The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is pleased to announce that Eric Stirgus has been named the newspaper’s Education Editor.
Stirgus has been a journalist with the AJC since November 2001, and its readers have benefited from his reporting across metro Atlanta and Georgia. Prior to being named Education Editor, he was the newspaper’s higher education reporter.
“I’m humbled by this opportunity,” Stirgus said. “We have a talented and hardworking team, and I hope to help them tell important and insightful stories about education and its impact on metro Atlanta and Georgia.”
During his tenure he has reported on governments in Clayton, DeKalb and Henry counties. He also covered Atlanta City Hall as it went through the Great Recession and the 2009 election of Mayor Kasim Reed.
Stirgus was an original member of PolitiFact Georgia, which fact-checked statements and claims by local and state politicians. Before covering higher education, he reported on Gwinnett County’s school system, focusing on disciplinary issues and curriculum disputes.
On the higher education beat, Stirgus has written about the Kennesaw State cheerleader dispute that led to the ouster of Sam Olens as its president. He co-wrote an award-winning series on HBCUs and has reported on the surprise hiring of former Gov. Sonny Perdue as the state university system’s chancellor.
During the pandemic, Stirgus helped with the AJC’s vaccine coverage.
He can be reached at eric.stirgus@ajc.com.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the leading journalism organization in the Southeast, focuses its reporting staff on local matters and closely monitors state and local governments, the local economy, entertainment and sports.
Its journalists seek to uncover the truth, protect the public’s right to know and hold community leaders accountable for serving the public. Reporters, editors and photographers aggressively document the region’s moments, milestones and people. Every day, whether in print or on its digital and social platforms, the AJC informs and empowers its readers who value credible, in-depth journalism.
The newspaper traces its roots to 1868, the founding date of The Atlanta Constitution. The Atlanta Journal debuted in 1883. The papers have been under common ownership since 1950 and fully merged in 2001. The newspaper is owned by Cox Enterprises, a family-owned company that has been in Atlanta since 1939. While the newspaper is owned by a private company, its news decisions are made by the journalists in the AJC’s newsroom.
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