Eight Newsrooms Join the 2025-26 Student Media Challenge

Pictured: Students hone their reporting skills at 2023 Student Media Challenge grantee Columbia College Chicago. Photo by Jackie Spinner.

We’re delighted to announce the 2025-26 Student Media Challenge cohort. These eight newsrooms cut across geographic, socioeconomic and programmatic lines, but they’re united in a commitment to solutions journalism. In particular, each will be covering youth mental health during the upcoming school year, with SJN’s support and some funding to fuel the work.

• The Post (Ohio University)
• CT Community News (Connecticut Student Journalism Collaborative)
• The Collegian (San Joaquin Delta College)
• Southern Methodist University
• Communities of Hope Civic Media (Roger Williams University)
• The Daily Northwestern (Northwestern University)
• Madison Commons (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
• The Daily Collegian (Pennsylvania State University)