Author: Los Angeles Press Club

Thursday, October 14, 2004 2:02 PM If you’re a journalist or member of the public wondering about the fine print in this year’s bewildering statewide ballot measures, you are encouraged to attend the Los Angeles Press Club’s panel discussion, “The Initiatives,” on Thursday October 14 at 7:30 p.m. in Hollywood. Moderated by syndicated political columnist Jill Stewart, the panelists represent a broad political spectrum. From the Los Angeles area, panelists will include: Parke Skelton, widely considered one of the most insightful Democratic political consultants in California, and Dick Rosengarten, respected…

See More

Wednesday, October 06, 2004 2:03 PM Los Angeles Press Club’s Annual Meeting will not be held the evening of September 30th, due to the presidential debate. Instead we are gearing up for next week: WHAT: LA press club’s annual meeting. WHEN: Wednesday, October 6th. Cocktails at 6:30 p.m. Meeting starts at 7:30. WHERE: Los Angeles Press Club’s headquarters 6464 Sunset Blvd., 8th floor, L.A. WHO: Candidates will introduce themselves. UPCOMING: Oct. 14 – Panel on “The Initiatives”, moderated by Jill Stewart. Oct. 21 – Screening of Outfoxed, Q&A with Robert…

See More

Wednesday, September 22, 2004 2:04 PM Violation of the Brown Act? Another Secrecy Slip-Up by the Board of Supervisors? Sept. 22, 2004 – The Los Angeles Sunshine Coalition today accused the L.A. County Board of Supervisors of possibly violating the Brown Act, the state’s open government meetings law, by voting on a plan of action for the King/Drew trauma center that a majority of members had secretly already agreed upon. Yesterday the board voted 3-1 to start the process to close the trauma center at the troubled King/Drew Medical Center.…

See More

Friday, September 17, 2004 9:43 PM The L.A. Sunshine Coalition, which is pressing the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (BOS) to codify measures they passed on April 2 to make government more open and acces- sible to the public, has issued a call for help from members, jour- nalists and other concerned citizens. The Board has given its various departments until mid- October to implement necessary changes. During this period, a small ad hoc task force of Sunshine Coalition members are attempting to monitor compliance. “But we need your…

See More

Friday, September 17, 2004 8:32 PM

See More

Friday, September 17, 2004 8:29 PM BY SANDY COHEN It’s been one of Hollywood’s most exclu- sive nightclubs for more than 40 years. Overlooking the city from its hillside perch on Franklin Avenue, the Magic Castle is a private haven for magicians and celebrities. Siegfried & Roy (minus the tigers) got their start there. So did David Copperfield. Orson Welles and Cary Grant used to be regulars at the Castle’s multiple bars. Today it’s Drew Barrymore and Jason Alexander. In fact, it usually takes magic to get in. It’s a…

See More

Friday, September 17, 2004 8:27 PM BY JILL STEWART Diplomats, foreign journalists and immigra- tion officials joined in a lively Press Club debate over restrictions on foreign journalists who arrive in the U.S. to cover news events. The July panel discussion drew dozens of journalists, with interest particularly height- ened due to recent headlines over British reporter Elena Lappin, who was detained at LAX, handcuffed and stuck overnight in an isolation room. According to panel coordinator and Reason magazine reporter Matt Welch, since early 2003, agents of the Department of…

See More

Friday, September 17, 2004 8:24 PM BY DIANA LJUNGAEUS Melissa Morrissette has known that she wanted to be a journalist since she was six years old. By the time she reached the sixth grade, she wrote her idol, Los Angeles TV anchor Pat Harvey, asking her for advice. Harvey’s answer: “She told me to stay in school, to major in journalism, take political science and above all, love what I do in order to be good at it.” Melissa followed Harvey’s advice and is now in her third year at…

See More

Friday, September 17, 2004 8:23 PM August Panel at Press Club Sorts It Out BY ANTHEA RAYMOND Who benefits when information gets out? This question helped shape the Press Club’s August 4 panel on changes at the BBC after the so-called “Neil Report.” The BBC conducted an internal audit after being criticized by the British government for its handling of Andrew Gilligan’s “unfounded” reporting and its unfortunate outcome—the suicide of its sole anonymous source, weapons expert David Kelly. The Neil Report recommends that the BBC put lawyers in newsrooms to…

See More