Date: Saturday, February 21
Location: Northwood High School, 4515 Portola Pkwy, Irvine, CA 92620
Times: 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m (Opening Remarks + Competition), 4 – 5 p.m (Awards Ceremony)
WHAT IS A WRITE-OFF?
Each student enters one of these categories:
- News
- Novice News
- Editorial
- Editorial Cartoon
- Feature
- Sports
- Critical Review
- Newspaper Layout
- Newsmagazine Cover
- News Photography
- Yearbook Photography
- Yearbook Feature Design
- Yearbook Feature Copy
- Yearbook Sports Design
- Yearbook Sports Copy
Students in writing categories will watch a one-hour mock press conference and have one-hour to write a story. Judging and awards will be completed on the same day.
For newspaper and layout competitions, students are required to bring their own laptops or Chromebooks. Contact Thomas Spoth at thomasspoth@iusd.org if your student or school cannot provide a computer for the day of the event. Wifi will be available, but students must have access to their preferred layout software. We also ask that students have access to a non-school issued gmail account in case the event organizers need to share contest materials via Google Drive.
Schools compete in one of two regions — either “North” (those schools west of the 55), or “South” (schools east and south of the 55).
DEADLINES
FEB. 2: FINAL registration deadline
FEB. 11: postmark registration payment
BEST OF SHOW
The Best of Show category is the only event that is not an on-the-spot competition. Schools with digital publications can provide website information on the registration form to compete in Best News Website and Best Podcast. Schools are invited to send two copies of their best print issue newspaper or newsmagazine from the 2025-2026 school year, postmarked by Jan. 27 to:
ATTN: Daniel Langhorne
Sage Hill School
20402 Newport Coast Dr.
Newport Coast, CA 92657
Email Alex Koers at akoers@bousd.us if you prefer to drop off your print submissions in either Brea or Irvine.
HOW TO REGISTER
Click on the link below to register your publication.
Newspaper registration link: OCJEA 2026 Newspaper Registration
Yearbook registration link: OCJEA 2026 Yearbook Registration
PLEASE NOTE that you must register in advance as there will be no day-of, on-site registration.
Please wait to send payment until you receive registration confirmation. Payment must be postmarked by Feb. 11. There are no refunds. However, you are able to switch students between categories and substitute names, if necessary.
Make checks payable to “OCJEA” and send to:
Kimberley Harris
Fullerton Union High School
201 E. Chapman Ave. Fullerton, CA 92832
We’re excited to bring the OC Write-Off to a new location. Big thank you to Marina Alburger and Thomas Spoth of Northwood High for being gracious hosts of this year’s Write-Off!
OCJEA 