Visual representations of community in scholastic photojournalism: A thematic analysis of award-winning photographs from the national scholastic press association's photo of the year contest.

This article examines award-winning scholastic photojournalism by analyzing 229 photographs from the National Scholastic Press Association's (NSPA) Photo of the Year Contest to identify dominant visual themes and news values. The study finds that student photojournalists predominantly portray high school as a site of connection, collaboration, and citizenship, offering a more positive and community-oriented perspective than professional photojournalism, which often emphasizes negative themes. Proximity to the local school community is the most frequent news value, with political engagement notably increasing in recent years. The research also highlights conventionalization in student photojournalism contests, where recurring themes and techniques are encouraged through award recognition and educational resources. Limitations include the lack of consistent textual context for the images and a nonrepresentative sample due to the socioeconomic factors influencing contest submissions.