Peter Atchley, managing editor for ODYSSEY Media Group at Clarke Central High School in Athens, Georgia, is the 2026 Georgia Champion Journalist of the Year. The award, administered by the Georgia Scholastic Press Association, recognizes the top high school senior journalist in the state.

Brennan Fritts, editor-in-chief at Midtown High School’s The Southerner, is the runner-up in the competition.

Peter Atchley of Clarke Central High School is the winner of Georgia’s Senior Champion Journalist of the year competition. Photo provided by peter Atchley

The winners were selected from a highly competitive group of eleven senior candidates, each with portfolios filled with academic achievements and journalism accolades. Portfolios were scored in the following categories: Reporting and Writing; Editing, Leadership and Team Building; Web and Social Media; Design; Broadcast Journalism; Photojournalism; Law, Ethics and News Literacy; Marketing and Audience Engagement; and Commitment to Diversity.

“Those who view (Atchley’s) portfolio have the privilege of seeing how a well-rounded journalist views his craft, and through his portfolio, can follow his relentless pursuit to become the best he can be,” a contest judge noted.

Atchley’s adviser, David Ragsdale, CJE, wrote the following in a recommendation letter: “From the moment Peter entered our program, he distinguished himself through a reflective, self-aware approach to journalism that mirrors the strongest personal narratives I have encountered as an adviser. He has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to identify challenges, whether related to access, representation, or newsroom culture, and to address them through thoughtful, solutions-oriented leadership. His voice as a journalist is confident yet measured, logical without losing humanity, and grounded in a clear sense of purpose about journalism’s role in shaping informed, inclusive communities.”

“As a journalist, I am all about uplifting others’ voices and pushing myself farther so I can continue to grow,” Atchley wrote in his personal narrative statement.

Atchley was the 2025 Georgia Junior Champion Journalist. He served as a GSPA Student Ambassador in 2024-25.

Atchley will receive a plaque and a $1,000 monetary award, supported by the Carolyn McKenzie and Don E. Carter Chair for Excellence in Journalism at the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. He also advances to represent the state in the Journalism Education Association’s National Journalist of the Year Competition. Fritts will receive a $750 prize.

In addition to the senior-level contest, GSPA honors the top high school junior journalist in the state. Liya Taylor, Sports Editor for the ODYSSEY Media Group at Clarke Central High School, was selected as the Georgia Junior Champion Journalist winner. She will receive a $750 prize. Lea D’Angelo, digital editor-in-chief for the ODYSSEY Media Group, is the runner-up and will receive a $500 prize. D’Angelo is a current GSPA Student Ambassador. There were eleven entries in the junior division.

All winners will be recognized during the GSPA Spring Awards and Workshop on Wednesday, March 18 at the University of Georgia’s Center for Continuing Education.