By Ruby Scanlon As a young girl, my sister always had this innate goodness to her– always tending to whatever weeds grew in the outside patch of grass we called our backyard, or caring for any stray cat that came wandering it’s way to the front door. I think the enormity of her heart was best revealed in her declaration of what she knew her profession to one day be. While her peers all wished to grow up and be a princess, rockstar, or athlete, my sister gleefully declared one…
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Trapped in New York City
By Alexis Daish “We have breaking news, the pandemic now hitting our aviation industry – Qantas has announced it’s standing down two-thirds of its staff.” Standing on Wall Street, I couldn’t have felt further away from home. I’d been in New York for days, never returning to Los Angeles as planned after Harvey Weinstein’s sentence. I was going live in thirty seconds, breaking news to Australia that traders on the NYSE floor tested positive to COVID-19. I heard the presenters of our breakfast TV show – Today Show – gasping…
Read MorePandemic Pals: Tales from the Sofa
By Pam Tallman “Don’t kill it!” I shouted at my husband. The shocked look on his face I’m sure matched that of the spider he was about to flatten. That’s how starved for conversation I am, I’ve started chatting with the spider who has taken up residence in my kitchen garden window. In fact, we’ve become good friends. You might say, pandemic pals. I first met Spidella—Spidey was already taken—a week ago when I spotted her crawling across my kitchen countertop. (Actually I have no idea if it’s a him…
Read MoreTemblors
By Shawna Kenney “Thank you for being an awesome dog,” the veterinarian said, kissing Nolan’s copper-colored head before making the final injection. Nolan died in my lap on Feb 5th. My husband Rich and I were still grieving when the global pandemic hit in March, but getting back to normal, able to talk about other things, adjusting to the missing canine energy in the apartment. I finally started sleeping through the night—after having to get up to check on him so much in his last weeks, when the cancerous tumors…
Read MoreJoin Us for a Free Painting Class Online!
Join us every Wednesday from 6-8 p.m. while we hone our artistic side! The Los Angeles Press Club and Reuters are partnering to bring you this unique opportunity led by journalist-turned-artist Leah Kohlenberg. Leah believes drawing and painting can help journalists use different parts of their brains, develop new approaches to stories and relieve stress. And we’re all dealing with a good amount of stress these days. If you do not have supplies for oil painting or acrylic paints you can choose to draw. Paper and pencil work fine! Sign…
Read MoreRemembering Friend of the Press Club Buster Sussman
It is with a heavy heart that we share the sad news that Buster Sussman has left us. Buster was a fixture at the Los Angeles Press Club and a member since 1948! He greeted many of us with his cheerful “Congratulations, congratulations — you are doing a fantastic job.” Buster was born in San Francisco on April 16, 1927, and later moved to Los Angeles with his family. He landed reporter jobs on a string of newspapers, among them Los Angeles Times. In the 1970s, he was a director…
Read MorePakistani court overturns conviction in killing of Daniel Pearl – via New York Post
A court in Pakistan on Thursday overturned the death sentence and murder conviction of a British-born militant for the 2002 slaying of journalist Daniel Pearl. Pearl, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, was abducted and beheaded in Karachi. A video of Pearl’s decapitation was delivered to the US consulate there. READ THE STORY HERE
Read MoreThe L.A. Press Club Establishes a Journalist Emergency Fund with the Help of HFPA
The Los Angeles Press Club is pleased to announce the establishment of an Emergency Fund for Southern California journalists. The fund is made possible through a grant from HFPA, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. “The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has long been committed to giving back to the community,” said Lorenzo Soria, president of the HFPA. “The pandemic has greatly impacted our industry and we wanted to provide aid to fellow journalists in these difficult and uncertain times.” The fund is immediately open for applications, recognizing the hardship put on journalists…
Read MoreLife in the Time of the Coronavirus Contest
Find yourself working from home? Sheltering in place and dealing with the coronavirus, maybe worrying about aging parents and grandparents? Write about your experiences. Or produce a video, a podcast or photo essay. “During this unprecedented situation, the Los Angeles Press Club wants to hear your stories, provide a creative outlet and offer a small award to help address the financial burdens many are facing at this time,” said L.A. Press Club President Lisa Richwine, Reuters. CONTEST RULES Written works are limited to 1,000 words. Video and podcast submissions can…
Read MoreReuters/L.A. Press Club Art Classes
The Reuters/LA Press Club art classes will continue during this outbreak — in fact, they’re more important than ever! It is a great stress-relief and communal activity. All classes will be held online so you will have to supply your own materials. If you do not have supplies for oil painting or acrylic paints you can choose to draw. Paper and pencils work fine! Below are all the currently planned art classes. Note: Anyone can join into ANY class, but just be aware of the time zone issues. People should…
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