Who Is Sherri Jackson CBS 42? Her Career and Achievements

Sherri Jackson is an award-winning television journalist, weekday evening anchor, and PM managing editor at WIAT CBS 42 in Birmingham, Alabama. Since arriving at the station in 1998, she has become one of Central Alabama’s most familiar broadcast journalists through breaking-news coverage, investigative reporting, documentaries, health stories, and community-centered interviews.

Her career extends far beyond reading daily headlines. Jackson has investigated environmental contamination, documented important chapters of Birmingham’s civil-rights history, covered health concerns, and produced stories intended to create measurable community change. Her professional honors include two Emmy Awards, multiple Alabama Best News Anchor awards, Murrow recognition, and national awards from journalism organizations.

Quick Facts

Early Life and Interest in Journalism

Jackson is a native of St. Louis, Missouri, where watching television news was an important part of family life. She has explained that news programs were appointment viewing in her household. By the age of approximately 12 or 13, she had already developed a clear ambition to work as a television journalist rather than treating broadcasting as a temporary career idea.

One of her earliest professional inspirations was Susan Kidd, a prominent Black television anchor in St. Louis. Seeing Kidd deliver the news allowed Jackson to imagine herself in the same position. That representation helped shape a career goal she maintained through school, university, and more than three decades in professional broadcasting.

Education at Morehead State University

Jackson attended Morehead State University in Morehead, Kentucky, where she studied for a career in broadcast journalism. She graduated in 1990 and has spoken positively about the strength of the university’s journalism program. The practical education she received gave her experience with reporting, news writing, presenting, and the basic demands of a working television newsroom.

Her education also helped her enter television immediately after graduation. Although Jackson later acknowledged that she still had much to learn about the industry, Morehead State provided the foundation needed to accept an anchor position straight out of college and continue developing through reporting assignments in several different regional markets.

Beginning Her Career in Georgia

After graduating in 1990, Jackson began her professional career as an anchor at WGXA-TV in Macon, Georgia. Receiving a main-anchor opportunity directly after college gave her early on-camera experience, but it also showed her the importance of strengthening her reporting abilities. She therefore approached her next position as an opportunity to learn the craft more deeply.

From 1991 to 1993, Jackson worked as a health reporter at WSAV-TV in Savannah, Georgia. Her reporting on the AIDS epidemic and its effect on Georgia communities earned an early professional award. More importantly, the assignment demonstrated how carefully researched local journalism could educate viewers and influence public understanding of serious health issues.

Building Experience in West Virginia

Jackson later joined WSAZ-TV, working in the Charleston and Huntington television market in West Virginia. This stage of her career strengthened her understanding of government reporting and helped her become more confident in interviewing officials, examining public decisions, and explaining government actions in terms that local audiences could clearly understand.

She has also described being the only Black person in the newsroom during part of her time in West Virginia. That experience increased the importance of her connection with the National Association of Black Journalists, whose workshops, professional critiques, advocacy, and networking opportunities became valuable parts of her development as a journalist.

Joining CBS 42 in Birmingham

Jackson moved to Birmingham and joined CBS 42 in 1998. She initially knew the city largely through the history of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, which made her uncertain about relocating. After visiting Birmingham, meeting local residents, and learning more about the city, she developed a lasting connection with the community and made it her professional home.

Birmingham also offered what Jackson described as a strong market for serious news reporting. The region’s civil-rights history, public institutions, political activity, health systems, environmental concerns, and diverse communities gave her opportunities to produce journalism with historical context as well as immediate relevance to viewers.

Current Role at CBS 42

Jackson serves as a weekday evening anchor and PM managing editor at WIAT CBS 42. As of 2026, viewers can see her anchoring the station’s weekday newscasts at 4 p.m., 5 p.m., 6 p.m., and 10 p.m. Her managing-editor title also reflects responsibilities connected with editorial judgment and the direction of evening news coverage.

Her work has also expanded into longer interviews through “Conversations with Sherri Jackson.” The CBS 42 program gives her space to hold more detailed discussions with newsmakers and community figures. A June 2026 edition featured a candid conversation with nationally syndicated radio personality Rickey Smiley.

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Reporting Major Alabama News Events

Soon after arriving in Birmingham, Jackson covered two major events that tested the region and its newsrooms: the 1998 abortion clinic bombing and the destructive 1998 tornadoes. These assignments required accurate reporting during fast-changing situations when residents needed verified information about safety, damage, investigations, and emergency responses.

By this stage, Jackson had gained experience as both a reporter and anchor in multiple states. That preparation helped her move between field reporting and studio presentation while maintaining a calm delivery. Her approach has continued to emphasize verified facts, accountability, historical awareness, and the human consequences behind major headlines.

Environmental and Accountability Journalism

One of Jackson’s most significant investigative projects was CBS 42’s “Deadly Deception.” The documentary and continuing reports examined evidence of toxic contamination affecting homes, schools, and families in North Birmingham communities. Jackson and her colleagues focused on residents who had spent years seeking answers about pollution and its potential health consequences.

The reporting received journalism awards and was followed by increased government attention. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency moved forward with Superfund-related testing and cleanup activity in North Birmingham, while Jackson later identified the investigation as an example of how telling residents’ stories can influence public action and accountability.

Faith in Action and Health Reporting

Jackson created the special-reporting series “Faith in Action” after a mission trip to Arusha, Tanzania. During that journey, she separated from her mission group to report the story of a missionary doctor at Tenwek Hospital in Bomet, Kenya. The resulting report became the first installment of the series in 2007.

The series reflects her interest in stories involving faith, service, healing, and people making a difference in difficult circumstances. Her broader health coverage has included AIDS awareness, cancer information, concussion safety, and risks associated with digital devices, allowing her to connect medical subjects with practical concerns facing families.

Hope and Honor Documentary

Another defining project was “Hope and Honor: A Tribute to Four Girls.” Jackson followed sculptor Elizabeth MacQueen for nine months while MacQueen created the Four Spirits monument in Birmingham’s Kelly Ingram Park. The monument honors the four girls killed in the 1963 bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church.

The documentary had personal meaning for Jackson because the church was one of the first historic places she wanted to visit when interviewing for her Birmingham position. Her work on the film connected that first impression of the city with a later opportunity to document remembrance, art, civil-rights history, and community healing. It received a 2014 Emmy Award.

Awards and Professional Achievements

Jackson is a two-time Emmy Award winner. Her listed Emmy-winning projects include “Hope and Honor” in 2014 and “Dangerous Connections” in 2016. The Alabama Broadcasters Association has named her the state’s Best News Anchor five times, including documented wins in 2016 and 2017.

Her additional honors include a Regional Edward R. Murrow Award, a first-place National Headliner Award, an RTDNA/UNITY Award, Associated Press recognition, and NABJ Salute to Excellence honors. In 2023, she was part of the CBS 42 team honored for “Letters from M.O.M.S: Mothers of Murdered Sons,” and in 2025 she received RTDNA’s Bob Priddy Award.

Journalism Ethics and Professional Leadership

Jackson has contributed to journalism beyond her daily newsroom duties. In 2013, she delivered the University of Alabama’s Helen Crow Mills and John Carroll Mills Lecture, addressing ethics across television, digital platforms, and social media. Her presentation focused on why professional and personal ethical standards must remain central as journalism technology evolves.

She has been associated with the National Association of Black Journalists, the Radio Television Digital News Association, and the Southeast Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. She has also emphasized the need for media literacy because digital tools make publishing easier while allowing poorly checked information to spread rapidly.

Community Service and Family-Inspired Values

Jackson has said that family motivates her commitment to community service. Much of her volunteer work has therefore centered on organizations serving families, women, and children. She has supported nonprofit boards and initiatives while using her position at CBS 42 to highlight youth achievement, health education, charitable work, and residents addressing community needs.

Her board involvement has included Childcare Resources, The Foundry, and the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center. She also served with the Children’s Aid Society and Red Cross Blood Services. This service complements her journalism by connecting her with agencies working directly on health, child welfare, family stability, and social support.

Social Media Presence

Jackson maintains a professional presence on Facebook under @sherrijacksonCBS42 and on Instagram under @tvsherrijackson. Her pages feature CBS 42 reporting, community appearances, interviews, station programming, and behind-the-scenes moments connected with her work as an anchor in Birmingham.

She also has a professional LinkedIn profile presenting her experience as a CBS 42 anchor and managing editor. Her personal journalism website documents her reporting projects, awards, professional organizations, and community work, providing a more detailed record of her career than short social posts alone.

Interesting Facts About Sherri Jackson

• Jackson decided she wanted to become a television journalist when she was approximately 12 or 13 years old.
• She began working as a main television anchor immediately after graduating from Morehead State University in 1990.
• She has worked at CBS 42 since 1998, giving her nearly three decades of experience in the Birmingham market.
• Her “Faith in Action” series began after a reporting experience connected with a mission trip to Tanzania and Kenya.
• She followed sculptor Elizabeth MacQueen for nine months while documenting the creation of Birmingham’s Four Spirits monument.

Conclusion

Sherri Jackson’s career at CBS 42 combines daily anchoring, newsroom leadership, investigative reporting, documentary production, and community service. From her first television role in Georgia to her long tenure in Birmingham, she has focused on stories involving public health, government responsibility, civil-rights history, environmental justice, and families seeking meaningful change.

Her Emmy Awards and other professional honors recognize important work, but her deeper impact comes from sustained service to Central Alabama. Through trusted evening newscasts, special investigations, “Faith in Action,” and community conversations, Jackson has built a career around the belief that responsible journalists can amplify overlooked voices and help communities act.

FAQs

What does Sherri Jackson do at CBS 42?

Sherri Jackson is a weekday evening anchor and PM managing editor at WIAT CBS 42, serving viewers across Birmingham and Central Alabama.

When did Sherri Jackson join CBS 42?

She joined CBS 42 in 1998 after reporting and anchoring at television stations in Georgia and West Virginia earlier in her career.

Where did Sherri Jackson attend college?

Jackson graduated from Morehead State University in 1990 before beginning her professional television career as an anchor at WGXA-TV.

What awards has Sherri Jackson won?

Her honors include two Emmy Awards, five Alabama Best News Anchor wins, Murrow recognition, and national NABJ journalism awards.

Where can viewers follow Sherri Jackson?

Viewers can follow her through Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and her professional website for reporting and community updates.

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