Please click here to view the awards presentation from Press Institute 2026: GCPA BNC 2026 Presentation Compressed
Georgia College Press Association Press recognizes award winners at Press Institute March 6
Nearly 100 winning entries in the Georgia College Press Association (GCPA) Better Newspaper Contest were celebrated at the annual Press Institute on March 6 in Athens.
Earning top honors for overall general excellence were The Red & Black of the University of Georgia, Campus Carrier of Berry College and The George-Anne of Statesboro. Other publications winning awards were The Bell Ringer of Augusta University, The Spectator of Valdosta State, The Roar of Piedmont University, The George-Anne Inkwell of Georgia Southern’s Armstrong campus, The Stallion of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and The Cluster of Mercer University. In total, 99 first-, second- and third-place awards were given.
The Press Institute is an annual gathering of college newspaper journalists from across Georgia. News publications from 11 different higher ed institutions are members of GCPA for the 2025-26 academic year, and representatives from 10 attended Press Institute.
Press Institute speakers this year included Dr. Jennifer Duck, a clinical associate professor of journalism at the University of Georgia, Dr. Cindy Montgomery, assistant professor of media and communication at Middle Georgia State University, and Niya Coleman, senior director of supply at flytedesk, a company connecting advertising opportunities with national brands to student media.
The conference opened with a discussion led by a panel of early-career journalists with significant achievements. Most of the group, which included Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Averi Caldwell of Griffin Daily News, Jesse Fraga of The Macon Telegraph, Rose Scoggins of The Hartwell Sun and Kate Verity of The Covington News, graduated from a Georgia college or university.
Press Institute was sponsored by flytedesk and the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia. GCPA thanks these sponsors for their support of college journalists and journalism programs.
Download the program here: Press Institute Program-Registration 2026
| 2025-26 GCPA MEMBER NEWSPAPERS |
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Abraham Baldwin Agriculture College Augusta University Campus Carrier The George-Anne The George-Anne Inkwell The Sou’Wester The Cluster The Statement The Roar The Red & Black The Spectator |
Georgia College Press Association
GEORGIA COLLEGE PRESS ASSOCIATION is an organization dedicated to assisting in the betterment of Georgia collegiate journalism and providing a reciprocal flow of information between its member colleges. Membership to GCPA is an excellent opportunity for print journalism students to discuss common issues of college newspapers and to network with newspaper professionals.
GCPA Membership Information:
Membership entitles your newspaper to:
Entry in the GCPA Better Newspaper Contest
Student rates on all GPA educational seminars
and conferences
GPEF scholarship and internship information
Contact sireland@gapress.org for more information
* Dues are based on OFFICAL ENROLLMENT at the university or college. Rates are as follows:
1 – 4,999 students = $40
5,000+ students = $60
Membership Application: GCPA-application
For a membership application, please contact: Sean Ireland
at (770) 454-6776 or email her at sireland@gapress.org.