Harris, Jay T.

Jay T. Harris, the former publisher of the San Jose Mercury News, is director of The Center for the Study of Journalism and Democracy at the Annenberg School of Communication, University of Southern California.

In his 30 years in journalism, Harris has worked as a reporter, editor, educator and corporate executive. Appointed publisher of the Mercury News in 1994, Harris emphasized more complete coverage of community life, increased the quality and quantity of news about Silicon Valley business and high technology, and launched weekly Spanish and Vietnamese-language newspapers.

After beginning his journalism career as a reporter and editor at the Wilmington (Del.) News-Journal, Harris joined the faculty, and served as assistant dean, of Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism. While at Medill, he designed and launched the American Society of Newspaper Editors' annual national census of minority employment in daily newspapers, which remains the industry benchmark to this day.

He worked as a national correspondent and columnist for the Gannett News Service and was executive editor of the Philadelphia Daily News before moving to Knight Ridder's corporate staff, where he served as assistant to the president of the Newspaper Division and, later, vice president of operations, where he was responsible for the business operations of nine of the company's newspapers.

Harris has been recognized with awards from numerous universities, nonprofit and social justice organizations, and national journalism and journalism education organizations, including honorary doctorates from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, his alma mater, and Santa Clara University in California.

Harris joined the Pulitzer Board in 2000.