Contact: Kat Duncan, duncank@rjionline.org

The Reynolds Journalism Institute’s (RJI) Student Innovation Competition is open for entries. Now in its 20th year, the competition challenges student teams at any college or university in the U.S. to create a new idea for a merchandise item that a local news organization can sell.

Entries are due by Sept. 13, 2026.

The theme of this year’s competition is inspired by the increasing importance of “merch” as a fundraising, marketing and engagement tool for community newsrooms. With publications like The New Yorker turning tote bags into brand engines, smaller newsrooms are also looking for opportunities to generate funds in fun and creative ways.

“Merch has the potential to deepen the relationship between news organizations and their audiences in all sorts of ways,” said Randy Picht, executive director of RJI. “College students can bring the spark of a fresh perspective that could mean the difference between a middling marketing campaign and real, impactful engagement. I can’t wait to see what they come up with.”

RJI, which is based at the Missouri School of Journalism, will once again award cash prizes to the winners: $10,000 for first place, $2,500 for second place, and $1,000 for third. New to the competition this year, however, is a semester-length timeline that fits comfortably into the rhythm of a school year. The competition will run until the beginning of December, when winners will be determined by an independent judging panel of industry professionals.

Teams can range from a single individual up to a team of four, and at least one member of the team must be a journalism or communication student. Past winners have created an interactive text-messaging service, a data analysis tool for long-term story tracking and a method for connecting newsrooms and social media influencers at in-person events.

“We’re excited to see what creative and original ideas students come up with for their community-centered merch,” said Kat Duncan, director of innovation at RJI. “Successful products are those that resonate with the community they’re made for, and I’m sure the student teams will be great at coming up with innovative designs.”

To learn more or to enter, click here. Duncan will also host a live Zoom Q&A on Wednesday, Aug. 19. Register for the Q&A here.