New York Press Club
The New York Press Club is a membership organization of and for journalists and media professionals in the New York City metropolitan area. The club is a private, non-profit corporation and is not affiliated with any government office or agency and does not advocate or participate in any political activity. In conjunction with the New York Press Club Foundation, the club devotes its efforts to meeting the needs and interests of professional journalists and those in related fields, as well as providing public service to the community.
History
The New York Press Club was founded on July 14, 1948, as the New York Newspaper Reporters Association. Membership included reporters, writers and editors from every newspaper published in New York City. In subsequent years, membership was expanded to include reporters from wire services, magazines and radio and TV stations. Today, membership includes journalists from all types of news organizations including the Web, television, radio, wire services, daily newspapers, weekly and monthly publications, as well as professionals from the fields of communications, public relations and public affairs.
Purpose
The New York Press Club works to protect the rights of all journalists while providing informational and educational events and networking opportunities for members and others to discuss professional issues and effect change.
Lectures, panel discussions, 'newsmaker' appearances and other club sponsored functions have included topics such as threats to freedom of the press, threats to investigative reporting, the relationship between the media and government, the role of community newspapers, fundamental changes in media and its impact on journalists and journalism, foreign press coverage of the city of New York and questions about how the press covers itself. The club has also sponsored debates - open to members and the public and broadcast live - among mayoral, congressional and gubernatorial candidates.
The New York Press Club's Freedom of the Press Committee provides assistance and support to journalists faced with legal problems such as the failure to divulge confidential news sources or being barred from a court hearing. Additionally, the club maintains a liaison with various government agencies whose actions directly affect working journalists in such matters as the issuing of working press credentials.
Awards for Journalism
An enduring tradition in New York media, the annual New York Press Club Awards For Journalism honor excellence in the craft by writers, reporters, editors, producers, shooters and multimediographers.
Entries are considered in more than 20 categories of reporting from material submitted by New York metropolitan area news organizations and individual journalists. Judging is by prominent working journalists, former journalists and academics who are selected for their expertise in each category.
Awards unique to the New York Press Club competition are the Gold Keyboard Award, (formerly The Gold Typewriter Award,) honoring excellence in investigative journalism; The Rev. Mychal Judge Heart of New York Award for reporting that is most complimentary of New York City; and The Nellie Bly Cub Reporter Award, honoring the best journalistic effort by reporters with less than three years experience.[1][2][3][4] The Bly award has been given annually since 1978 and past recipients include investigative journalists such as Mina Kimes.[1][5] The award was named after crusading journalist Nellie Bly, who was employed by Joseph Pulitzer in the 1890s who, according to one account, went to great lengths to get material for her stories; for example, she "went underwater in a diving bell ... flew in a balloon ... was arrested ... posed as an invalid, a lunatic, and a beggar ... obtained jobs as a servant, a shop girl."[6]
Special Awards
In connection with the New York Press Club's 60th anniversary (2008), two awards were instituted that acknowledge uncommon career-long contributions to journalism by individuals. The New York Journalism Hall of Fame Award and the New York Press Club President's Award are now awarded periodically.
The New York Journalism Hall of Fame Award honors journalists whose careers in New York media are exemplified by long tenure, integrity and extraordinary achievement. Inaugural Hall of Fame Awards were presented in 2008 to veteran reporters, Stan Brooks of New York City all-news radio station 1010 WINS and Gabe Pressman of WNBC-TV.
The New York Press Club President's Award honors communications professionals whose careers have had a significant salutary impact on the practice of journalism and whose involvement in community affairs has enriched the lives of New Yorkers. Recent honorees include the late Bill Gallo (2010), cartoonist and columnist for the New York Daily News and Irene Cornell (2009), veteran courts and crime reporter for WCBS Newsradio.
Annual Conference on Journalism
The New York Press Club Foundation's Conference on Journalism, traditionally held at a local university, has been an annual fixture for journalists and students of journalism since 1992. Featuring timely keynote speakers and plenary session topics, the conference offers panels and discussions on topics that impact media and journalism that are led by respected working journalists, academics and experts.
Byline Magazine
Each year, the New York Press Club publishes Byline Magazine, a collectible "glossy" that is distributed to working journalists, libraries and journalism schools featuring stories, reminiscenses and meditations by prominent reporters, authors and editors on topics of interest to working journalists. Byline has been published each year since the New York Press Club's founding in 1948.
Holiday Party
The New York Press Club Foundation's Holiday Party is an annual charitable event. Guests bring unwrapped toys which are collected by members of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) for distribution to child welfare and other social service organizations.
Past Presidents of the New York Press Club
| In Office | President | Employer |
|---|---|---|
| 1948 | William J. Keegan | New York Post |
| 1949 | Anthony Marino | New York Daily News |
| 1950 | Alfred E Clark | New York Times |
| 1951 | Joseph Endler | New York Herald Tribune |
| 1952 | Rodney "Budd" Stahl | New York Mirror |
| 1953 | Frank Engle | Fairchild Publications |
| 1954 | Syd Livingston | New York Journal American |
| 1955 | Raymond Doyle | American Weekly |
| 1956 | James Ritchie | Associated Press |
| 1957 | Arthur Rosenfeld | New York Post |
| 1958 | James C O'Connor | New York Mirror |
| 1959 | Thomas D Zumbo | UPI |
| 1960 | Edward Kirkman | New York Daily News |
| 1961 | James Antone | Fairchild Publications |
| 1962 | Harry Singer | New York Mirror |
| 1963 | Robert Mindlin | Long Island Press |
| 1964 | Charles Grutzner | New York Times |
| 1965 | Harold Phelan | World-Telegram and Sun |
| 1966 | George Douris | Long Island Star-Journal |
| 1967 | Gus Engelman | WABC-AM |
| 1968-69 | Thomas Poster | New York Post |
| 1970 | John San Antonio | Long Island Press |
| 1971-72 | John Shanahan | Associated Press |
| 1973 | Pati Davis | UPI |
| 1973-74 | John Mulligan | Associated Press |
| 1975-76 | Patrick Muldowney | WABC-TV |
| 1977 | Joe Bragg | WHN |
| 1978-79 | Vincent Lee | New York Daily News |
| 1980-81 | Mark Lieberman | New York Daily News |
| 1982-83 | Len Buder | New York Times |
| 1984 | Jerry Schmetterer | CNN |
| 1985-86 | Marcia Kramer | New York Daily News |
| 1987 | Mitch Lebe | WYNY |
| 1988 | Larry Sutton | New York Daily News |
| 1989-90 | Larry Celona | New York Daily News |
| 1991-92 | Harry Ryttenberg | WNBC |
| 1993-94 | Phil O'Brien | NY 1 News |
| 1995-96 | Deborah Wetzel | WCBS-FM |
| 1997-2000 | Gabe Pressman | WNBC |
| 2001-2003 | Carol Ann Riddel | WNBC |
| 2003–2005 | Rich Lamb | WCBS Newsradio |
| 2006–2008 | Stephannia Cleaton | Staten Island Advance |
| 2009-2012 | Glenn Schuck | Metro Networks |
| 2012-2015 | Larry Seary | WNBC (retired) |
| 2016- | Steve Scott | WCBS Newsradio |
References
- 1 2 Sue Macy, Linda Ellerbee, National Geographic Books, 2009, Bylines: A Photobiography of Nellie Bly, (see page 59), Retrieved August 3, 2015, "...In 1978, the New York Press Club erected an elegant memorial stone at her gravesite ... Nellie Bly Cub Reporter Award ... given to the best journalistic effort by a reporter who has been at the business less than three years..."
- ↑ Chris O'Shea, April 27, 2015, Adweek, New York Press Club Award Winners Announced, Retrieved August 3, 2015, "...The New York Press Club Awards ...NELLIE BLY CUB REPORTER (Single Award) Best journalistic effort by an individual with three years or less professional experience...."
- ↑ Dean Starkman, Martha Hamilton, Ryan Chittum, Felix Salmon, Columbia University Press, May 21, 2013, The Best Business Writing 2013, Retrieved August 3, 2015, "...Mina Kimes ... Received the Nellie Bly Cub Reporter Award..."
- ↑ WFUV radio, 90.7, AWARDS, Retrieved August 3, 2015, "...Nellie Bly Cub Reporter Award ... Scott Detrow* (best journalistic effort by an individual with three years or less overall experience)...."
- ↑ CHRIS ROUSH, OCTOBER 18, 2012, Talking Biz News, Covering finance and learning on the job, Retrieved August 3, 2015, "...In 2009, she received the Nellie Bly Cub Reporter award from the New York Press Club for her story, “The End of Oil.”..."
- ↑ Denise E. DeLorme, Fred Fedler, Volume 2, Issue 1 2008, Journal of Interdisciplinary and Multidisciplinary Research, Early Journalists and the Evolution of Publicists’ Stunts: From Circus Ballyhoo to Professionalism, Retrieved August 3, 2015, (see page 7 paragraph 3) "... For example, Nellie Bly, a daredevil reporter employed by Joseph Pulitzer,... a shop girl, and a factory worker, and wrote about every adventure. The decade from 1890 to 1900 became an era of stunt journalism, with reporters engaged in a series of actions considered daring, especially for women...."
External links
- The New York Press Club Web site.