Forster named S.D. High School Journalist of the Year

Recent Lincoln High School graduate Emma Forster of Sioux Falls has been named the 2023 South Dakota High School Journalist of the Year. 

The award was announced in May by the South Dakota High School Press Association, which supports South Dakota’s scholastic journalism programs.

Forster received a $500 cash prize sponsored by the South Dakota Newspaper Association and South Dakota State University’s School of Communication and Journalism, said SDHSPA coordinator and SDSU assistant professor of journalism Marina Hendricks.

During her senior year, Forster served as editor-in-chief of the website and the online edition of The Statesman, the Lincoln High School newspaper with a staff of about 45 students. As an editor, she brainstormed story ideas, scheduled and edited stories, and handled administrative duties for the website. For the two years before that, she was a staff writer and then opinion editor for the paper. Her work also included photography and design.

Adviser Katie Kroeze encouraged Forster to apply for the award and called her a concise writer and a good leader who tries to give a voice to those who don’t have one. Forster looks for stories that aren’t obvious to others but are important to her peers and might not be covered by other outlets.

Kroeze praised a feature story Forster wrote earlier this year on Mato Standing Soldier, an LHS alum and an accomplished TV and film composer, musical artist and activist who was named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list for Hollywood and Entertainment.

Forster cited an opinion piece, “Patriotism and past mistakes: why both are crucial for history education,” as one of her favorite assignments over the past few years. The piece earned her an online award from Best of SNO, a website that showcases the best of student journalism from members of its network.

The piece focused on the 1619 Project, the 1776 Commission and changing standards with social studies education. “It was a really interesting story, and it was fun to be recognized,” Forster said.

Forster said writing was her favorite part of journalism, and she developed an appreciation for design through her work for the student newspaper.

“The Statesman at Lincoln is a very tight-knit community. It’s also a very big part of the community at Lincoln. It plays a big role there, and I wanted to add another perspective to that,” Forster said of why she got involved. “I took journalism as a freshman and really enjoyed it, and I’ve always been interested in politics and debate. I sort of saw student journalism as an avenue to learn more … and find stories that are important to our school.”

Kroeze said Forster is an intelligent student with good attention to detail and a great representative of Lincoln High School. Forster is an active student with an interest in social change, policy, debate and more, she added.

“She’s definitely grown as a journalist throughout the years and exemplifies what it’s like to be a great high school journalist,” Kroeze said.

The SDHSPA contest follows a rubric set by the national Journalism Education Association. Applicants for the state award must be high school seniors, submit a personal narrative and an online portfolio, and they can add materials such as a resume, transcript and recommendation letters to go on to the national competition.

Candidates need to be involved in journalism in some form, whether it’s their high school newspaper or yearbook, broadcast or another medium. They’re judged on their personal narrative, organization, reporting and writing, leadership, web and social media design, broadcast journalism, photojournalism, law, ethics, news literacy, marketing, commitment to diversity and audience engagement.

Forster was selected as the state winner by two judges: NFL writer and SDSU alum Charean Williams and Hayden Barber, assistant professor of communication studies at SDSU.

Hendricks said Forster was a well-rounded candidate who received points in every category, reflecting depth in what she does. Judges praised her writing ability, which was at a higher level than they expected from a high school student.

Forster encouraged other students to consider getting involved. “I think it’s important to realize that journalism comes in a lot of different forms, so maybe you’re good at social media or videos or photography. Those are all elements of a newspaper or a media outlet. Anyone can bring a skill to the table, and being a student journalist adds a lot to your high school experience and allows you to learn from a lot of different people and broaden your perspective on the world.”