The Brodsky Prize
The 2026 Brodsky Prize Winners
Catherine Tenn, right, a senior at Manchester Central High School, received the first-place award of $5,000. The judges were impressed with her strong portfolio and essay question answers addressing issues of AI and its effects on journalism, and how student journalists can help rebuild trust in the news.
She served as the editor-in-chief of the school’s Little Green newspaper and will be attending Dartmouth College in the fall.
“I am so pleased to see the strength of candidates from across the state and in different media,” said Howard Brodsky, at right, who co-founded the contest with his son, Jeffrey. “It’s wonderful that she will continue her journalism career in college.”
Noel Beauchaine, a senior from Stevens High School in Claremont, received second place with a $1,500 award. The judges cited her initiative in starting her own current events show, Cardinal Perspectives, featuring insightful interviews on community TV.
Jahrie Houle, a senior from Oyster River High School in Durham, came in third place and received a $1,000 award.
The Brodsky Prize recognizes excellence and innovation in student journalism in New Hampshire.
Photo by David Lane, Union Leader
What is the Brodsky Prize?
The Brodsky Prize was established in 2018 by the late Jeffrey Brodsky and his father, Howard, to encourage journalistic initiative and enterprise, as well as what Jeffrey called "a contrarian nature and out-of-the-box thinking." Jeffrey had been editor of Manchester Central High School’s Little Green newspaper.
Who is eligible?
High school students who live in New Hampshire and attend public, charter, or parochial schools. Students who live in a neighboring state, but attend a New Hampshire school, are also eligible.
How can I apply?
Applications will open in the Spring of 2027.
Students must answer essay questions and submit three recent examples of their student journalism writing. At least two of these must have been published in a school newspaper, newsletter, blog, magazine, podcast, videocast, or in a community news outlet. The examples must be submitted as links or PDFs including the name of the student, the publication name, and publication date visible.
How are Prize winners chosen?
Judges consider students’ journalistic initiative and enterprise, contrarian nature and out-of- the-box thinking, as well as other spelling and grammar, an attention-getting lead, fairness and accuracy, and whether the entry clearly explains the issue it covers.
The 2026 judges were Howard Brodsky, co-founder & chairman of CCA Global Partners; Misbah Tahir, former Little Green co-editor and now a biotechnology finance executive; Susan Geier, executive director of the Loeb School; Joseph McQuaid, former NH Union Leader and Sunday News president and publisher; Rebecca Pereira, news editor and reporter at the Concord Monitor, and Zoë Mitchell, community engagement manager at NH Public Radio.
Questions? Contact loebschool@loebschool.org
When Jeffrey Brodsky was a student at Manchester’s Central High School, he found his voice as co-editor of Central’s student newspaper, the Little Green. He made significant changes to the newspaper, improving circulation by 800%. During this time, Jeffrey interviewed all nine candidates for the 1992 presidential election and was selected as a student intern for the Chicago Sun-Times covering the White House.
His unconventional thinking as editor brought him headlines beyond the campus and started him on a career in the media. Jeffrey was a noted journalist, oral historian and graduate of the Oral History Master of Arts program at Columbia University.
In honor of those early student journalism experiences, he and his father, Howard, established the scholarship program to give back to their community and encourage further generations of journalists.
Jeffrey passed away on July 26, 2023, at the age of 49.
You can read about Jeff’s life and watch this video prepared by his family.
About Jeffrey Brodsky
Resources for high school journalists:
The Loeb School’s classes are open to people of all ages. High School students are invited to join us for classes, both in-person and online.
The New Hampshire Press Association offers mentoring opportunities and internship matches for high school and college students interested in careers in journalism. Each Spring, it hosts a workshop and awards luncheon for high school and college journalists.
The New Hampshire Association of Broadcasters offers a statewide station/ association-funded program, the Student Broadcaster Scholarship Program, which awards qualified students with a $2,500 scholarship toward pursuing a degree in over-the-air broadcasting.
The New England High School Journalism Collaborative has introduced hundreds of high school students to the field of journalism, through workshops, internships, and programs that let students work directly with professional reporters, photographers and editors from area newspapers.Additionally, it offers a a one-week all-expense paid summer workshop for aspiring young journalists throughout New England.
The New England Newspapers & Press Association offers resources, scholarships, and other opportunities to student journalists.
The Student Press Law Center provides information, training and legal assistance at no charge to student journalists and the educators who work with them. Founded in 1974, the SPLC is based in Washington, D.C.