Jay T. Harris facts for kids

Jay T. Harris (born December 3, 1948) is a famous African-American journalist and teacher. He is best known for his time as the publisher of the San Jose Mercury News newspaper in California.

Harris believed that the main job of a newspaper was to serve the public with high-quality news. He famously quit his job as publisher to protest the newspaper industry's growing focus on making money, which he felt was hurting journalism. For his work, he was added to the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame in 1992.

Personal Life and Education

Jay T. Harris was born in Washington D.C. on December 3, 1948. His parents were Richard James Harris and Margaret Estelle Burr Harris.

He went to Lincoln University and Santa Clara University, where he earned honorary degrees. During his time at Lincoln University, he was the editor of the student newspaper, which gave him his first taste of running a paper. Harris is married, has three children, and lives in Los Gatos, California.

A Career in Journalism

Early Work and Teaching

Harris began his career in 1970 as a reporter for the Wilmington News-Journal. After five years, he became a journalism professor at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. From 1975 to 1982, he taught young journalists the skills of the trade.

In 1982, he returned to reporting as a national correspondent for the Gannett News Service in Washington D.C. Three years later, he became the executive editor for the Philadelphia Daily News.

Becoming a Leader at Knight Ridder

In 1988, Harris joined Knight Ridder, a large company that owned many newspapers, including the Mercury News. He quickly moved up, becoming vice president of operations and overseeing nine different newspapers.

From 1994 to 2001, he served as the publisher of the San Jose Mercury News. As publisher, he was the top boss, responsible for both the news and the business side of the paper.

Why He Resigned

On March 19, 2001, Harris made a big decision. He resigned from his job as publisher. He explained that the company wanted him to make deep budget cuts. Harris knew these cuts would mean firing journalists and would lower the quality of the news.

He refused to do this. In a famous speech, he said that newspapers should put their readers first. He believed that providing quality news was just as important as making a profit. Some people thought he was being stubborn, but many others praised him for taking a stand for journalism.

Important Contributions to News

Early Investigative Work

While still in college, Harris had a summer job at a newspaper in Jacksonville, Florida. This experience made him want to become a journalist. After graduating, he worked on an 18-month project that used computers to help with an investigation. This was one of the first examples of computer-assisted investigative journalism. The project was a big success and won a national award in 1972.

Champion of Diversity

As publisher of the San Jose Mercury News, Harris worked hard to make sure the newspaper reflected its diverse community. He launched two new papers:

• Nuevo Mundo, a Spanish-language paper, in 1996.
• Viet Mercury, a Vietnamese-language paper, in 1999.

He also made sure his newsroom staff was diverse. While he was in charge, about 30 percent of the journalists were from minority backgrounds. He also started a national count of minority journalists, which is still used today to track diversity in the industry.

A Powerful Speech

In April 2001, just after he resigned, Harris gave a speech to the American Society of Newspaper Editors. He explained that newspapers have a special duty to serve the public, much like hospitals do. He argued that this duty should sometimes be more important than business decisions.

His speech was very powerful. The president of the organization said, "History will record this was the most effective and critical discourse at any point given at ASNE." His stand for quality journalism inspired many people in the news industry.

Awards and Recognition

Throughout his career, Jay T. Harris has received many awards for his work.

• Associated Press Award (1972)
• NABJ Hall of Fame (1992)
• NABJ Ida B. Wells Award (1992)

See also

• National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame