News editor Peter Barron received an Honorary Fellowship in July during the University's summer graduation ceremonies.
The longest-serving editor in the history of the Northern Echo, Peter stepped down earlier this year after 17 years at the helm.
He first started at the Darlington-based newspaper as a reporter in 1984 and said he is most proud of the Echo's campaigns, which included cutting the times people were waiting for heart bypasses and helping convince Hitachi to open a factory in Newton Aycliffe.
Peter said: "When William Stead became the Editor of Northern Echo he saw it as an opportunity to "attack the devil" and do good things. Sir Harold Evans was another campaigning journalist and I'm proud to have been involved in campaigns myself, working with a number of journalists in the region.
"Media is evolving rapidly and there is a real danger that the traditional newspaper industry is losing its sense of balance as it focuses on stories that will attract the most 'clicks'. You have to question where that will lead campaigning journalism, and I'm starting a campaign for a return to grass roots journalism, particularly through our local press.
"We need our journalists of the future - some trained so expertly at Sunderland - to go on 'attacking the devil'. Thank you for this great honour, I'm deeply moved."