Louisiana’s Top Student Journalists Honored at 2026 LSPA Conference

February 26, 2026

LSU Manship School purple logo

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    
February 26, 2026 

For more information, contact: 
bsadler@lsu.edu 

 

BATON ROUGE— Hundreds of Louisiana’s most talented student journalists gathered at LSU’s Student Union on Monday, February 9, 2026, for the annual Louisiana Scholastic Press Association (LSPA) Conference, a high-energy celebration of storytelling, creativity, and journalistic excellence hosted by the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication. 

The half-day conference brought together students and advisers from across the state for hands-on breakout sessions, professional insight from industry leaders, and the highly anticipated announcement of the 2026 LSPA Student Media Competition winners. The competition recognizes outstanding work in newspaper, broadcast, yearbook, radio, and digital media, with entries judged by Manship School staff and faculty. Becky Sadler, the Manship School’s Student Engagement and Outreach Manager and one of the event’s stewards, says competitions like this are becoming increasingly important as AI continues to play a role in communication, ensuring original student work continues to stand out. 

Schools that participated in either or both the LSPA Media Competition and the LSPA Conference: 
Airline High School 
Alexandria Senior High School  
Archbishop Chapelle High School   
Baton Rouge Magnet High School  
Brusly High School  
Catholic High School   
Career & Technical Education Center  
Madison Preparatory Academy 
Oak Forest Academy   
Parkview High School  
Peabody Magnet High School  
Pineville High School 
Riverdale High School  
Saint Paul's School  
Slidell High School   
Southern University Lab School  
Sulphur High School  
University Lab School   
West Jefferson High School  

Inspiring Voices and Industry Insight 
The conference opened with welcoming remarks from Kyrin Lewis, Student Engagement Coordinator, and Dean Kim Bissell, who emphasized the vital role scholastic journalism plays in fostering ethical storytelling and civic engagement. 

The keynote address was delivered by Sharief Ishaq, WDSU Sports Anchor and Reporter, who shared insights from his career in broadcast journalism, encouraged students to embrace adaptability, build their network and emphasized the importance of accuracy and passion in reporting. 

Sponsors included Walsworth Yearbooks, Louisiana Association of Broadcasters and LSU Admissions. 

Throughout the morning, students participated in breakout sessions covering topics such as investigative reporting, sports communication, yearbook design, artificial intelligence and misinformation, broadcast production, and student media leadership, led by LSU faculty, professional journalists, and industry partners. There were tours leading students and advisors through the live studios of LSU Student Media: The Reveille, KLSU, Tiger TV and other publications.  

On-Site Social Media Competition 
A highlight of the day was the Social Media On-Site Competition, where students created and published content live from the conference between 8:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Entries were judged on engagement, strategy, and creativity, reinforcing ethical and professional digital storytelling practices. First place winner was CTEC, EBR’s Career and Technical Education Center. 

2026 LSPA Student Media Competition Winners 
Below is a curated list of first-place winners by category. 

📰 Newspaper 

📺 Broadcast 

📘 Yearbook 

  • Cover Design: The Tale of a Tiger — Slidell High School
  • Theme & Design Integration: Bruin 2025: Forging the Heart — Catholic High School
  • Coverage: Reflections 2025 — Archbishop Chapelle High School
  • Photography: Beetlejuice — Pineville High School
  • Best Overall Yearbook: The Cannon — Pineville High School 

📻 Radio — First Place Winners 

📱 Social Media — First Place Winners 

📱 Live Social Media Competition — First Place Winner: CTEC 

📱 OVERALL SWEEPSTAKES WINNER: St. Paul’s School 

(Second place, third place, and honorable mention winners across all categories are recognized in the official LSPA award presentation.) 

Celebrating the Future of Journalism 
The 2026 LSPA Conference once again demonstrated the strength, creativity, and dedication of Louisiana’s student journalists. From investigative reporting to dynamic broadcasts and innovative yearbook storytelling, this year’s winners reflect a vibrant future for media and communication across the state. 

For students, the competition offers meaningful recognition and portfolio-building opportunities. For advisers and schools, it highlights the power of scholastic journalism to inform, inspire, and lead. 

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LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication ranks among the strongest collegiate communication programs in the country, with its robust emphasis on media and public affairs. It offers undergraduate degrees in public relations, journalism, political communication, digital advertising and pre-law, along with four graduate degree programs: Master of Mass Communication, Ph.D. in Media and Public Affairs, Certificate of Strategic Communication and a dual MMC/Law degree. Like us on Facebook @ManshipSchool, or follow us on X @ManshipSchool, Instagram @ManshipSchool and LinkedIn LSU Manship School of Mass Communication.