Throughout his journalism career, John Diaz's work has been recognized for its excellence. Dating back to his time as a journalism student at Humboldt State, one former professor recalls, "You couldn't miss John in the classroom, given his effective in-class participation, excellent performance on assignments and sense of humor. My colleagues and I all expected greatness from him in his journalism career and he has met those expectations."

Diaz has been editor of the San Francisco Chronicle's editorial page since 1996 and has won numerous awards for editorial writing throughout his 30-year journalism career. His topics have been as diverse as the dysfunction of California Legislature, financial privacy, and untreated mental illness. Because of his reputation as an insightful communicator, he is frequently asked to offer commentary on national television news programs including NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. He has also served as a juror for the Pulitzer Prize in both 2001 and 2002.

Diaz continues to give back to his profession by mentoring journalism students and young reporters in the San Francisco area. He regularly volunteers his time with young members of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and served as guest Editor-in-Residence at HSU, where he critiqued the student newspaper and shared his years of experience with numerous journalism classes.