Family members of those impacted by Kelly’s reporting came to see her receive the 2023 Journalist of the Year award.

The San Diego Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is heartbroken by the July 1 passing of Kelly Davis, whose work has, and always will, inspire us. 

Kelly was a longtime board member and former chapter president. She was our 2023 Journalist of the Year, recognizing her groundbreaking work on jail deaths in San Diego County and other topics that held powerful people and agencies accountable. Her work appeared in San Diego CityBeat, Voice of San Diego, The San Diego Union-Tribune and many other publications. She also worked as an associate editor at San Diego CityBeat. 

Tributes attest to Kelly’s journalistic achievements, tireless work ethic, kindness and generous spirit. We saw that at SPJ in the countless hours she volunteered to ensure that journalism thrived in San Diego. As one colleague put it, “She had no quit.” Another friend aptly described her as a “sweet warrior.” 

“Kelly was very dedicated to the SPJ San Diego Pro Chapter, often going above and beyond to further its mission and make sure its events were as successful as possible,” said SPJ San Diego 2025-26 board President Elizabeth Marie Himchak. “I will always remember how hard working she was and that she was a strong advocate for the San Diego journalism community.”

Davis hugs longtime Union-Tribune reporting partner Jeff McDonald at the 2023 SPJ awards banquet.

She approached her reporting the same way, quietly and without expecting credit, but sometimes she couldn’t avoid the spotlight. In 2017, while Kelly was working as a freelance reporter, attorneys for San Diego County subpoenaed her to testify at a deposition and turn over all her reporting material, including notes and recordings. She fought back. A federal judge invalidated the subpoena. Her reporting ultimately prompted a pair of reform bills signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2023. The legislation followed “a slew of eye-popping stories on the deaths, their impact on families and the tens of millions of dollars they cost taxpayers in legal settlements,” according to the Union-Tribune. She wouldn’t stop there. She was working on a follow-up examining the impact of that legislation and how it could be strengthened before she was hospitalized last month. 

“She earned trust with everyone, especially those trampled or overlooked by people in power,” wrote former SPJ National President Matt Hall. 

Kelly’s work will continue to set an example for all of us. She will remain an inspiration and we will honor her legacy by remembering her values in our work. Our hearts go out to her family and close friends and all the lives Kelly lifted up.