Monday, June 16, 2003 4:20 PM
BY ALEX BEN BLOCK
There is still time to book seats at a very special 45th Annual Southern California Journalism Awards on Saturday evening, June 21, in the Grand Ballroom of the Sheraton Universal Hotel in Universal City, where the club honored Dan Rather and CBS News two years ago.
It promises to be an evening of fun, entertainment and great emotion. Among this year’s award presenters is Larry McCormick of KTLA, former football- turned-TV star Fred Dryer, Los Angeles Times Managing Editor Dean Baquet, Adelphia public affairs TV host Bill Rosendahl, political columnist and media star Arianna Huffington, Daily News man- aging editor Ron Kaye, syndicated politi- cal columnist Jill Stewart and NBC4 investigative reporter Ana Garcia. Other presenters will be announced.
In the wake of war in Iraq, this year’s event takes on national significance. The club joins with the family of the late Daniel Pearl, and his widow Marianne, to present the second Daniel Pearl Award for Courage and Integrity and Journalism to Atlantic Monthly and Washington Post writer Michael Kelly, in memoriam.
The Masters of Ceremony for the gala are L.A. Times columnist and TV host Patt Morrison and TV Guide national writer Ted Johnson, who is also club pres- ident. They will close the show by announcing the 2002 Journalists of the Year for Southern California.
The first segment of the 7:30 p.m. show will feature the Pearl Award, pre- sented on behalf of the Pearl family by James Hill, managing editor of the Washington Post Writers Group. Mr. Hill formerly held top editorial positions at the L.A. Times and elsewhere.
Accepting the award will be Kelly’s widow, Madelyn “Max” Kelly and David Bradley, chairman and owner of Atlantic Monthly and other publications. A number of top editors from Atlantic Monthly are traveling from Boston, New York and Washington to attend.
Our 2002 lifetime achievement award winner is anchorwoman Laura Diaz, who will be accompanied by members of her family as well as many friends and support- ers at CBS2 and KCAL9 in Los Angeles.
The presentation of this year’s Joseph M.
Quinn Award for Journalistic Excellence and Distinction will be by Conan Nolan, a former colleague at her longtime former home of ABC7. Nolan is now at NBC4, where he recently distinguished himself as the station’s Iraq war correspondent.
Longtime and much loved L.A. Times columnist and author Al Martinez will receive the President’s Award from club president and emcee Ted Johnson, who has prepared a special tribute. Martinez, who enjoys one of the best-known bylines in California, most recently authored the novel “The Last City Room.”
The program will include a Fallen Journalist’s salute to all media who died while on the job over the past year, including special mentions of CBS2 producer-camera- man Larry Greene, NBC’s innovative Iraq reporter David Bloom and others.
The evening will begin at 6 p.m. with an indoor-outdoor cocktail party in the grand atrium of Sheraton Universal, including enter- tainment by Argentine band Nativa, with lead vocals by Julian Cordoba. All guests will receive a gift bag and program. Attire is busi- ness or semi-formal.
To buy tickets, tables, advertising or to sponsor items for the gift bag, contact Executive Director Diana Ljungaeus (323) 469-8180 or diana@lapressclub.org.
