March 2, 2026
Our past three editions
Feb. 23, 2026 Quad God • Social media • CBS
Feb, 9 2026 Olympics • AI • PepsiCo
Feb. 2, 2026 Doomsday Clock • Minneapolis • Wired headphones
THE LEAD
Plaintiff takes stand in landmark social media addiction trial ongoing
Look into harmful effects of social media on youth
Last week, Kaley described how over the last 14 years she has become addicted to social media. It started when she was 6 and started watching videos on YouTube. At 9 she was using Instagram and later started staying up late and sneaking out of class to use YouTube and Instagram, CNN reported. Kaley is part of a landmark lawsuit against Meta and YouTube currently playing out in TK court.
Meta and YouTube have rejected the idea that social media can be addictive and pushed back on claims that using the platforms caused her mental health challenges.
What you can do —
Though a verdict will likely not be reached in this case until late spring, now is a good time to start reporting. The case case can be used as a news hook for any number of evergreen stories about social media use in young people.
Talk to researchers about how social media use patterns have changed in recent years. Interview mental health professionals about what research does exist about possible effects of social media use.
If your school has any rules about phone use or social media use during the school day, talk to administrators about why those rules are in place. Ask teachers if they have seen attitudes toward social media change recently. Poll students about what platforms they use and what rules their families may have in place.
Noteworthy
March Madness kick off looms, with final teams to be set March 15
Start preparing basketball coverage
Though some regular-season and conference tournament games remain, the field is starting to take shape for the 2026 March Madness tournament. Early bracket projections, like this one from Bleacher Report and this one from the NCAA, are starting to pop up and die hard fans are getting in the March Madness headspace.
The men’s and women’s tournaments are scheduled to kick off on Selection Sunday March 15 and then run through April 6. The men’s Final Four games will be in Indianapolis, while the women will head to Phoenix.
In the women’s tournament, University of Connecticut, University of Texas, University of California – Los Angeles and University of South Carolina are predicted to hold the top seeds in each region. On the men’s side, predictions place Duke University, University of Connecticut, University of Arizona and University of Michigan in first in each region.
What you can do —
If there is a specific team that the community is rooting for, talk to die-hard fans about the teams’ season and what they are looking for in March Madness games. See if any community organizations have interesting parties planned.
Another news peg is to revisit sports betting, whether it be bracket filling or online betting. Although those younger than 18 aren’t legally allowed to bet, it does still happen.
What’s viral
98th Academy Awards set to honor top films
Wrap up Oscars prediction coverage, prepare for post-ceremony stories
For many movie lovers, the Oscars are a culmination of a year of new releases, transcendent performances and new favorites. But the Academy Awards can also be a night of snubs and surprises.
This year’s Oscar nominees include “Hamnet,” “Sinners,” “KPop Demon Hunters” and “Zootopia 2,” among many others. “Wicked: For Good” is notably absent from the list, as is Adam Sandler’s role in “Jay Kelly,” ABC News reported.
Conan O’Brien is returning as the March 15 ceremony’s host for the second year in a row.
What you can do —
Ahead of the Oscars your newsroom could produce a package with student and staff picks for notable categories. You could perform a survey of the school to see what movies and actors are fan favorites – and least favorites. This is also an opportunity to run a series of reviews of best picture nominees.
Once the winners are announced, gather reactions from the school community. Do people agree with the decisions? This is another opportunity to run a series of reviews based on Oscar winners.
100 years of Quill & Scroll
First Amendment protections of student press persist
Half a century ago, in Quill and Scroll’s 50th anniversary magazine, an expert from the Handbook for Student Journalists appeared. Over the course of two pages, the authors unpack the legal landscape for student press freedom. They first pointed to the landmark 1969 case Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District. The Supreme Court held that neither “students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.” This case is often taken as a strong protection for student press rights.
The authors then turned to the 1919 case Schenck v. United States in which justices held that the rights of expression are not absolute, pointing to times of war and inciting violence as nonprotected forms of speech.
They go on to write at length about how student journalists, advisers and administrators can live “in a fair degree of harmony” when it comes to student expression and journalism. Though 2026 is a very different year than 1976 in many ways, it is still important, as the writers point out, to understand the legal landscape of scholastic journalism. Though Student Press Freedom Day has now passed (happy belated celebration!), it is still a good time to talk about the legal principles underlying freedom of speech at large — especially as New Voices legislation spreads. For more resources please visit the Student Press Law Center’s website.
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 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 March 23 or before, now is the time to order!
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 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
When a ‘fact’ simply isn’t a ‘fact’
With an increasing number of students getting their news from social media, how can they differentiate between sources? This lesson has students examine news bias from different media organizations. The extension activity includes students analyzing the sources of content in their social media feed.
PJSA contest entries due March 6
The PSJA Journalism Contest, co-sponsored by Quill and Scroll, seeks to honor the best journalism produced by private and independent school students. It is a “portfolio” contest, one that seeks not to reward single stories, but a pattern of excellence over the course of a year.
Other than Editorial Leadership, work produced for the contest should have been published in a news publication — in print or online — or a yearbook between March 6, 2025 and March 5, 2026. Deadline for entries will be Friday, March 6. An awards ceremony will occur after judging is finalized.
For PSJA members, the cost for your school is $20 per entry. Non-members pay $25 per entry. To become a member of PSJA, email PSJA Director David Cutler ([email protected]) and sign up for the PSJA newsletter.
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 PSJA category payment option is at the bottom of the page.
If you are interested in entering the contest, please see our website.
School of the New York Times Summer Academy opportunity
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 — $500 off and refer/bring a friend incentives.
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 receive priority enrollment.
To unlock your member benefits and request your Quill & Scroll discount, please click here.
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 — early bird extended
Join us in Minneapolis for the JEA/NSPA National High School Journalism Convention. Registration opened Jan. 8 and the hotel link was sent 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. Early bird registration ends March 16.
JEA/NSPA hosted a safety update meeting Feb. 26. Please reach out if you have any questions.
Quill and Scroll also will celebrate its centennial year at the Thursday evening adviser reception.
Mark your calendar for the Gloria Shields NSPA Media Workshop
Dallas hosts one of the nation’s largest (and hottest) summer journalism workshops, June 29-July 2.
The temperatures and the ideas will sizzle in Dallas at the Gloria Shields NSPA Media Workshop.
Registration will open on March 2 for the 2026 workshop, set for June 26-July 2 at the Hilton Richardson Dallas.
The registration fee is $140 per student and adviser. The optional Sunday evening bonus class is $20 for those arriving early.
Check the workshop website frequently for updates as workshop plans are finalized. NSPA will send an email when workshop registration and hotel reservations open.
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 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
We are on the cusp of the busiest time in our year, and we’ve realized some schools are having difficulties copying our Google spreadsheet to send in member names and information.
If you can, please use the Google form and send it to [email protected]. If your school isn’t allowing Google access, please use the Excel spreadsheet we’ve added on the membership page.
Also, we will be out of the office next week. We will work through all orders placed in the order they were received. Please make sure to order soon if your induction is the week of March 23 or earlier.
Have a wonderful spring!
— Lori Keekley
