanding level of visual perception, photo composition and creativity. No limit to entries for this category.

Sports Photo

A single photo and caption that captures the visual essence of the sports story. No limit to entries for this category.

Social Media

Social Media Marketing Campaign

A link to or upload of at least five examples of social media posts used to market/promote the student media platform as an information, entertainment, nostalgia or news resource for the school community. Only one entry per publication.

Social Media News

A link to or upload of at least five examples of social media posts used to report news, events, and happenings within the school community. Only one entry per publication.

Yearbook

Academics Spread

A single spread highlighting the school's academics through pictures, captions, headlines and more. No limit to entries for this category.

Information Graphic

A single graphic used to tell a story through the use of charts, graphs, illustration, or other type of alternative story form. No limit to entries for this category.

Opening Spread

The endsheets and/or opening pages or spreads explaining the book theme and setting the premise for the book. Only one entry per publication.

Senior Ad Design

Sports Spread

A single spread highlighting the school's athletic prowess through pictures, captions, headlines and more. No limit to entries for this category.

Student Life Spread

A single spread highlighting the student life of the school through pictures, captions, headlines and more. No limit to entries for this category.

Yearbook Feature Story

A human interest story about a person, place, thing or event. No limit to entries for this category.

Yearbook Theme

Upload four different spreads and the book cover showcasing how the theme is incorporated throughout the book by way of color, graphics, wording of titles, typefaces, and more. Only one entry per publication.

How to enter: Step-by-step guide

Login
- Following the written and video instructions below, create an “open call login” for the Better BNC contest website. This is the contest management service we use to collect submissions and judge entries. As a reminder, submissions are only accepted digitally.
Submit
- All entries, including yearbooks and newspapers, will be submitted online using the Better BNC platform. To create an entry, use the “Submit Entry” button on the “Manage Entries” page. From that page, you can upload files and fill out the necessary information.
Pay
- After you have submitted all of your entries via the Better BNC contest site, you can pay for them using the “Calculate Entry Fees” link on the “Manage Entries” page. From there, you will be redirected to Ball State’s payment portal. All contest entries are $6 PER ENTRY.

Contest Entry Tutorial

Our contest uses the BetterBNC platform for entry submission and contest judging.

Visit the Better BNC website, and click on “2025-26 Ball State Student Media Contest” in the “Select a Contest” box.
Click on “open call login” under the password entry box in the bottom right.
Click on “Create your Open Call Account” under the password entry box. If you submitted contest entries last year, your user name and password will still work.
Enter your information. If you are submitting on behalf of a group, ensure there is only ONE open call account.

After your account is created, entries can be submitted through the “My Contests” tab.

CCIM Outreach

Letterman Building 104, Ball State University, 2000 W University Ave., Muncie, IN 47306

8 a.m.- 5 p.m.

765-285-6007