The Scroggins Awards were presented in March 8 at the Southern Interscholastic Press Association Convention in Columbia, South Carolina

Columbia, South Carolina, March 20, 2026 – The 2026 Scroggins Award Best of South in scholastic media were named at the 2026 SIPA Spring Convention. These media were chosen from among entrants across the South and display the highest excellence among middle and high school media programs.

For broadcast, Scroggins Awards went to East Cooper Student News, East Cooper Center for Advanced Studies, Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, and Tiger Eye News, Fred T. Foard High School, Newton, North Carolina.

For literary-arts magazine, Iliad, Clarke Central High School, Athens, Georgia, received a Scroggins Award. 

For newspaper, Scroggins Awards went to The Dispatch, James Bowie High School, Austin, Texas, and The Southerner, Midtown High School, Atlanta, Georgia.

For news magazine, ODYSSEY, Clarke Central High School, Athens, Georgia, The Eagle Eye, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Florida, and The Shield, McCallum High School, Austin, Texas, received Scroggins Awards.

For online media, Scroggins Awards went to Coppell Student Media, Coppell High School, Coppell, Texas, ODYSSEY Media Group, Clarke Central High School, Athens, Georgia, The Shield Online, McCallum High School, Austin, Texas, and The Southerner Online, Midtown High School, Atlanta, Georgia.

Yearbook Scroggins Award winners were Aerie, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Florida, Lone Star, James Bowie High School, Austin, Texas, Legend, Wando High School, Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, The Round-Up, Woodland Junior High School, Fayetteville, Arkansas, and The Carillon, Bellaire High School, Bellaire, Texas.

“The quality of these Scroggins winners rivals college and even some professional media,” Southern Interscholastic Press Association Director Nina Brook said. “They’re not just telling the stories of their school communities. They are reporting on issues in their communities, state capitols, our nation and world. And they’re doing that with the highest storytelling qualities along with compelling visuals.”

In choosing the winners for 2026, judges noticed these areas of excellence: 

These media outlets’ coverage was student-focused. The winners featured high-quality content that told stories students want and need to know. The best outlets are plugged into what is going on around them, inside and outside of school.

Print media is crisply designed with stories featuring timely angles that are well told. Editorial leaders in newsprint offer a strong mix of news, features, sports and opinion. Yearbooks featured themes that appeal to students, have depth and make the most of the themes’ verbal aspects along with visuals. The best literary-arts magazines displayed a strong mix of prose and poetry, art and photography, with art and photography appropriately paired with the literary content. The winning magazines had strong thematic development and organization of the content.

Broadcast programs had strong, storytelling packages with good scripting and professionally dressed anchors. Online sites that excelled have additional content beyond those schools’ print news products and were frequently updated. They featured interactive elements.

Scroggins Awards are presented annually by the Southern Interscholastic Press Association based at the College of Information and Communications at the University of South Carolina. The awards are named for Albert Scroggins, who served as dean of the College of Journalism at the University of South Carolina for 20 years. 

These winners were among finalists announced earlier this year by SIPA. Other finalists were, for broadcast, The Buzz TV, Fort Mill High School, Fort Mill, South Carolina, Real TV, Stratford High School, Goose Creek, South Carolina, and WTHS Media, Tupelo High School, Tupelo, Mississippi. For literary-arts magazine, Little Blue Book, Cedar Shoals High School, Athens, Georgia, and Voices, Nation Ford High School, Fort Mill, South Carolina. For newspaper, The Sidekick, Coppell High School, Coppell, Texas, and The Talon, Nation Ford High School, Fort Mill, South Carolina. For news magazine, BluePrints Magazine, Cedar Shoals High School, Athens, Georgia, and Tribal Tribune, Wando High School, Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. For online media, BluePrints online, Cedar Shoals High School, Athens, Georgia, Livewire, Bullitt East High School, Mt. Washington, Kentucky, The Dispatch Online, James Bowie High School, Austin, Texas, and The Saber, Richland Northeast High School, Columbia, South Carolina. For yearbook, Hilltopper, North Buncombe High School, Weaverville, North Carolina, and Jabberwokk, Darlington School, Rome, Georgia.