Best of SNO Returns to Recognize the Nation’s Top Student Journalists

Celebrating excellence in scholastic journalism, Best of SNO 2025 opens for submissions Sept. 15.

HASTINGS, MN, UNITED STATES, September 8, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Now more than ever, communities are relying on student news as the source of information for what’s happening, not just in the high school halls, but in the broader towns where those schools sit.

One contributing factor to this shift is the decrease in community newspapers, where professional journalists previously covered school boards, county supervisors, city councils and more. According to the Medill Local News Initiative, there has been a net loss of 3,200 newspapers since 2005. While this compounds a problem that American society will need to address sooner rather than later, student journalists are stepping up to cover school board conflicts, zoning board decisions and state-level elections. Readers are seeing what journalism teachers and scholastic media companies have known for years: student journalism is journalism.

Across the world, journalism teachers are instructing young adults on how to interview, report, write, edit and publish their content to inform their ever-expanding school communities. SNO Sites provides web hosting and support so these staffs can post their stories, photos, videos, podcasts, infographics, and more on a public website to reach a wide audience—far beyond the old print editions of school newspapers.

SNO Sites extends that reach further still with Best of SNO, the writing component of its Distinguished Sites recognition program. Distinguished Sites is a series of six badges that SNO customers can earn, aligning school news sites with solid online journalism practices across coverage, writing, design, and more.

Any SNO Sites customer may submit one eligible story per day for Best of SNO consideration. Ultimately, reviewers select the top 10–15% of submissions for republication on the Best of SNO website.

“For student journalists, seeing their work published on a national platform like Best of SNO is a great motivator. It provides immediate recognition for their work, dedication, and journalistic skill. … It's not just about winning an award; it's about knowing their story stood out among 16,400+ submissions,” said Debra Klevens, Clayton High School Globe adviser and 2023 Columbia Scholastic Press Association Journalism Teacher of the Year.

Former adviser and current journalism education consultant Ellen Austin also notes that Best of SNO provides one of the only near-immediate feedback opportunities in the scholastic journalism world.

In addition, Best of SNO serves as a hub where student journalists and advisers can explore outstanding examples of contemporary student journalism across seven categories: news, features, sports, arts and entertainment, opinions, multimedia, middle school, and college.

SNO Sites will begin accepting submissions for Best of SNO on Sept. 15, 2025. Participating schools can submit one eligible story per day throughout the academic year. Stories selected for publication will be featured on BestofSNO.com and shared with a national audience.

“Best of SNO is a fantastic resource for student journalists. I love when my students browse published content to get new ideas for stories, to see different approaches to reporting, and to learn from the best practices showcased there. It creates a sense of community and shared learning among scholastic journalists nationwide,” Klevens added.

About SNO Sites
Founded in 2008, SNO Sites is the largest provider of online and mobile publishing solutions for scholastic and collegiate journalism programs. Serving thousands of schools worldwide, SNO provides hosting, design, training, and support to empower student journalists to publish professional-quality work.

Tom Hutchinson
SNO Sites
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