The highest acclaimed program in the north

For 2023-2024 the journalism program is just getting stated, but are working hard to create a publication that meets professional standards for design, writing, and photography.

The Nexus yearbook is recognized as one of the top yearbooks in the state of Michigan. It has earned seven Michigan Interscholastic Press Association Spartan Awards, the top honor in the state. Spartans were earned for the 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2015, and 2016 volumes. The Columbia Scholastic Press Association awarded the Nexus a Gold Crown in 2008, one of only six in the country that year. The National Scholastic Press Association honored the Nexus with its highest honor, the Pacemaker, in 2007.

The 2023 Nexus is in house and will be distributed in September. The 2024 Nexus may be purchased online through our publisher at this page.

In Sept. 2015, the journalism program launched il360.news, an online student news website. The news website earned a Gold Medalist certificate from CSPA in 2016 and a Gold Medal from MIPA in the spring of 2017. Current class offerings have limited the time available to maintain the website, so updates have become infrequent.

In Sept. 2016, Inland Lakes offered dual enrollment journalism in cooperation with North Central Michigan College in Petoskey. The course in JRN 102 Media Writing. It will be offered when matrix space is available.

Under the guidance of adviser Tim Morley, media at Inland Lakes is nationally renowned for its photography. Students have received numerous Superior rankings in the Journalism Education Association's scholastic media competitions. Two photographers have been recognized in NSPA's Photo of the Year competition, including Kelly Boughner '17 who won first place in Sports Action in Nov. 2016. Senior Marissa Kolly earned a first place in NSPA's clip contest in the Fall of 2019.

Mr. Morley recently stepped down as the Michigan State Director for the Journalism Education Association., where he also previously served as a curriculum director for the photojournalism section of JEA's national scholastic journalism curriculum. He is a Certified Journalism Educator through JEA and holds Michigan teaching credentials in journalism from the Michigan Department of Education. In the past, he has served as a trustee on the board of directors for the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association. He is a regular presenter on photography subjects at local, regional, state and national workshops. As of January 2023, Morley has shot over 5 million photographs of events at Inland Lakes Schools.