Photo Courtesy of Albert Fulcher
By Diego Higuera
Albert Fulcher had no idea when he stumbled through the door of his first ever journalism class at Southwestern College that two decades later he would exit the San Diego Press Club as one of its revered leaders.
Fulcher recently turned over leadership of the venerable club that has roots going back to the 1890s. He has been credited with making it a more student-friendly, inclusive and service-based organization. The current San Diego Press Club was founded in 1973 and has included most of the region’s greatest journalists over the past 50 years.
Fulcher was recently honored as President Emeritus with lifetime rights and benefits.
A precursor to Fulcher’s regional leadership talents is still nestled in the creaky old newspaper lab ensconced in a “temporary” building since 2003. Among the program’s countless awards that line the walls and shelves of the newsroom is a little red one that stands out. A tennis ball sized shiny apple rests on a wooden base with a golden plaque that reads: ALBERT FULCHER, BEST STUDENT MEDIA LEADER.
The College Media Association named Fulcher America’s most outstanding Editor-in-Chief almost 13 years ago after he and his feisty staff fought off a dozen attempts to shut down the student newspaper and its website, defame and fire its advisor, and prevent student journalists from breaking what is now known as the South Bay Corruption Scandal. After The Sun reported on successful efforts by builders and architects to bribe college officials to obtain multi-million-dollar construction contracts, the San Diego County District Attorney raided their homes and charged them with 264 felony counts of extortion, bribery, perjury, falsifying official documents and myriad other crimes.
The Sun was later honored by the San Diego Press Club, Society of Professional Journalists, National Student Press Freedom Association, Associated Collegiate Press, College Media Association, American Civil Liberties Association and several other national First Amendment and news media organizations. The battles endured by Fulcher and his staff were chronicled on CNN, NBC, ABC and CBS, as well as the Chronicle of Higher Education and many other national print publications.
Fulcher was honored by Southwestern College with its Student of Distinction Award and was presented a special award for courage and leadership by the governing board. His experiences at Southwestern changed the direction of the college and his life. Today he is the managing editor for Integrity Newspapers Incorporated, which includes The Star News, East County Californian and The Alpine Sun.
It all started with a Journalism 101 class at Southwestern.
“It totally changed my career path,” he said. “I went to Southwestern right after I had been laid off at the beginning of the recession. In 2007 I went looking for a job and since I had never gone to college nobody was hiring me. It was really frustrating because I had been in the Navy for 10 years and worked my way from the bottom to the top. I had worked for a dental laboratory in San Diego, starting out as a driver and working my way up to chief of operations. After that I worked for a multi-billion-dollar internet advertising company.”
Each time he applied for other positions he was stiff-armed for the same reason – no college education. Fulcher started taking classes at Southwestern, originally for a two-year certificate in Microsoft Office.
Fate intervened.
Journalism 101: Mass Media and Society beckoned.
“The reason I decided to take a journalism class was that people I had engaged with couldn’t write a simple email,” he said. “I always wound up in management, so I figured I needed to brush up on my skills in writing, to talk to people about how they write.”
Journalism 101 was more about journalism history and the industry than writing, so Fulcher signed up for Journalism 171: Writing for Publication.
It would be fair to say he exceeded expectations.
His professor loved an article Fulcher wrote about his experience surviving AIDS and encouraged him to publish it. Fulcher was thinking local newspapers, Dr. Max Branscomb was thinking “Newsweek.”
“I thought he was nuts because that was something audacious I would never have dreamed of trying,” Fulcher said with his native Mississippi twang and country boy humbleness. “But I submitted it like he said.”
On the first day of class the next fall, Fulcher walked in unannounced as Branscomb was going over the syllabus for his new Writing for Publication class. Fulcher told the students that the class had worked for him and that he had been published a few days earlier in “Newsweek.”
Branscomb joked that he should hire Fulcher to bust in on all his classes with great news like that, but instead encouraged him to join the staff of The Sun.
Like all good hero stories, Fulcher was at first reluctant to join because he already had a 21-unit schedule and a vision of a Microsoft Certificate.
“Max kept after me,” he said. “He can be a stubborn old boy when he homes in on something. I joined. Best decision I ever made.”
Fulcher swiftly moved into leadership positions on the Editorial Board and was granted a column – one of journalism’s greatest signs of respect. Branscomb also pushed Fulcher to freelance for professional media outlets to build his portfolio.
“I was working at a Subway Sandwich shop when I started writing for Patch (an online journalism site run by former San Diego Union-Tribune editors),” he said. “All the professionals I met told me to stay at The Sun until I got a job in the news media. I was still on the newspaper staff when I was hired at The Star News.”
The original job opening was for a staff writer, which, coincidentally, went to current Southwestern College Governing Board Member Robert Moreno. Fulcher was instead asked if he would come aboard as Editor of the East County Californian. He accepted.
He embraced the position and become a popular figure in the East County thanks to his rural upbringing and fondness for cowboy hats. The region was an intriguing mix of old, conservative White folks and a burgeoning minority population fueled by Chaldean immigrants from Iraq and other Middle Eastern nations.
“Albert has an innate kindness and respect for all people that made him so well-liked and effective in those East County communities,” said Branscomb. “Albert could have run for mayor of El Cajon where it not for the fact that he lived in Imperial Beach!”
Two years later Fulcher landed his dream job as Editor of Gay San Diego, the region’s best known LGBTQ+ publication. An outspoken member of the LGBTQ community, Fulcher brought a new energy and perspective to the punchy publication. He later added leadership of the startup Downtown San Diego to his portfolio of responsibilities.
The Integrity newspaper chain lured him back. He is currently Editor of The Star News, East County Californian and Alpine Sun.
“I had no thoughts about being a journalist,” he said. “It was all Max, I can tell you that. In my years of working with Max and The Sun he has this ability to see talent in people and encourage them to take directions where they can succeed just like he did for me. (Students may) have no clue that we have a talent or special ability until someone spots it and tells us. He totally changed my career.”
Journalism gave him the voice to advocate for people and issues important to him, Fulcher said. He remains a warrior for LGBTQ people, a passion that grew out of the AIDS crisis. An AIDS patient himself, Fulcher said he was blessed to survive HIV after becoming one of the early patients to enroll in an experimental drug cocktail program. It worked.
“Those are my most passionate things to write about,” he said. “I just think people in general are fascinating. There are these great moments in this profession when you talk to someone and as soon as they start talking, you can’t wait to write their story. Even as you are writing it you know it’s good. Even before you write it you start to write it in your sleep. I always love those interviews.”
Fulcher radiated joy during his appearances as President of the San Diego Press Club. He enthusiastically greeted students at Press Club events and told them that he was once a student journalist, too.
“That’s where it all started for me,” he said. “That’s where it starts for so many people who work in the news media. Your college newspapers have so much to offer, so much to teach.”
Fulcher said he left his student leadership award in the newsroom so future generations of journalism students would see it.
“Maybe it will inspire some young person to follow in my footsteps.”
