There’s a mountain of information we are sharing about West Virginia today.

Scholastic Journalism
1. Current WVJEA Members: Morgan Bricker (CJE, Weir High School), Amber Campano (St. Marys High School), Andrew Carroll (Elkins High School), Heather Gates-Rusher (Former state director, lifetime member, Parkersburg South High School), Beth Koreksi (CJE, Parkersburg High School), Andrew Layton (Point Pleasant High School), Jessica Romick (Former state director, lifetime member, John Marhsall High School), Andrea Suesli (Braxton County High School), Natalie Treadway (Nicholas County High School), Lesley White (Lewis County High School), Marshall University (Institutional Member).
2. West Virginia Student Journalist of the Year contest
3. Kyle Dyer, W.Va. JOY 2004
4. Kristin Steele, W.Va. JOY 2005
5. Joshua Linton, W.Va. JOY 2007
6. Tiera Floyd, W.Va. JOY 2008
7. Casey Shreve, W.Va. JOY 2009 – Wayne High School
8. Sara Collins, W.VA. JOY 2022 – Elkins High School
9. Elizabeth Rhodes, W.Va. JOY 2023 – Weir High School
10. Wilbert Mick – Richwood, West Virginia – 1970 JEA Administrator of the Year
11. United High School Media Journalism Workshops
12. West Virginia High School Journalism Teachers Association
13. WVU Reed College of Media High School Journalism Challenges
14. Southern Interscholastic Press Association
15. The Ohio Scholastic Media Association
16. The Pennsylvania Scholastic Press Association – Paul Fantaski, Rick Brooks, Nate Thompson, Kate Plows, among many others.
17. West Virginia Public Broadcasting Education resources and donations to support journalism students
18. West Virginia Educational Broadcasting Authority
19. PBS Newshour Student Reporting Labs
20. Freedom Forum’s Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference

Press Freedom
21. W.Va. v. Barnett (1943) – landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court holding that the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment protects students from being forced to salute the American flag or say the Pledge of Allegiance in public school. Just Robert H. Jackson concluded: “If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in matters of politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion[,] or force citizens to confess by word their faith therein.”
22. W.Va. Code §57-3-10 – Reporters’ Privilege
23. 17th state to pass a New Voices law – Senate Bill 121 (2023): Student Journalist Press Freedom Protection Act
24. The Student Press Law Center for its tireless advocacy
25. Hillary Davis – SPLC Advocacy & Organizing Director, for her help with W.Va. New Voices efforts
26. Kellen Hoard – press freedom advocate and 2022 recipient of the SPLC Courage in Student Journalism award, for his help with W.Va. New Voices efforts

Collegiate Journalism
27. Bethany College Department of Communications & Media.
28. Concord University Department of Fine Art & Communication.
29. Davis & Elkins College.
30. Fairmont State University.
31. Glenville State College Pioneer Media.
32. Marshall University W. Page Pitt School of Journalism.
33. Marshall’s Fourth Estate, honorary journalism fraternity for women.
34. Potomac State College.
35. Shepherd University.
36. University of Charleston.
37. West Liberty University — Topper Station (WLU-TV14), The Trumpet newspaper, 91.5 WGLZ radio.
38. West Virginia Wesleyan College.
39. West Virginia State University.
40. West Virginia University Perley Issac Reed School of Journalism — WVU News and Mountaineer Playbook, The Daily Athenaeum newspaper, U92 radio.

Professional Media
41. The Eastern Panhandle – the birthplace of the first newspapers in West Virginia, where three newspapers were founded before 1800: the Potowmac Guardian and Berkeley Advertiser in Shepherdstown in 1790; the Impartial Observer in 1797 in Shepherdstown; and the Berkeley Intelligencer in 1799 in Martinsburg.
42. The first black-owned newspapers in West Virginia: The Freeman in Parkersburg (1881) and Martinsburg’s. Pioneer Press (1882), published by J.R. Clifford.
43. WHD at West Virginia University – first radio station license in W.Va.
44. WSAZ-TV – the oldest television station in W.Va.
45. West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
46. West Virginia Radio Corporation.
47. WV Metro News – statewide news, talk and sports network.
48. West Virginia Watch – independent, nonpartisan, non-profit news service.
49. Black By God is a community-led news organization based in West Virginia that aims to provide a more nuanced portrayal of the Black Experience in the Appalachian region.
50. Mountain State Spotlight – independent, civic news organization.
51. The WV Hillbilly and its editor Jim Comstock, who once mixed ramp (a native W.Va. plant with a stronger odor than garlic or onion) into the newspaper’s ink and mailed it out to more than 30,000 subscribers.
52. The Jamboree – the second oldest country music radio broadcast (next to the Grand Ole Opry) operating out of Wheeling, W.Va.
53. West Virginia Press Association.
54. NewStart – a local news ownership initiative started by West Virginia University’s Reed College of Media and the press association. Their mission is to “recruit, train and support the next generation of community news publication owners,” in-state and nationwide.
55. West Virginia Broadcasters Association .
56. Society of Professional Journalists – WVU Chapter.
57. National Association for Black Journalists – WVU Chapter.
58. Radio Television Digital News Association – WVU Chapter.
59. 63 news media publishers currently in West Virginia.

Notable Journalists & Writers
60. Ann Newport Royall (1769-1854) – known as America’s first woman journalist, also a muckraker.
61. Anna Jarvis (1864-1948) – writer and founder of American Mother’s Day.
62. Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950) – author, historian, journalist – known as Father of Black History.
63. Pearl S. Buck (1892-1973) – writer, activist, and humanitarian – awarded the Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Prize.
64. John S. Knight (1894-1981) – newspaper publisher and editor, co-founder of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
65. William Page Pitt (1900-1980) – journalist and Marshall University journalism professor known as the “Grand Old Man of Journalism” – founder of United High School Press and W.Va. Journalism Teachers Association.
66. Herbert Morrison (1905-1989) – radio journalist who broadcast Hindenburg disaster – created radio/television section at West Virginia University.
67. Chuck Yeager (1923-2020) – the first pilot in history confirmed to have exceeded the speed of sound in level flight, later a writer.
68. Don Knotts (1924-2006) – before taking on his Emmy Award-winning role as Barney Fife, he worked on Morgantown High School’s yearbook staff.
69. John Knowles (1926-2001) – journalist and author of A Separate Peace.
70. M. William “Bill” Adler (d. 2002) – broadcast journalist, columnist, pioneer in bringing cable to the Mountain State.
71. Eldora Marie Bolyard Nuzum (1926-2004) was the first female editor of a daily newspaper in West Virginia – later president of the Association of Newspaper Editors of West Virginia.
72. Sally Matz Susman (1930-2019) – entrepreneur, journalist, editor, publisher, politician, school board member, champion of students and teachers.
73. Faith Daniels (1957) – broadcast news reporter, anchor, and talk show host.
74. Jeannette Walls (1960) – journalist and author of memoir The Glass Castle – recipient of Alex Award and Christopher Award.
75. Michael John Tomasky (1960) – columnist, commentator, author, editor
76. Hoppy Kercheval – radio news anchor/reporter/director, known as a founding father of Metronews and “The Voice of West Virginia.”
77. Tony Caridi (1962) – children’s book author and sportscaster for WVU Mountaineer Sports Network and West Virginia Radio Corporation’s Metronews Radio Network.
78. Hoda Kotb (1963) – broadcast journalist and author.
79. Eric Eyre (1965) – author, investigative reporter and Pulitzer Prize winner.
80. Ken Ward, Jr. (1968) – journalist for Charleston Gazette-Mail and Pro-Publica, co-founder of Mountain State Spotlight.
81. Weijia Jiang (1983) – CBS News’ senior White House correspondent, first woman of color elected president of White House Correspondents’ Association.

West Virginia Treasures
82. Washington Hall in Wheeling, the birthplace of W.Va.
83. “55 Strong” W.Va. counties.
84. Tourism – the state’s leading industry.
85. Berdine’s Five and Dime – America’s oldest dime store.
86. The New River Gorge Bridge in Fayetteville, West Virginia, is the longest steel-arch bridge in the western hemisphere.
87. Greenbank Telescope – the world’s largest, most accurate, versatile, large dish fully steerable radio telescope in the world.
88. The Greenbrier Resort (secret bunker).
89. Pepperoni Rolls – born in Fairmont, WV.
90. Golden Delicious Apples – discovered in Clay County.
91. Weirton – the only city in the U.S. that extends from one state border to another.
92. Actors: Ted Cassidey – actor best known as Lurch; Joyce Dewitt – actress best known for Three’s Company; Jennifer Garner – actress and philanthropist; Steve Harvey – comedian and TV host; Soupy Sales – comedian and TV personality.
93. Athletes: George Brett – MLB third baseman, one of five MLB players to accumulate 3,000 hits, 300 home runs, and a career .300 batting average; Randy Moss – football player for Marshall Thundering Herd, Unanimous All-American, Pro-Bowl and All-Pro selection, NFL player, ESPN analyst; Mary Lou Retton – Olympic gymnast; Jerry West – former Lakers player most well-known for being the silhouette in the National Basketball Association (NBA) logo.
94. Musicians: Little Jimmy Dickens – country; Kathy Mattea – country/bluegrass/gospel, Grammy winner; Landau Eugene Murphy – jazz, won sixth season of America’s Got Talent; Brad Paisley – country, Grammy winner; Michael W. Smith – contemporary Christian, Grammy winner; Bill Withers – R&B/soul, Grammy winner.
95. Other notable Mountaineers: Homer Hickam – author (Rocket Boys/October Sky) and NASA engineer; Creola Katherine Johnson – NASA mathematician whose work was critical to U.S. crewed spaceflights; Mary G. Harris
96. “Mother” Jones – activist, labor organizer, champion for unions and miners, schoolteacher, dressmaker; Natalie Tennant – the first Mountaineer mascot in WVU history, politician.
97. Films set/recorded in W.VA.: A Beautiful Mind, The Bodyguard, Deer Hunter, Fools Parade, Gods and Generals, Matewan, The Mothman Prophecies, October Sky, Patch Adams, Primal Fear Silence of the Lambs, Still Bill, Super 8, Unstoppable, We Are Marshall, Win a Date with Tad Hamilton.
98. Natural wonders/landscapes: Appalachian & Blue Ridge Mountains, Berkeley Springs, Blackwater Falls, Cranberry Glades, Dolly Sods, Ice Mountain, Monongahela National Forest, New River Gorge, Seneca Rocks, Spruce Knob.
99. State symbols: black bear, cardinal, brook trout, honeybee, monarch butterfly, sugar maple, rhododendron flower.
100. “Country Roads” – the song by John Denver and the ones that always take us home.