Babara Hartung Journalism Leadership Award
Jerry McCormick
Jerry McCormick is a longtime journalist in the San Diego area. In 2000, he served as the first president of the newly founded San Diego Association of Black Journalists. SDABJ has awarded McCormick "Member of the Year" multiple times most recently in 2025 when the group celebrated its 25th anniversary.
From 1999-2009, he served as a copy editor at The San Diego Union-Tribune, followed by a stint as an associate producer and producer at NBC 7 San Diego, where he won an Emmy for News Special in 2014. In 2014-2015, he moved to Portland to work as an executive producer, but then returned to San Diego to work as a producer at Fox 5 San Diego. In 2017, he worked as a senior public information officer for the City of San Diego until 2024.
McCormick currently works as the Director of Strategic Communications for Cal State San Marcos. In addition to his work, McCormick has taught various journalism courses part-time at Southwestern College in Chula Vista, City College downtown, during the pandemic at San Diego State University, and now teaches at Palomar College in San Marcos.
About the Babara Hartung Journalism Leadership Award
Jack White was the face of San Diego television news from the late 1960s until his retirement in 2002. The iconic local news anchor was known for his generosity and professionalism during his 35 years at KGTV Channel 10. After his death, a scholarship was set up for journalism students within JMS, his alma mater.
This year, in honor of Jack’s incredible dedication to local news, the Jack White Award for Excellence in Local Journalism is being inaugurated. The purpose of the award is to highlight a journalist who has made a significant impact on their local community through their hard work and passion for those whom they serve.