The DPMedia program was honored with the First Amendment Press Freedom Award for its support of students’ press freedom rights. The award was given to the entire Dos Pueblos High School media program, which includes three main student-led programs: DPNews, The Charger Account, and The Image.
“[The award] is designed as an acknowledgment for schools and media programs that really embody the First Amendment and a free student press,” said Kelly Savio, The Charger Account advisor. “It’s also an acknowledgement of the important role that the media plays. It’s a powerful role, and there’s some responsibility that goes along with that power.”
The award was received by student leaders and staff advisers in Minneapolis at the opening ceremony of the Spring 2026 Journalism Education Association/National Scholarship Providers Association (JEA/NSPA) National High School Journalism Convention on Fri., April 17.
The award application process requires both student editors and staff advisers to provide evidence on how their school demonstrates First Amendment principles.
Only a limited number of awards can be given this year because not all states have the New Voices law, which allows students to voice their opinions and expressions in writing and media without being restricted by teachers or the district. This year, fewer than twenty states have incorporated the New Voices law for their student press and publication, and only 26 programs were recognized with the award.
“I think that it really does show how much we care about empowering our students and making sure that student voices are never stifled on our campus,” Savio said.
The Charger Account, DPHS’ award-winning online newspaper, was part of the First Amendment Press Freedom Award’s recognition. The Charger Account also produces The Blueprint, DPHS’s quarterly magazine.
“When we were awarded this, it was just this kind of full circle moment where all of our hard work had paid off,” said Kristian Lazcano (12), Editor-in-Chief of The Charger Account. “Even editors before me had always advocated that The Charger Account is moving in steps to earn these types of awards.”
Lazcano believes that DPMedia being mostly in the hands of its students is what made the program so effective at defending press freedom rights. DPMedia has limited adviser censorship and welcomes students to produce content on what they feel strongly about, especially in the form of editorials.
“If you come to DP and look at our media programs, there’s little doubt that it’s student-run,” Savio said.
According to Lazcano, The Charger Account upholds a “professional standard.” Along with the freedom given to their students, Lazcano and Savio also emphasize educating newer reporters on the history and meaning of the First Amendment. Lazcano has attended several conferences on press laws and what students can access.
“I so deeply believe in First Amendment rights,” Savio said. “We educate students about what that looks like for them and what that should look like in the world. I think that’s always going to be a positive thing.”
Though this is Lazcano’s last semester at DPHS, he is considering continuing his journalism career in the future. Throughout his high school years, he has enjoyed meeting people, having authentic conversations with them, and exploring topics he is passionate about through the freedom The Charger Account has given him.
“It’s nice that we are being honored and recognized for our efforts, and I hope we continue to move in that direction,” Lazcano said.
Another program being recognized is DPHS’s award-winning daily news show, DPNews. The program also has many spinoffs and supplemental shows, such as The Goodland Podcast, Beyond DP, and The Charger Playbook. They make new functional episodes almost daily, providing timely and diverse coverage for DPHS students.
“I’m super proud of the leadership and the culture that exists here at Dos Pueblos,” DPMedia director John Dent said. “We support the student press freedom and rights — [not] only the advisers, but the administrators and our district level administrators.”
Dent said he believes in the authenticity of DPNews and works to ensure that it shows up in the studio.
“We are empowering the students to have a final say,” Dent said. “Students are given the right to publish what they find is real and factual, even if it doesn’t shed a good light on the school.”
The First Amendment Press Freedom Awards recognize this application of the freedom of the press, or the media’s fundamental right to report and publish information without the interference of government officials. The awards judge student media programs on how well they emphasize that freedom.
“It’s about celebrating what we’re already doing and getting recognized for it,” Dent said. “Because it’s not always easy for adults, especially teachers and administrators … to give up control, and really this is what [the award] is about.”
Dent recognizes that not every school media program has been able to exercise its publications with a parallel degree of freedom, and strives to make sure DPMedia can function under those rights.
“There’s no prior review or prior restraint … because they have that press right and freedom to do that, and that doesn’t exist everywhere,” Dent said.
Dent said he wants his students to recognize their rights and feel confident using them after participating in the DPMedia program and continuing with their future goals in life.
“Students can leave this program and feel empowered and know what they have as their rights and freedoms in this country,” Dent said.
The DPHS yearbook team was also part of the award-winning process. Known as “The Image,” each year’s issue is produced by students with many voices of their own, including copy editors, photographers, managers, and more.
“[The Image] is entirely student-led and everything we produce is content written and edited by students,” said Annabelle Waldinger (11), Co-Editor-In-Chief of The Image. “We don’t have restrictions. We have freedom of speech.”
Waldinger sees the First Amendment Press Freedom Award as a representation of a core aspect of the United States and is honored to have been recognized by it.
“It’s really important because when … people come to the United States, they think of a better life because of the First Amendment — freedom of speech,” Waldinger said.
Waldinger is looking forward to continuing her work with The Image. She said she views the award as a validation, envisioning an even brighter future for the yearbook.
“I think this is just one step into advancing our media program in the future, just growing and growing and making it the best that it can be,” Waldinger said.
At the convention, other awards were given to DPMedia programs as well, including a fourth-place Best of Show award for The Charger Account. Individual Best of Show awards went to Ty Abel (10), Mika Glasgow (11), Max Heinemann (10), and Lazcano. Some students also received recognition in on-site JEA media contests. The recipients were Eva Corley (10) in literary magazine photography, Glasgow in newswriting, Heinemann in sports action photography, Lazcano in feature writing, Nam-Anh Lê (10) in review writing, Myra Robson (9) in literary magazine illustration, and Townes Widger (11) and Mychal Nuno (12) in broadcast package.
