Feb. 2, 2026
Our past three editions
Jan. 26, 2026 ICE • Olympics • TikTok
Jan. 12, 2026 Vaccine schedule • Dietary guidelines • ‘Heated Rivalry’
Dec. 8, 2025 AI admissions • News deserts • Pantone
THE LEAD
Doomsday Clock ticks closer to midnight, only 85 seconds left to go
Unpack the metrics used to set time, gather reactions
Last week the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists announced its annual Doomsday Clock setting: 85 seconds to midnight. The clock, which was established in 1947, is meant to represent the moment Earth will be uninhabitable due to human actions, the Washington Post reported.
This year’s shift brings the clock 4 seconds closer to midnight, with the Bulletin citing climate change, advances in artificial intelligence and nuclear weapons as the reason for the change.
What you can do —
While the news peg of the Doomsday Clock announcement is fading, it is a good opportunity to dive into the areas of concern the Bulletin identifies. Talk to students about how they feel about climate change, AI and other impending threats. Are there threats that come to mind for people in your community that the Clock doesn’t consider?
Coverage also could include steps students can take at school and at home to help make a difference.
Noteworthy
Walk through a deep-dive into a New York Times photo from Minneapolis
Take a look at it as a staff, use it as a photography teaching tool
In the days after Alex Pretti was shot and killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis, The New York Times published a deep look at a photo capturing the protests following the shooting. The scrollytelling-style piece walks through separate elements of the photo, unpacking what makes it so impactful. The piece is published as part of the Times’ In One Image series.
In other journalistic news from Minneapolis, Don Lemon, formerly of CNN, was arrested in connection with an anti-immigration enforcement protests at a Minnesota church, AP reported.
What you can do —
As opposed to an idea for coverage, this item in the Times could prompt a class- or staff-wide discussion. Walk through some of the In One Image posts and discuss how photography captures these key moments.
This exercise could be extended to photos taken at your school or in your community – what can someone learn from the seemingly small details in the images?
Lemon was acting as an independent journalist while chronicling protesters in Minnesota, AP reported. Discuss the role of the press in covering protests across the country. For those of you covering protests in your area, SPLC has a great resource for you.
What’s viral
Are wired headphones coming back in style? Ask your classmates
Poll community thoughts regarding the return of wired earbuds
After years of Bluetooth headphones being the dominant trend, tides may be changing in the headphone space. More and more people are turning back to wired earbuds, whatever their reasons may be.
Celebrities including Drake, Lily-Rose Depp, Harry Styles and Zendaya have been spotted using wired headphones, CNN reported.
What you can do —
The ebb and flow of trends can reveal interesting things about society — and what our priorities are. If the breakup with Bluetooth has reached your school community, talk to people about why they are making the switch? Is it convenience? Or something else?
Wired earbuds are typically less expensive than Bluetooth models; maybe price is playing into the decision for students and staff. If you come across any die-hard Bluetooth headphone users, be sure to ask them what it would take them to change their habits.
Wired audio is typically considered higher quality than that transmitted via Bluetooth. There could be an interesting story into audio quality and how much (or little) that matters to listeners.
100 years of Quill & Scroll
Tradition of induction ceremonies stretches back a century
Just as Quill and Scroll chapters today induct students every year, chapters 100 years ago also held formal induction ceremonies.
In 1926, an induction ceremony at Hugh Morson High School in North Carolina was written up by the Raleigh News and Observer, and republished in the Quill and Scroll magazine.
The article included advice from the then-editor of the News and Observer, Josephus Daniels. He recommended three things: that students spend time learning journalism to further the next age of journalism, that they cultivate style in their writing and that they only enter journalism if they want to help the world be better.
This advice may still ring true for many scholastic journalists.
A Quill and Scroll induction is a special occasion designed to recognize the hard work of new members. If you are looking to plan your induction for this spring, check out our how to guide to get started. Please note we need three weeks to process and send orders, especially during peak times.
Share your Quill & Scroll story
In honor of the centennial, Quill and Scroll is collecting testimonials, memories and stories from Quill and Scroll from student members, advisers, former staff and friends.Thank you for taking a few minutes to share your experiences on this form! Your answers may be used in marketing and communications materials.
Please share with others in your network — we want to hear from everyone.
IT’S AN HONOR
It’s always membership season
Don’t forget you can nominate members year round
Now is the best time to order for your spring induction! Not only will you beat the ordering rush, you could also have Quill and Scroll function as a journalism club or volunteer organization. (And don’t worry, if you’re worried that having chapter activities will just add another to do time to the list, we have several suggested chapter activities in “lesson plan” format so students can lead these!) While you’re ordering, don’t forget to include any cords and other Quill and Scroll materials and memorabilia.
We haven’t changed the ordering process from last year. For those wanting to ditch the paper version, you just need to select the form based on how you would like to pay. We have one version for credit card and another version for check or purchase order. (We’ve added buttons for ease of finding these.) As usual, credit card payments are charged $4.49 per order for processing.
If your initiation is the week of Feb. 23 or before, now is the time to order!
Writing, Visual, Multimedia contest open
Entries are due this Friday, Feb. 6
The entry form is live and we are accepting submissions. The cost is $8 for all entry types and you may submit live links. If you would rather make a PDF of the submission, you may still do this as well. Please make sure to allow anyone with the link to view. Remember, we don’t accept a Google document as an entry. We only accept published work.
Please make a note — all entries and payments will be due Feb. 6.
Make sure to include either your credit card payments or check or purchase order when you enter. The link provided on the site will take you directly to the credit card or check/purchase order page for the order. The WVM category payment option is at the bottom of the page.
Please reach out if you have any questions. We’re happy to help!
Take advantage of our advisers-only resource area
Quill and Scroll has expanded its advisers-only area, which includes bellringers and lesson plans for advisers who have initiated members within the past school year.
Advisers, if you inducted members in the 2024-25 or the 2025-26 school year, check your email (and your spam!) for a message from [email protected]. That email should contain your login information. Please be sure to accept cookies when you log in! If you have trouble, you can contact us at [email protected]. If you have inducted members this school year, we update access every few weeks, so keep an eye on your email.
Members-only area highlight
NSPA and Quill and Scroll offer the sweatshirt “Journalism Matters Now More than Ever,” but what does it mean? Why does journalism matter? Why is it more important than any time in recent history to make sure we cover our local communities? (Hint: many cuts to local journalism have occurred nationwide.) This is intended to be a starter discussion that could be continued.
School of the New York Times Summer Academy opportunity
We know it’s early, but for those looking for a 2026 journalism learning opportunity, it’s not too early to begin planning. The School of the New York Times Summer Academy is one of the nation’s most competitive journalism programs — and Quill and Scroll members get an exclusive discount.
Summer Academy is open to high school students (grades 10-12 and Graduating Seniors based on the grade the student is entering in the Fall 2026 school year). Students must be 15-years old by the first day of their session. Program graduates have been recruited from some of the top journalism schools in the nation. Please see this link for the course catalogue.
All students applying to Summer Academy for the first time are required to complete an online application. Returning students do not need to reapply. As a member school, Quill and Scroll chapter members will have access to pre-registration, which is now open. Last year this program received more than 14,000 applications for 1,700 seats. By going through pre-registration, your chance of being an attendee increases.
Students from schools with a Quill and Scroll Charter can receive $500 off enrollment in the Summer Academy.
Additionally, the winning entries from our News Writer of the Year (Category 16 in Quill and Scroll’s Writing, Visual, Multimedia Contest) are eligible to compete for a School of the New York Times scholarship to its Summer Academy. This scholarship (valued at $7,500) includes room and board but not transportation to New York City. Student entries will be evaluated by faculty from the New York Times.
The School of the New York Times will host a Virtual Admissions Information Session later this fall.
The round 1 deadline will be in mid-December and the admission information and application portal are posted.
Opportunity for those interested in climate reporting
Now in its fifth year, Youth Environmental Press Team’s (YEPT) mission is to amplify youth urgency on the climate crisis by supporting young people in producing journalistic content on climate and the environment and sharing it with their peers as well as the general public.
YEPT republishes climate- and environmental-related content produced by high school journalists in their school newspapers on our yept.org website, along with publishing original content. Stories include a wide spectrum of student-selected subject matter related to climate impacts: invasive species, data centers, animal agriculture, renewable energy, global climate politics, and much more. Republication requires permission of writer and faculty advisor/teacher and nets the student $30. We also assign fresh content for our site: $100 or more for a new assignment, depending on complexity.
As of November, 2025, over a dozen high school Directors representing 10 states contribute to YEPT: Colorado, Texas, Nebraska, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, and Ohio, with other states in the process of joining (pending additional funding). For example, we regularly publish writers from Iowa and California as well as the United Kingdom. Directors help run YEPT, produce stories, and promote YEPT content and the program itself on social media, LinkedIn, and other platforms; each state Director is paid $1,000 per semester for this work.
For more information, contact adult adviser Jim Poyser at [email protected]
Spring convention registration open
Join us in Minneapolis for the JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention. Registration opened Jan. 8 and the hotel link will be available to all registrants Feb. 3.
Attendees can look forward to preconvention workshops, media tours, critique and contest opportunities, a publication exchange and hundreds of informational sessions. Come “Find your North Star” at the JEA/NSPA spring convention April 16-18.
Opportunity from the Freedom Forum
The Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference June 21-26, 2026, provides 51 students (one high school junior from each state plus the District of Columbia) with an all-expenses-paid program that includes panel conversations with journalists and multimedia storytellers, newsroom visits, networking events, a chance to meet students and industry leaders who share a passion for news, and a unique Washington, D.C., experience.
Participants receive a $1,000 college scholarship and ongoing support from a community of more than 1,700 alumni. Students build their skills, grow their network and get a head start on their future.
The due date is March 15.
Upcoming Weekly Scroll pause dates
We will pause the Weekly Scroll during the weeks of Feb. 16, March 9, March 23, April 13 and April 20 since we will be at conventions when we normally would amass the Scroll.
Some advisers and students have found linking to our Weekly Scroll page beneficial.
Thank you for understanding.
Just a thought
You only have four days to enter our Writing, Visual, Multimedia contest!
As a reminder, the winning entries from our News Writer of the Year (Category 16 in Quill and Scroll’s Writing, Visual, Multimedia Contest) are eligible to compete for a School of the New York Times scholarship to its Summer Academy. This scholarship (valued at $7,500) includes room and board but not transportation to New York City. Student entries will be evaluated by faculty from the New York Times.
We will again honor these students at an awards ceremony at 8 a.m. Saturday at the JEA/NSPA Spring Journalism Convention in Minneapolis.
Please see our categories and entry instructions for more information. If you are running late, don’t forget we can take online credit card payments in our online ordering system.
— Lori Keekley
