Journalism Merit Badge History

Earned through 2020113,468

Best year19754,125 earned

All-time popularity#136official, as of 2020#140by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1927. Peak year 1975 with 4,125. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

1927447 earned#62 of 68

1928590 earned#74 of 88

1929615 earned#71 of 89

1930579 earned#72 of 92

1931636 earned#84 of 96

1932669 earned#77 of 98

1933819 earned#76 of 101

1934690 earned#78 of 101

1935948 earned#76 of 101

1936618 earned#78 of 101

1937678 earned#84 of 102

1938711 earned#81 of 105

1939806 earned#79 of 106

1940663 earned#82 of 106

1941939 earned#75 of 106

1942518 earned#84 of 110

1943525 earned#90 of 112

1944513 earned#91 of 111

1945510 earned#94 of 111

1946444 earned#98 of 111

1947478 earned#93 of 111

1948460 earned#91 of 111

1949491 earned#92 of 111

1950588 earned#92 of 111

1951572 earned#100 of 111

1952525 earned#107 of 120

1953593 earned#91 of 105

1954629 earned#93 of 103

1955670 earned#93 of 100

1956752 earned#94 of 100

1957702 earned#94 of 100

1958765 earned#95 of 101

1959915 earned#93 of 101

19601,346 earned#88 of 100

19611,462 earned#89 of 101

19621,693 earned#85 of 101

19632,385 earned#72 of 102

19642,601 earned#72 of 107

19652,300 earned#73 of 109

19662,243 earned#74 of 110

19672,450 earned#80 of 112

19681,919 earned#84 of 112

19692,159 earned#86 of 113

19702,439 earned#84 of 113

19712,250 earned#82 of 113

19722,784 earned#87 of 124

19732,852 earned#90 of 122

19743,876 earned#88 of 121

19754,125 earned#85 of 128

19763,335 earned#93 of 130

19772,861 earned#94 of 130

19782,397 earned#95 of 131

19791,279 earned#106 of 132

1980739 earned#104 of 132

1981991 earned#113 of 134

1982No data available

1983No data available

1984No data available

1985No data available

1986No data available

1987No data available

1988No data available

1989No data available

1990No data available

1991No data available

1992No data available

19931,080 earned#118 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

1996805 earned#115 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

20001,224 earned#113 of 128

20011,021 earned#112 of 129

20021,281 earned#113 of 129

20031,091 earned#116 of 130

20041,232 earned#114 of 121

20051,428 earned#116 of 121

20061,272 earned#112 of 121

20071,113 earned#114 of 121

20081,168 earned#115 of 121

20091,285 earned#116 of 122

20101,191 earned#120 of 125

20111,285 earned#112 of 129

20121,184 earned#109 of 132

2013945 earned#97 of 129

2014955 earned#133 of 136

20151,037 earned#134 of 138

2016970 earned#132 of 138

20171,127 earned#131 of 139

20181,153 earned#132 of 139

20191,283 earned#134 of 139

20201,516 earned#125 of 137

2021No data available#130 of 137

2022No data available#130 of 138

2023No data available#136 of 138

2024No data available#132 of 138

2025No data available#129 of 141

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#129 of 141" means the badge was number 129 of the 141 merit badges earned that year. National counts have not been published since 2020, but the rankings have. The grand total comes from official reports and includes the years without a known count. The 2025 all-time place is an estimate, because the counts for 2021 to 2025 are worked out from each year's official ranking and the total number of merit badges earned that year.

1927447#62 of 68

1928590#74 of 88

1929615#71 of 89

1930579#72 of 92

1931636#84 of 96

1932669#77 of 98

1933819#76 of 101

1934690#78 of 101

1935948#76 of 101

1936618#78 of 101

1937678#84 of 102

1938711#81 of 105

1939806#79 of 106

1940663#82 of 106

1941939#75 of 106

1942518#84 of 110

1943525#90 of 112

1944513#91 of 111

1945510#94 of 111

1946444#98 of 111

1947478#93 of 111

1948460#91 of 111

1949491#92 of 111

1950588#92 of 111

1951572#100 of 111

1952525#107 of 120

1953593#91 of 105

1954629#93 of 103

1955670#93 of 100

1956752#94 of 100

1957702#94 of 100

1958765#95 of 101

1959915#93 of 101

19601,346#88 of 100

19611,462#89 of 101

19621,693#85 of 101

19632,385#72 of 102

19642,601#72 of 107

19652,300#73 of 109

19662,243#74 of 110

19672,450#80 of 112

19681,919#84 of 112

19692,159#86 of 113

19702,439#84 of 113

19712,250#82 of 113

19722,784#87 of 124

19732,852#90 of 122

19743,876#88 of 121

19754,125#85 of 128

19763,335#93 of 130

19772,861#94 of 130

19782,397#95 of 131

19791,279#106 of 132

1980739#104 of 132

1981991#113 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

19931,080#118 of 123

1994—

1995—

1996805#115 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

20001,224#113 of 128

20011,021#112 of 129

20021,281#113 of 129

20031,091#116 of 130

20041,232#114 of 121

20051,428#116 of 121

20061,272#112 of 121

20071,113#114 of 121

20081,168#115 of 121

20091,285#116 of 122

20101,191#120 of 125

20111,285#112 of 129

20121,184#109 of 132

2013945#97 of 129

2014955#133 of 136

20151,037#134 of 138

2016970#132 of 138

20171,127#131 of 139

20181,153#132 of 139

20191,283#134 of 139

20201,516#125 of 137

2021—#130 of 137

2022—#130 of 138

2023—#136 of 138

2024—#132 of 138

2025—#129 of 141

Grand total through 2020:

This page keeps growing. More of this badge's history, including its patches and pamphlets, is being checked and will be added once it is confirmed.

Journalism: workbook data

Printings (74)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Run	©	HC	Notes
x	1927		3A
	1928		3
	1928		3B
c	1928		3B				with 1929 past in requirements
	1929	not made
x	1930	April	3B
c	1930	November	3B
c	1931	May	3B
c	1932	February	3B	1M
x	1932	November	3B	1M
	1933	not made
c	1934	June	3B
x	1935	August	3B	1M
c	1936	July	3B	1M
	1937	not made
c	1938	January	3B	1M
x	1939	March	3B	1M
x	1939	March	3C	1M
x	1940	May	3C	1M
x	1941	December	3C	0.9M			very rare printing
x	1942	no date	3C				no requirements on inside front cover and no date marking-it is post 1937 and layout inside is identical to may 1940 version-this also could be a late 1939 to late 1941 printing
x	1943	April	4	3M	1943
x	1944	April	5A	2M	1943
c	1945	October	5B	1M	1943
x	1946	August	5B	2M	1943
	1947	not made
x	1948	May	5B	2M	1943
	1949	not made
x	1950	September	5B	1M	1943
x	1951	July	5B	1M	1943
x	1951	September	5B	1M	1943
x	1952	September	6A	2M	1943
x	1953	September	6A	2M	1943	HCI
c	1954	July	6A	2M	1943
x	1955	February	6A	3M	1943	HCJV1
x	1956	March	6A	3M
x	1957	February	6A	3M
x	1958	April	6A	3M		HCJV1
	1959	June	6A	3M
x	1960	July	6A	1.5M
	1961	not made
x	1962	November	6B	5M	1962
x	1963	January	6B	5M	1962
x	1963	November	6B	7M	1962	HCK
	1964	not made
x	1965	January	6B	7M	1962	HCL
	1966	not made
x	1967	January	7A	5M	1962
x	1968	March	7A	5M	1962	HCL
x	1969	March	7A	4.8M	1962	HCN
x	1970	June	7B	4.2M	1962	HCL
x	1971	May	7B	4.5M	1962
x	1972	November	8A	3.5M
x	1973	August	8A	5M
x	1974	September	8A	3M		HCT
x	1975	July	8B	4M
x	1976	September	8C	5M
x	1977	September	8C	3.5M
	1978	not made
x	1979	September	9A	2M
x	1980	July	9A	2M
x	1981	August	9A	2M
	1982	not made
x	1983	January	9B	2M
x	1984	February	9B	2M
x	1985	June	9B	2M
x	1986	May	9B	2M
x	1987	May	9B	2M
	1988	March	9B	2M
x	1989	April	9B	2M
x	1990	August	9B	2M
x	1991	September	9B	2M
	1992	not made
x	1993	October	9	2M
x	1994	October	9	1.5
x	1995	October	9	2M
	1996	not made
	1997	not made
	1998	not made
x	1999		9
x	2000		9
	2001	not made
x	2002		9C
x	2003		9C
	2004	not made
x	2005		9C
x	2006		9D
x	2007		9D
x	2008		10A
	2009	not made
	2010	not made
	2011	not made
	2012	not made
	2013	not made
	2014	not made
	2015	not made
	2016	not made
	2017	not made
	2018	not made
x	2019		10D
	2020	not made
	2021	not made
	2022	not made
	2023	not made
	2024	not made
	2025	not made

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1927	447	62	68
1928	590	74	88
1929	615	71	89
1930	579	72	92
1931	636	84	96
1932	669	77	98
1933	819	76	101
1934	690	78	101
1935	948	76	101
1936	618	78	101
1937	678	84	102
1938	711	81	105
1939	806	79	106
1940	663	82	106
1941	939	75	106
1942	518	84	110
1943	525	90	112
1944	513	91	111
1945	510	94	111
1946	444	98	111
1947	478	93	111
1948	460	91	111
1949	491	92	111
1950	588	92	111
1951	572	100	111
1952	525	107	120
1953	593	91	105
1954	629	93	103
1955	670	93	100
1956	752	94	100
1957	702	94	100
1958	765	95	101
1959	915	93	101
1960	1,346	88	100
1961	1,462	89	101
1962	1,693	85	101
1963	2,385	72	102
1964	2,601	72	107
1965	2,300	73	109
1966	2,243	74	110
1967	2,450	80	112
1968	1,919	84	112
1969	2,159	86	113
1970	2,439	84	113
1971	2,250	82	113
1972	2,784	87	124
1973	2,852	90	122
1974	3,876	88	121
1975	4,125	85	128
1976	3,335	93	130
1977	2,861	94	130
1978	2,397	95	131
1979	1,279	106	132
1980	739	104	132
1981	991	113	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	1,080	118	123
1994
1995
1996	805	115	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	1,224	113	128
2001	1,021	112	129
2002	1,281	113	129
2003	1,091	116	130
2004	1,232	114	121
2005	1,428	116	121
2006	1,272	112	121
2007	1,113	114	121
2008	1,168	115	121
2009	1,285	116	122
2010	1,191	120	125
2011	1,285	112	129
2012	1,184	109	132
2013	945	97	129
2014	955	133	136
2015	1,037	134	138
2016	970	132	138
2017	1,127	131	139
2018	1,153	132	139
2019	1,283	134	139
2020	1,516	125	137
2021		130	137
2022		130	138
2023		136	138
2024		132	138
2025		129	141