Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ)

The Society of Professional Journalists and its Maryland Pro Chapter join a growing coalition of journalism organizations in supporting Montgomery County Public Schools student journalists who are calling for stronger protections for student press freedom in an open letter to district leaders.

The honors Bloomberg News staff with this year's Society of Professional JournalistsNew America Award for "Immigration, Inc.," its investigative series examining the economic and human consequences of expanded U.S. immigration enforcement. This year ' s award recognizes journalism published or broadcast in 2025.

The Society of Professional Journalists and 23 organizations condemn a proposed Trump administration rule that would allow federal agencies to require employees to sign a standardized nondisclosure agreement. If adopted, the rule would give the federal government a powerful weapon to silence public employees and trample on the free speech rights guaranteed to them by the United States Constitution.

The Society of Professional Journalists, joined by a coalition of news media organizations, has called on Orange County (Florida) Public Schools to revise a district media policy that threatens press freedom, limits transparency and chills constitutionally protected speech. In a letter to district leaders, the coalition raised concerns about OCPS Management Directive B-5, which appears to require employees to obtain approval before speaking with journalists.

The Society of Professional Journalists joins a coalition of 14 national journalism and press freedom organizations led by the Student Press Law Center in urging Indiana University to protect student media independence and ensure long-term sustainability of student journalism. In a letter sent to university leaders, the coalition calls for implementation of a student media task force's recommendations and warns that the national press freedom community is closely watching IU's next steps.

Skip to the content Love it or hate it, the 2026 FIFA World Cup is expected to become one of the biggest sporting events in history. Spanning more than five weeks and 16 host cities across the United States, Canada and Mexico, the global men's soccer tournament kicks off June 10th and June 11th and will bring an unprecedented influx of athletes, fans, security personnel - and journalists. The United States alone will host 78 matches across 11 cities, from Atlanta and Miami to Houston and Seattle.

The Society of Professional Journalists has named Julie K. Brown, Robin Givhan, Walter V. Robinson and Dick Vitale as 2026 Fellows of the Society, the highest professional honor awarded by the organization. "This year's Fellows of the Society reflect the power of journalism at its best - driven by purpose, grounded in ethics and committed to serving the public good.

The Society of Professional Journalists Foundation today opened its 2026 grant cycle and from journalists, media professionals and organizations working to strengthen press freedom, support newsroom resilience and advance public trust in credible journalism. The 2026 grant cycle will prioritize initiatives that advocate for journalists and journalism, defend press freedom, promote media literacy and help build public trust in credible news.

Media Contact SPJ Communications, The Society of Professional Journalists Foundation and Journalism Education Association have selected  three scholarship winners in the 2026 SPJ/JEA High School Essay Contest. Established in 1998, the contest encourages students to explore the role of a free and independent press in a democratic society. A total of 145 high school students participated in this year’s contest, which was judged by 11 journalism educators from across the country.

Media Contact: Justin Paprocki, SPJ Professional Learning Manager, SPJ Communications, The Society of Professional Journalists is relaunching its leadership development program under a new name and renewed mission. The SPJ Leadership Institute is a three-day intensive program that will focus on advocacy, governance and organizational leadership.