The New York Press Club is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which is comprised of journalists and which as Steve Scott, The New York Press Club, First Amendment Chairman says:

Make no mistake about it. The First Amendment is under attack.

“You can’t speak truth to power, if those in power can crush the truth.”– Jim Acosta, 2019 recipient of the New York Press Club’s Gabe Pressman “Truth to Power” Award

Journalists are being threatened and physically attacked, simply for doing their jobs. The president of the United States calls the press “the enemy of the American people.” Government officials, from Washington to the smallest communities in the country, are ignoring Open Meetings laws, and closing their doors to the press and public. Well-researched reporting is labeled as “fake news.” Newsroom staffs are being reduced, as corporate profits have become the priority over journalism.

No one will defend us if we don’t defend ourselves. It is incumbent upon all of us in journalism to keep our eyes and ears open to attacks and abuse.

The New York Press Club regularly speaks out on issues that we see as a threat to our hard-earned press freedoms. But, we need your help. If you know of a threat against the First Amendment, please let me know. I can’t guarantee that we’ll be able to comment on every item we receive, but it will be good to keep an open folder of your concerns.

Thank you,
Steve Scott
New York Press Club First Amendment Chairman

It was a very interesting event where I got to meet a lot of writers, producers and journalist and where I got to see a lot of awards given out for amazing coverage.

The event was held at Pier 81 on The Cornucopia Majesty which is docked at 41st Street and 12th Avenue.

Here is the bar area where a lot of interesting conversations were happening.

Here is the dining area where dinner was served and where the Awards were presented.

The Awards…

Dinner was a salad, a main dish of salmon and beef and truthfully, I left before dessert because it was getting late and it was a long ride home.

But I did get to take this photo of two journalists, Ronnie Green and Holly Barker who both won the Award for their article on elder abuse of those seniors that get committed to the system. They were at my table and I learned a lot!!

So here is to the truth and to the journalists that speak it. Especially, especially during these very difficult times.