Journalism Education Association

What Journalism Education Association does

Journalism Education Association (JEA) is a U.S. non-profit educational association founded in 1924 and headquartered at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. It serves as the nation's largest organization dedicated to scholastic journalism education, supporting approximately 2,499 individual members nationwide plus international members in countries including the United Kingdom. Its primary constituents are high school and middle school journalism teachers/advisers and their student journalists, with secondary engagement of school administrators and college students aspiring to journalism teaching careers.

JEA's product and service portfolio comprises a peer-reviewed curriculum library (the No. 1 rated member benefit), the C:JET flagship magazine (Communication: Journalism Education Today, published quarterly), a two-tier professional certification program (Certified Journalism Educator and Master Journalism Educator), national student media contests (National Student Media Contests, Junior High/Middle School contests, National Journalism Quiz Bowl, photography and essay contests), recognition awards (Carl Towley Award, Medal of Merit, Rising Star, Administrator of the Year, First Amendment Press Freedom Award, Journalist of the Year), and co-sponsored semi-annual national conventions with the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) drawing 3,000-5,300 attendees. The technology stack is not proprietary: JEA runs on GrowthZone for membership, Constant Contact for email, Square for e-commerce, and a website platform with membership gating launched September 11, 2024. The JEA Forum replaced a KSU-hosted Listserv as the community discussion platform in November 2024.

JEA makes money through five streams: annual membership dues ranging from $25 (college student) to $115 (institutional) with $95 for teacher/adviser members and lifetime memberships of $799-$899; convention registration fees of $145-$215; contest participation fees; C:JET advertising sales; and curriculum/publications sales. The go-to-market is membership-based, recruiting educators through state directors in all 50 states, national conventions, professional development events, and the membership website. Governance is by a seven-member elected board; the executive director (Veronica Purvis) runs day-to-day operations with a small headquarters staff (~1-10) supplemented by KSU student workers. FY2024-2025 reported $941,256 in revenue against $1,105,802 in expenses (net deficit $164,546), with a $1,353,735 investment portfolio held on the balance sheet.

Name

Journalism Education Association

Legal name

Journalism Education Association

Website

https://jea.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1924

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Journalism Education Association is a U.S. non-profit founded in 1924 that serves approximately 2,499 high school and middle school journalism teachers and their student journalists through curriculum resources, professional certification (CJE/MJE), national media contests, awards, and semi-annual conventions co-sponsored with NSPA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Professional Associations

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Student Media & Publications (Newspaper, Radio, TV) (EDALAHAE)

Keywords

• Scholastic journalism education
• Journalism curriculum library
• Student media contests
• Journalism teacher certification
• High school journalism conventions

Headquarters

HQ city

Manhattan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from teacher/advisers, emeritus members, associates, college students, affiliates, and institutional members provide recurring revenue. Membership fees range from $25 (college student) to $95 (teacher/adviser) for annual memberships, with lifetime memberships available at $799.
2. National Conventions: Revenue from national high school journalism conventions held twice annually. Convention registration fees range from $145-$215 depending on early bird status and membership. The fall 2025 Nashville convention had nearly 5,300 attendees with 5,100 paid registrations.
3. Contest Fees: Revenue from National Student Media Contests, Junior High/Middle School contests, and various photography and journalism contests for students and advisers.
4. C:JET Magazine Advertising: Revenue from advertising sold in Communication: Journalism Education Today (C:JET) magazine. Started including advertising in 1999 and has ebbed and flowed since.
5. Curriculum and Resources: Sale of curriculum materials, publications, and educational resources to members and non-members.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Journalism Education Association (JEA) is a membership-based nonprofit that supports scholastic journalism by providing journalism educators and student journalists with a curriculum library, professional certification (CJE/MJE), national student media contests, semi-annual conventions, peer-reviewed publications (C:JET Magazine), press rights advocacy, and awards programs. It is the nation's largest organization dedicated to scholastic journalism education, founded in 1924 and headquartered at Kansas State University.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• C:JET Magazine: Communication: Journalism Education Today - JEA's flagship publication providing educational perspectives on teaching and advising issues, scholastic media strategy, pedagogical updates, and current journalism research.

Products and services

• JEA Membership
• Curriculum Library
• Certification Program (CJE/MJE)
• National High School Journalism Conventions
• National Student Media Contests (NSMC)
• Junior High/Middle School National Media Contest
• SPJ/JEA High School Essay Contest
• National Journalism Quiz Bowl
• JEA Forum (Online Community)
• C:JET Magazine (Communication: Journalism Education Today)
• Digital Media Library
• First Amendment Press Freedom Award
• JEA Teacher and Student Awards Program
• Future Journalism Teacher Scholarships
• Mentoring Program
• Outreach Academy
• JEA Store (Merchandise and Publications)
• First Time Convention Grant

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,499 total members nationwide
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJEA and NSPA partner to co-sponsor the semi-annual National High School Journalism Conventions, the nation's largest gatherings of scholastic journalists. They jointly prepare hundreds of professional learning sessions and coordinate the conventions, with typical attendance of 3,000-4,000 delegates. The organizations share resources, staff, and planning for these major events.
• Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJEA and SPJ co-host the annual SPJ/JEA High School Essay Contest, offering scholarships to winning high school students ($1,000 first place, $500 second, $300 third). The partnership promotes journalism education and connects high school students with the professional journalism community.
• Kansas State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJEA is headquartered at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. KSU provides office space, student worker support, administrative services, and infrastructure. JEA recently signed a five-year contract with KSU and future construction is planned over JEA headquarters space. The relationship provides JEA with institutional support while KSU hosts a major educational association.
• Student Press Law CentermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe JEA Scholastic Press Rights Committee works closely with the Student Press Law Center to support First Amendment issues, New Voices legislation efforts, and student press freedom. SPRC members collaborate with SPLC on advocacy and legal support for censored student journalists.
• Quill and ScrollmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJEA partners with Quill and Scroll to co-sponsor the Student Journalist Impact Award, recognizing secondary school students who have made significant differences through journalism practice.
• State Scholastic Press AssociationsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJEA works with state scholastic press associations across the country, including Virginia Association of Journalism Teachers and Advisers (VAJTA), Mississippi Scholastic Press Association (MSPA), and many others. Some state associations pay JEA dues for their members and coordinate on convention and contest activities.
• National Media Literacy Education AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJEA joined the National Media Literacy Education Alliance to collaborate on media literacy initiatives and standards across educational organizations.
• Career and Technical Education (CTE) OrganizationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJEA's CTE Committee coordinates with Business Professionals of America and other CTSOs to explore opportunities for journalism program participation in Career and Technical Student Organizations.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Poynter Institute: Poynter is a larger, established journalism training and policy organization offering seminars, e-learning, and media literacy programs—a broader professional journalism education player with partially overlapping curriculum and training offerings.
• Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE): IRE is a larger nonprofit membership organization supporting investigative journalists through training, conferences, and resources—an adjacent, broader journalism professional organization rather than a scholastic-focused peer.
• Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ): SPJ is a larger professional journalism organization that co-hosts the SPJ/JEA High School Essay Contest and operates across the broader journalism profession rather than solely scholastic journalism education.
• Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC): AEJMC is the premier academic association for journalism and mass communication educators at the college/university level—analogous to JEA but focused on higher-education journalism faculty, providing a peer reference for membership-based journalism education organizations.

Emerging players

• Student Press Law Center (SPLC): SPLC partners closely with JEA's Scholastic Press Rights Committee on First Amendment advocacy and New Voices legislation, operating in an adjacent niche of student press law and free-expression support.
• News Literacy Project: News Literacy Project provides news/media literacy curricula and teacher training for middle and high schools, adjacent to JEA's curriculum and media literacy work in scholastic journalism.

Direct peers

• National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA): NSPA is JEA's closest partner and a near-direct peer: a national membership organization serving scholastic journalism programs through contests, critiques, awards (Pacemakers), and co-sponsorship of the National High School Journalism Conventions with JEA.
• Quill and Scroll: Quill and Scroll is the International Honorary Society for High School Journalists, partnered with JEA on the Student Journalist Impact Award and serving an overlapping high school journalism audience through recognitions and memberships.
• Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA): CSPA is a Columbia University-based scholastic press organization that evaluates student newspapers, yearbooks, and magazines and grants Crown Awards—a direct comparable to JEA's National Student Media Contests and recognition programs.
• Dow Jones News Fund: Dow Jones News Fund offers high school journalism teacher recognition (Teacher of the Year) and student training programs, overlapping with JEA in scholastic journalism education and educator awards.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nationalJEA
• Facebookfacebook.com/journalismeducation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/journalism-education-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Journalism Education Association