The New York Press Club, sometimes ''NYPC'', is a private nonprofit membership organization which promotes journalism in the

New York City metropolitan area The New York metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the Tri-State area, is the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban area, urban landmass, at , and one of the list of most populous metropolitan areas, most populous urban agg ...

. It is unaffiliated with any government organization and abstains from politics. While the club is headquarters in New York City, it serves as an association for journalists based in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

History

The organization in differing forms has been around since the nineteenth century. In 1887, its members erected a 38-foot obelisk to mark the gravesite of a deceased reporter.David W. Dunlop, November 27, 2011, The New York Times
Known
Retrieved March 19, 2018, "...In 1887, The New York Press Club rallied its members, dug into its pockets and erected a 38-foot obelisk to set the place apart, staking out the ground with granite markers. Nearly 2,000 people attended the dedication..." But during the

Great Depression in the United States In the United States, the Great Depression began with the Wall Street Crash of October 1929 and then spread worldwide. The nadir came in 1931–1933, and recovery came in 1940. The stock market crash marked the beginning of a decade of high un ...

, the organization fell apart. A revitalized organization was founded in 1948 as the New York Newspaper Reporters Association, and its name was changed to its current one in 1972.

Activities

In conjunction with its foundation, ''New York Press Club Foundation'', the club focuses on furthering the interests of journalists and media people. It sponsors lectures and presentations relevant to journalism such as press freedom, investigative reporting, the relationship between the media and the government, the role of community newspapers, changes in media, topics in the news, foreign press coverage of New York, and questions about how the press covers itself. For example, it spurred discussion on the subject of

concussions in American football Concussions and play-related head blows in American football have been shown to be the cause of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which has led to player deaths and other debilitating symptoms after retirement, including memory loss, depress ...

. It sponsors debates among candidates for public office, provides support for journalists faced with media-related legal issues, and works with government agencies on issues such as issuing press credentials. For example, when New York mayor

Bill De Blasio Bill de Blasio (; born Warren Wilhelm Jr., May 8, 1961; later Warren de Blasio-Wilhelm) is an American politician who served as the 109th mayor of New York City from 2014 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he held the office of New Yor ...

called for a closed-down session to exclude reporters, the Press Club's president Larry Seary criticized the decision, arguing for greater transparency.Katie Honan, May 28, 2015, DNA Info
NYCLU and New York Press Club Decry De Blasio's 'Free Speech Zone'
, Retrieved March 19, 2018 It sponsors an annual ''Conference on Journalism'' which is held at New York University, and it used to publish ''Byline Magazine'' which features topics of interest to journalists.ISUUU
Byline is the annual magazine published by the New York Press Club
Retrieved March 19, 2018 When prominent newspeople die, the organization issues statements about their contributions; for example, when news reporter

Gabe Pressman Gabriel Stanley "Gabe" Pressman (February 14, 1924 – June 23, 2017) was an American journalist who was a reporter for WNBC-TV in New York City for more than 60 years. His career spanned more than seven decades; the events he covered included th ...

died in 2017, the club issued a statement that Pressman "fought ferociously for journalists' rights". The organization promotes the

freedom of the press Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the fundamental principle that communication and expression through various media, including printed and electronic News media, media, especially publication, published materials, should be conside ...

. It has criticized decisions to shut down news sites. When U.S. Attorney

Jeff Sessions Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III (born December 24, 1946) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 84th United States Attorney General from 2017 to 2018. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as United State ...

vowed to review "media subpoenas" as an attempt to quell leaks in government, the club criticized the remarks as "a not-so-veiled shot across the bow at the news media" and suggested that journalists must not be intimidated by such threats. When CNN journalist

Jim Acosta Abilio James Acosta (born April 17, 1971) is an American broadcast journalist, anchor and the chief domestic correspondent for CNN. Previously, Acosta served as the network's chief White House correspondent during the Trump administration, in w ...

was singled out by then president-elect

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...

during a press conference, in which the reporter's questions went unanswered, the club wrote a letter to Trump in Acosta's defense. The current president is Jane Tillman Irving, who took office in 2018; she is retired from WCBS NewsRadio. The foundation also offers scholarships to local journalism students.

Award programs

Awards are given in categories such as writing, editing, and video production. Its awards are often cited by publishers and newspapers and reporters. They include: * ''Gold Keyboard Award'' for excellence in investigative journalism. This award has been described as the association's most prestigious award.Michael Hudson, August 24, 2015, ICU
Evicted and Abandoned
Retrieved March 19, 2018, "...the New York Press Club’s highest accolade, the Gold Keyboard Award for enterprise or investigative reporting...." Typically the organization gives out the awards at an annual dinner in June. * ''The Reverend Mychal Judge Heart of New York Award'' for reporting about New York City. * ''The Nellie Bly Cub Reporter Award'', given to reporters with less than three years of experience.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)...." This award has been given annually since 1978; past recipients include investigative journalists such as

Mina Kimes Mina Mugil Kimes (born September 8, 1985) is an American journalist who specializes in business and sports reporting. She has written for '' Fortune'', ''Bloomberg News'', and ''ESPN''.Keith J. Kelly, May 7, 2014, ''New York Post''ESPN drafts Blo ...

and Jonathan Kanterman.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.”..." The award was named after crusading journalist

Nellie Bly Elizabeth Cochran Seaman (born Elizabeth Jane Cochran; May 5, 1864 – January 27, 1922), better known by her pen name Nellie Bly, was an American journalist, industrialist, inventor, and charity worker who was widely known for her record-breaki ...

, who was employed by

Joseph Pulitzer Joseph Pulitzer ( ; born Pulitzer József, ; April 10, 1847 – October 29, 1911) was a Hungarian-American politician and newspaper publisher of the ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'' and the ''New York World''. He became a leading national figure in ...

in the 1890s who, according to one account, went to great lengths to get material for her stories; for example, she got herself committed to an insane asylum for ten days in order to report on what happened within the institution.Kim Todd, Smithsonian Magazine, November 2016
These Women Reporters Went Undercover to Get the Most Important Scoops of Their Day: Writing under pseudonyms, the so-called girl stunt reporters of the late 19th century played a major role in exposing the nation’s ills
Retrieved November 24, 2019, quote= "...After Nellie Bly, whose 1887 series “Ten Days in a Mad House” had been a windfall for Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World ... In little more than two years after Bly got herself committed to New York City’s notorious Blackwell’s Island insane asylum,...." H. Claire Brown is another recipient of the Nellie Bly award. * ''The New York Journalism Hall of Fame Award'' for journalists whose careers in New York media characterized by long tenure, integrity and achievement. * ''The New York Press Club President's Award'' in recognition of careers which have had a salutary impact on journalism.

Past presidents

References

External links

*
Coalition for the First AmendmentAwards for JournalismSpecial Awards for JournalismPhoto/video gallery of recent events
{{Authority control American press clubs Clubs and societies in New York City Mass media in New York City