Start putting together your four-person teams now for the National Journalism Quiz Bowl competition. The quiz bowl-style competition will include questions related to current events, pop culture, journalism and civics. The registration fee for each four-person team is $50, and registration must be done online. Schools attending the convention may enter multiple teams.
Registered teams will take a written qualifying test at 8 a.m. on Friday. The test scores will be used to seed the top teams that will compete in the live buzzer rounds 8-10 a.m. Saturday.
National Journalism Quiz Bowl Frequently Asked Questions
1. How many students are on a team?
A team for the National Journalism Quiz Bowl has four students. This is a good way to get the different publication staffs at a school working together. For instance, a team might include one representative from the newspaper, yearbook, broadcast and literary magazine staffs at a school.
2. How much does it cost to enter a team?
The entry fee for the National Journalism Quiz Bowl is $50 per team.
3. How many teams may a school have?
There is no limit to the number of teams a school may enter. It is fun to have a varsity team of upperclassmen and a junior varsity team of underclassmen.
4. What topics are covered in the questions for the National Journalism Quiz Bowl?
The topics include AP Style, current events, journalism terminology, scholastic media law and civics/American government. The current events questions are taken from the 12 months preceding the convention where the quiz bowl is held.
5. How does the quiz bowl work?
On Friday morning at the convention, the members of each team collaborate to take a 50-question multiple-choice test that is used to cut the number of teams for the live buzzer rounds and to seed the teams. The questions cover AP Style, current events, journalism terminology, scholastic media law and civics/American government. On Saturday morning, the teams compete in live buzzer rounds with a moderator asking the questions and the team members buzzing in to answer. The student who buzzes in must answer the question. The moderator goes over the rules of the competition before the rounds begin.
6. Is there a prize for winning?
Yes, the winning team receives a trophy to take home.
7. How can students prepare for the quiz bowl?
A good way to prepare for the quiz bowl is to have each member of the team “specialize” in one of the subject areas covered in the quiz bowl. For instance, one team member can review AP style while another studies the basic facts of civics and American government. The entire team could review current events, or the team could divide up the previous 12 months and have individual team members focus on specific months. There are plenty of resources available to study. Most journalism textbooks have glossaries of terms. The practice citizenship tests on the Internet provide a way to study for the civics questions. There are numerous sites that list major current events.
8. When does the quiz bowl take place?
The preliminary test for the National Journalism Quiz Bowl is given at 8 a.m. on Friday morning during the convention. The buzzer rounds begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning. The bracket for the buzzer rounds is posted in the JEA bookstore and at the convention registration desk by 10 a.m. on Friday.