In short
The SPJ/JEA High School Essay Contest is run by the Society of Professional Journalists with the Journalism Education Association. Each entry must be original and written by the student. The student may receive only minimal guidance from others, and AI tools count as others. An essay found to be written by AI, in whole or in part, is disqualified and removed from consideration.
Varies by program. The rule is set in each program's guidelines, so check the one you are applying to.
For applicants
- Each essay entered in the SPJ/JEA High School Essay Contest must be entirely original and written directly by the student contestant. Guidance from others must be minimal. This covers teachers, parents, and AI tools. An essay found to be plagiarized or written by AI, in whole or in part, is disqualified and removed from consideration. [1]
For reviewers
Society of Professional Journalists has published no rules for reviewers.
Sources
SPJ/JEA High School Essay Contest (opens in a new tab)
each essay entry must be entirely original and written directly by the student contestant, with minimal guidance from others, including teachers, parents and artificial intelligence tools. Any essays that are found to be plagiarized or written by AI, in whole or in part, will be disqualified and removed from consideration.
This page summarizes what the funder has published and is not legal advice. Policies change, and one solicitation can add its own rules. Confirm against the funding announcement before you apply.