SMU prof Tony Pederson and author Hugh Aynesworth have done heroic work in trying to revive the collapsed Dallas Press Club. I’m all for it — kind of. Our editors met today to decide how we should respond to the host of requests we’ve gotten to participate. Our conclusion: if it’s organized the same as it was in the past, it will eventually collapse as it has done in the past. (I seem to be reminded of something about building a house on a rock.) Because so many people are involved, I am posting the note I just sent Tony and Hugh. Those who care are invited to jump.
Tony and Hugh:
First, let me thank you for the effort you’ve put in to reviving the Dallas Press Club.
The Press Club should be revived. Properly organized, it could play a real role in this city’s life. I can think of four ways it could benefit the journalistic community:
(1) Providing recognition for excellence in reporting and criticism;
(2) Providing a forum for discussions of the role of the media in the city;
(3) Providing a venue for informal social networking; and
(4) Providing a neutral ground for media organizations to address issues that affect the industry and the First Amendment.However, if the past is prologue – and it usually is – the present configuration will not work. The Press Club should be operated for the press, which means it needs to be managed by the press.
D Magazine and its affiliates would be happy to join in the revival on one condition, that the Board of the new Dallas Press Club is composed only of representatives of the region’s leading print, broadcast, and web news-reporting organizations. It seems to us that this is a precondition to making the Press Club an institutional force that can serve the media as well as the city.
I know that your efforts are far down the road. I know many people will think this exclusionary. But to our minds, it is the only way it will work. Therefore, it is the only way we will join.
All the best,
Wick
I’m just thinking that ideally, yes, the press club should be made up of members of the press.
However, with newspapers (see the Star Telegram layoffs, the DMN, etc.) having more and more issues staying afloat, I can also see the argument for allowing those who deal with the press, i.e. the PR folk, in as well. The money to run the club has to come from somewhere, right?
However, I think the running of the Katie Awards (should they be resurrected) should be left entirely to journalists. I also think that the judging should sort of a blind process - more like a trade off like many of the state press associations do.
I agree that the Press Club should be run by the Press. And the Katies should be run by and for journalists.
But I also agree with Bethany that PR folks could be included on a members only basis. To be included in networking events, etc. Not able to serve on boards…
Well that’s my 2 cents for what it is worth…
I don’t disagree with the need to limit board and/or full membership to members of the working press. There are other professional organizations that allow vendors and members of allied professions to join as “associates” or some other non-voting class of member.
But wasn’t the person who caused the recent issues a member of the working press for at least part of the time she headed the Press Club?
Or you could let PR people et al. join, but set up the board to (1) include a majority of directors that must be “press” and (2) have a committee of press-only directors decide the Katies (similar to the audit committee of a corporate board being comprised of only independent directors). This both broadens the potential revenue stream and allows the press to retain control of the organization.
To clarify, we are only referring to the Board, and to further clarify, our position is not that it be composed of “members of the press” but of “representatives of the region’s leading print, broadcast, and web news-reporting organizations.”
Folks, believe it or not, yours truly is also a PC board member and we’re looking for qualified candidates to fill some soon-to-be expiring board seats.
Bethany, do you want to be considered for a board seat? (and please get your facebook page together, so we can correspond via that channel, as well)
Anyone else out there in FB nation (aside from D staffers) want to run for an opening board seat?
As Mr. Allison mentioned, Mr. Aynesworth and Mr. Pederson have brought back credibility and integrity to the PC following the debacle that occurred early 2007.
Feel free to contact me if you’re interested or know of someone that might be.
Thanks,
-Jason (jrp) Philyaw
jrphilyaw@hotmail.com
jrp - I do have a facebook - you can find me on the Save the Katies group, if you’re looking for me.
In a way, the World Affairs Council is doing what a press club should. They bring in international leaders, authors and many, many journalists to speak. They provide discussion forums and networking events. Too bad the press club itself isn’t doing this important work, because the WAC doesn’t always arrange events in a way that’s most useful for the press.
I do think there’s a place for the press club to focus on the problems of work-a-day journalists: access to public figures, government and corporate transparency, newsroom labor issues, blog ethics, etc.
How about bonafide news bloggers?
couldn’t agree more with inaway’s comment that the WAC doing what the PC should/could do
big difference is PC is all volunteer and WAC has a paid staff, in addition to being part of the national WAC orgainization and its 85+ affiliates
and news bloggers are always welcome in the PC, as well, publicnewsense. hit with an email and i’ll help you become a member
Wick,
All the things you outlined in your letter to Tony and Hugh are possible and the Press Club would love to do them just like they used to do. There’s just one problem. Many folks in the media, and “D” is certainly not alone in this, don’t support the club, either by paying dues or giving time off for staff to participate (like most corporations do and some PR agencies), buying tables at events or offering to bring in outstanding journalists to share their knowledge. How do you propose funding all these wonderful activities that we’d all like to see?
If the management of media outlets don’t support the club, their staff members have no incentive to do so on their own. It’s put up or shut up time, Wick. If you want the things to happen you outlined in your letter, you’ve got to help make it happen. It’s easy to sit in your office and criticize and a lot harder to roll up your sleeves, like Tony, Hugh and others have done, and create something outstanding that will benefit a lot of people. As chair of the Press Club’s nominating committee, I’d love to add your name (or Glenn Hunter’s) to the folks who are willing to serve on the board and try to bring the Club back to its former glory.
And, BTW, the board IS structured so that there is always a majority of media members. Us lowly PR types are welcomed to do some of the hard work and pay the bills. The Club would have died years ago without PR and corporate support. Many of us also think it important to have a Press Club or we wouldn’t have bothered.
As you know from past experience, I’m not into blogging exchanges so you can check the Press Club’s website later in the week when the candidates for the board are posted.
Liz Oliphant
I have a buddy who has been a writer at the DMN for more than a decade. He told me he has never, ever been asked to join the Press Club. He has won a couple of Katies, but other than the contest he said he never hears from the Press Club. Maybe there’s your problem with membership and support.
No offense TW, but the PC is a voluntary membership. Would be members have to fill out an application, be screened,approved, etc., but to my knowledge the PC doesn’t schlep around begging people to join. If he has been in the business for 10 years, and received Katies, I think he would know that…maybe he was/is just apathetic, and that’s the problem.
I’ve always had to pay my own Press Club dues - last year I did it mostly out of solidarity, I think, given everything that happened.
And amanda’s right, TW. You’re not invited to join, it’s voluntary.
It’s called The Press Club, not the Press/PR Club. Let the media join and run it or drop it. Let the pr people create their own club or join PRSA.
Quite frankly after last year’s debacle and the fact that the responsible person was more or less let off, I can see why the media (corporations and individuals) would not to jump on board.
Could it be that the Dallas Press Club is like Miss Haversham’s cake? It’s day has come and gone and it’s now decaying.
The Press Club was in decline before a working journalist brought it to its knees. The problem is the same for the club as it is with the yesteryear “giants” in our industry.
For the Press Club to survive and thrive, it must get its head out of the center of the city and realize that the strength of this metropolitan area (Wick, I dislike Metroplex, too.)is the total of what we are–the city and the suburbs, large companies and small companies…we are a region and organizations like the Press Club must come to realize that.
Since the Dallas Press are all also members of the Heritage Alliance, why couldn’t you just combine the two groups? All you would need to do is read some of jrp’s comments and realize he is on the board. That will give one a general direction and where this is headed and the reason that Katie would a result of incest.
well said, ken, i agree completely
and so do i
Since the Press Club website hasn’t changed in eons, I’d be interested in knowing what this great new board was/is doing. At least EA brought in professional development, etc.
I can’t add your rss feed to my reader, what could be the problem?