Jackson Academy earned a Prism Award from the Public Relations Association of Mississippi, one of the organization’s highest honors in professional communications. The award for JA’s 2025 Communication Survey was presented at PRAM’s annual conference in April at the Mill Conference Center in Starkville.
JA conducts a communication survey every two to three years to evaluate how its constituents prefer to receive information. Administered individually by audience (students, parents, alumni, and faculty), the survey helps the school understand how communication preferences differ across its key publics and which tools each group relies on most. Results from the 2025 survey confirmed that audiences continue to prefer email for official information, while also regularly engaging with social media, the Tuesday Raider, the website, and the school magazine.
To receive a Prism, an entry must score 90 or more points on a 100-point scale, as evaluated by a panel of out-of-state accredited public relations and communications professionals. Organizations enter their work to benchmark quality, improve future projects, and stay current with best practices in professional communication.
The award-winning survey was developed and implemented by Patti Wade Magee and Jonathan Blackwell.
Summary of 2025 Jackson Academy Communication Survey
462 Total Respondents — Alumni (63), Parents (234), Students (85), Faculty and Staff (80)
JA’s 2025 Communication Survey provides a comprehensive look at how four key constituent groups (alumni, parents, students in 5th-12th, and faculty and staff) engage with the school’s communication channels. Across all groups, several clear themes emerge.
Email Remains the Foundation
Email is the single most used channel to receive official communication across every audience group surveyed. While preferences and habits vary by audience, email consistently serves as the most trusted and relied-upon channel for all four groups. This encompasses emails from academic division heads and school email blasts from the Office of Communication.
Social Media Engagement is Nearly Universal
Social media use is high across all four groups: 94% of alumni, 87.8% of parents, 90.91% of faculty and staff, and 86% of students in fifth through twelfth grades report active social media use. Instagram is the dominant platform across every audience that follows JA, particularly among students, where 96% of those who follow JA on social media do so on Instagram. Facebook remains strong among alumni, parents, and faculty and staff, in some cases, nearly as strong as Instagram. When social media content is in video form, respondents prefer videos under one minute. Although groups enjoy social media use, large numbers of respondents still rely on email as a tool for official school announcements.
The Tuesday Raider Remains a Key Tool
The Tuesday Raider weekly e-newsletter is a top communication tool across all audience groups, used by 65% of alumni, 71.8% of parents, 72.5% of faculty and staff, and 62% of fifth through twelfth-grade students respondents. Across groups, readers most value content about upcoming events, academic awards, and stories about students and teachers. Faculty and staff show the highest rate of full readership, while other audiences report more scanning for stories of interest to them or reading headlines. Students regularly submit news suggestions to the Tuesday Raider.
True Blue Magazine Holds Its Value
The school magazine, “True Blue,” remains a meaningful communication tool, with alumni citing it as a regular source of JA information. In previous surveys dedicated to the magazine, respondents report reading it cover to cover and retaining it as a keepsake, particularly while their children are in school. The “True Blue” magazine will be studied in a separate survey with questions specifically designed to evaluate magazine readership.
The JA Website Serves as a Practical Resource
Across all groups surveyed, the JA website is used primarily for practical purposes such as accessing the school calendar, the Blackbaud portal, sports schedules, and general information. Between 61% and 79% of respondents across groups report being able to find what they need all or most of the time, suggesting the website functions well as a utility while leaving room for improved search and navigation.
Looking Ahead
The 2025 survey confirms that JA’s communication strategy is well-aligned with constituent preferences. Email and Instagram remain primary channels for reaching all audiences, with the Tuesday Raider continuing to serve as a reliable, widely-read weekly touchpoint. Opportunities for growth include short format video content and improved website search.
