Mickey H. Osterreicher, general counsel to the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA), has been named the Los Angeles Press Club’s 2024 Guardian Awardee for Contributions to Press Freedom.
“It’s hard to summarize how much Mickey has done for press freedom,” said Adam Rose, chair of the LA Press Club’s press rights committee. “He’s given philosophical oration in Congress and navigated airspace regulations for drone photographers. His voice rings clearly with journalists and government officials alike.”
These are just a couple of reasons the LAPC is honoring Osterreicher.
“Mickey has brought his unique expertise to bear in Southern California on many occasions. Across our region, a generation of press rights advocates continues to learn from his deep knowledge and thoughtful approach,” Rose said. “And long before our own advocacy, Mickey was helping to bridge understandings with our local law enforcement.”
Osterreicher is an award-winning photojournalist with over 40 years of experience in print and broadcast. As a lawyer, Osterreicher has been actively involved in such issues as: cameras in the courtroom, the federal shield law, media access, public photography, copyright, and the use of drones for newsgathering.
As a member of the IACP Public Recording of Police advisory committee, he helped draft the manuals and provide training on this issue. He has also instructed at numerous annual IACP and National Sheriffs Association (NSA) meetings and provided training on this subject to many law enforcement agencies nationwide.
He has been a uniformed reserve deputy sheriff with the Erie County Sheriff’s Office since 1976. He was also an adjunct lecturer in photojournalism at SUNY at Buffalo and an adjunct law professor in media and the law at the University at Buffalo Law School. In 2021, he was inducted into the Buffalo Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
He is admitted to practice in New York State and several federal jurisdictions around the country including the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Guardian Award will be presented at the 66th SoCal Journalism Awards Gala on Sunday, June 23 at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.
In addition to honoring Osterreicher, Stephen A. Smith will receive the Joseph M. Quinn Lifetime Achievement Award. The President’s Award for Impact on Media, the Bill Rosendahl Public Service Award and the Daniel Pearl Award for Courage and Integrity in Journalism will also be presented this evening.
The evening will be dedicated to the memory of Ruth Ashton Taylor, the first female TV anchor in Los Angeles and a trailblazer for female journalists everywhere. She died at the age of 101 earlier this year.
More than 500 journalists and media executives are expected to attend this prestigious event.
Proceeds from the Gala are the largest source of income for the Los Angeles Press Club a 501(c) 3 that speaks for journalists across all media platforms. All contributions are tax-deductible.
For more information about this event or to sponsor, advertise or buy tickets go to www.LApressclub.org or contact Executive Director Diana Ljungaeus at 310.210.1860 or email Diana-AT-LApressclub.org.
