Society of Professional Journalists, San Diego / October 28, 2026
Kelly Davis was an award-winning investigative journalist whose work exposed injustice, challenged powerful institutions and gave voice to people too often overlooked.
After Kelly passed away July 1 after a years-long cancer battle, the San Diego Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and others who love her partnered with the Rancho Santa Fe Foundation to create the Kelly Davis Prize for Courage and Compassion in Journalism to fuel important work like hers. The goal is to recognize outstanding journalism that advances public understanding of social justice issues and to foster future reporting projects that reflect Kelly’s values and reporting legacy.
Kelly earned a bachelor’s degree in literature from Chapman University and a master’s degree from Boston College. She began her journalism career in Ventura in 2001 before moving to San Diego the following year to help launch San Diego CityBeat, where she quickly established herself as a tenacious reporter and a compassionate storyteller. She later worked as a freelancer and joined the San Diego Union-Tribune in 2025.
Kelly was particularly known for her groundbreaking reporting on deaths in San Diego County jails. Her investigations, including the award-winning “Dying Behind Bars” series, documented the human and financial costs of jail deaths and helped spur a state audit and new legislation aimed at reforming the county jail system. Her reporting also covered homelessness, criminal justice, police accountability, and other issues affecting vulnerable communities.
Kelly was named Journalist of the Year by the San Diego chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists in 2023. Her work earned numerous other honors and the respect of colleagues, public officials, attorneys, and the families whose stories she told. Kelly died in July 2026 at age 53. Her journalism continues to stand as a testament to her determination to seek accountability and her belief that every person deserves to be heard.
