JMS Lecturer Jerry McCormick to Advise the Potential First SDSU Chapter of NABJ

The School of Journalism and Media Studies (JMS) faculty continues to grow with the addition of Jerry McCormick, a new lecturer for JMS. McCormick is teaching JMS 445: Television News Reporting and Producing this fall semester, and comes to San Diego State University (SDSU) with a range of professional and academic experience. Throughout his career, McCormick has spent 20 years working in print media, 10 years working in broadcast media, and three working in public relations, truly establishing himself as a multimedia professional. He has also taught journalism and media courses on and off at Southwestern College from 2007 to the present.

This fall, JMS 445 will focus on television news reporting in the age of COVID-19, where McCormick aims to encourage flexibility and inspire creativity among his students.

“Everything in our world has changed, including reporting,” says McCormick. “I’ve been studying how media has adapted, and even in the midst of ‘shutdowns’ our world is not shut down. It is still our job as reporters and journalists to educate and connect. I hope to show my students that this can be done effectively with the tools around you.”

While his experience in the media industry will surely offer a wealth of knowledge to current and incoming JMS students, McCormick is bringing more to the table before the semester even begins. McCormick is also working to form the SDSU chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), and if the club is approved by NABJ, will serve as the first club advisor.

This isn’t the first time McCormick finds himself at the founders table. He is the founding president of the San Diego chapter of NABJ, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in February of this year. The national chapter of NABJ was originally founded in Washington D.C. in 1975 with the overarching goal of amplifying Black voices in the journalism industry.

“I’ve been working to establish chapters of NABJ at campuses throughout the region since I founded the San Diego chapter 20 years ago,” says McCormick. “I’m excited to play a role in potentially bringing this organization to SDSU.”

McCormick exudes excitement and enthusiasm for joining the JMS family. As we approach the fall semester, he pledges to give 200% of himself to inspiring his students, both in the classroom and hopefully as an advisor for NABJ.

Any student interested in joining the possible SDSU chapter of NABJ is welcome, regardless of race. If interested, please contact Jerry McCormick at [email protected]. For those interested in enrolling in JMS 445, the course will be offered online this fall.

The content within this article has been edited by Lizbeth Persons.